Ignorance In Slavery

The Effects of Forced Ignorance Upon Slaves in the United States of America An education is perhaps the greatest tool of humankind. It has led to awe-inspiring discoveries, revolutionary ideas, and the freedom of entire populations. Unfortunately, however, evil men and women attempt to stifle the knowledge of certain groups to increase submission and gain ultimate power. Such is the events of slavery in the United States of America. Texts from Frederick Douglass, with support from Henry Highland Garnet, portray the extent to which forced ignorance furthered the suffering of the slaves. Douglass’ “Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass”, “What to a Slave is the Fourth of July”, and Garnet’s “An Address to the Slaves of the United
The intentional ignorance inflicted by the slave owners also plays a key role in the impact of religion on the slaves. By forbidding slaves to read the Bible (Garnet), they never had the opportunity to interpret the stories for themselves. Once again, slave owners likely kept the slaves ignorant of the teachings of the Bible in order to suppress any semblance of hope or unity. Instead, the slave owners twisted the scriptures to justify their heinous actions. Frederick Douglass, for example, recalls several moments of slave owners using the Bible to defend slavery. He reflects upon Captain Auld, who once attended a religious camp, ultimately giving Douglass a brief moment of hope that perhaps religion would convince the slave owner to free his slaves (“Narrative of the Life”). In fact, religious influence had an opposite effect upon Captain Auld. He remembers a time where the slave owner whipped a young woman while justifying his actions with a quote from the Bible: “He that knoweth his master’s will, and doeth it not, shall be beaten with many stripes” (“Narrative of the Life”). It is through the actions of Captain Auld and others that Douglass eventually arrives at an important assertion regarding religion and the American
While many opposed to abolition saw the United States Constitution as a means of continuing the practice of slavery, others made strong arguments that the Constitution says otherwise. Once again, the lack of education among the slaves benefit those opposed to abolition as slaves were unable to read and interpret the words of the Constitution. Frederick Douglass, however, points out the literal phrasing of the Constitution, which he refers to as a “glorious liberty document” (“What to a Slave”). He states that nowhere in the document does it contain any text that supports slavery. Rather, Douglass finds the Constitution to “contain principles and purpose, entirely hostile to the existence of slavery” (“What to a Slave”). Henry Highland Garnet also briefly refers to the unconstitutionality of slavery, stating, in his address, to “…forget not that [the slaves] are native-born American citizens, and as such, [they] are justly entitled to all the rights that are granted to the freest” (6). Ultimately, the interpretation of two highly respected and educated men of the era shows the difference that an education can make. It can easily be deduced that those slave owners who refused slaves the ability to read or write benefitted from their ignorance in that they were unable to discover the unconstitutional, and therefore illegal, nature