Similarities Between Lincoln And Frederick Douglass

How is Harriet Tubman and Frederick Douglass methods different? Harriet Tubman and Frederick Douglass were both people who worked towards the complete abolition of slaves. Though they both had a common goal the way they achieved them was different. Both of them played a large part in the abolition of slavery. They also took a great, many risks to abolish slavery with each of them used different methods to complete it.

Douglass got his passion to promote freedom for all slaves after he escaped from slavery and ultimately had an end goal to “abolish slavery in all its forms and aspects, and promote the moral and intellectual improvement of the coloured people and hasten the day of freedom to the three million of enslaved fellow countrymen”. He also wrote several autobiographies describing his experiences as a slave. One of the autobiographies in particular, ‘Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave’ published in 1845 was a best-selling and was extremely influential for promoting the cause of abolition. The narrative shows a compelling argument to basic human rights thus making it extremely influential as the narrative clearly possesses features and linguistic skills, which for most white people, negated their common perception of black people being illiterate in the 19th century.

W.E.B. Dubois had a better idea of equality than Frederick Douglass. Both of these civil rights leaders have lived and experienced a remarkable different life. Frederick Douglass was born into slavery. His mother was a slave and his father was a slave owner. W.E.B Dubois was born free and his parents were free African Americans. Douglass and Dubois education upbringing was a totally different experience.

Douglass and President Lincoln agreed that slavery needed to be abolished and the Nation needed to be united as one. Lincoln realized that he needed to bring in Frederick Douglass; the combination of a strong and influential black leader and the President of the United States could now create a cohesive group of abolitionists and the Union. Frederick Douglass realized that President Lincoln’s own personality and political judgment would help him free slaves across the country. Realizing each other’s strengths, both men were able to be effective through the use strong actions and powerful words of one another; their relationship played a key role in changing the nations views on slavery and race.

By supporting the Revolutionaries actions to break free from British Rule, Douglass alluded to the similar fight that the American population faced to attain the same liberty that white citizens had. With the same courage the Founding Fathers had to create a free country, the American generation of 1852 faced a similar test to uphold the values of the Declaration of Independence, and liberate American slaves.7 After applauding the Founding Fathers, Douglass acknowledges that the emphasis of his speech is not to give praise, but to call on America to act on it’s own failures and begin to faithfully fulfill the nations oath.8 He asks his audience, “Are the great principles of political freedom and of natural justice, embodied in that Declaration of Independence, extended to us [African Americans]?”9 This rhetorical question Douglass presents, challenges America to reevaluate what they are truly celebrating on the Fourth of July, for it is surely not the freedom in which they claim to have achieved. Douglass asserts that asking black people to rejoice in the “shouts of liberty and equality, hollow mockery”10 and do not respect the courage, and steps the Founding Fathers took to create a free, liberated nation.11

On July 4, 1852, former slave and American abolitionist, Frederick Douglass is invited to speak before an abolitionist audience in Rochester, New York. Although the speech should address the greatness and freedom of the nation on independence day, Frederick Douglass uses his platform to display his displeasure with the meaning of freedom in white America. Therefore, the sole purpose of his speech is to unmask the hypocrisy of a nation who dares celebrate freedom and independence while keeping African American slaves. To Douglass, the 4th of July is a constant reminder of the unfairness of the political and social core of the nation. As a social activist and most importantly a former slave, Frederick Douglass uses multiple rhetorical strategies to indict America on the immoral practice of slavery.

The recollection of a former slave and the flashback to a young boy’s childhood aspirations. Both used different techniques to convey his own narrative. Frederick Douglass wrote about his experiences as an enslaved child in Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave. Mark Twain told his story of being a boy who wanted nothing more than to work on a steamboat in Life on the Mississippi. These two authors shared the time period of the 19th century but lived very estranged lives. Where the two differ most is in the tone of their writings whereas the actual stories themselves are very similar.

Successful, self-educated abolitionists Frederick Douglass and Booker T. Washington fought tirelessly to eradicate slavery. Born into slavery, Douglass and Washington shared the belief of equality, but differed on the manner in which it would be achieved. Douglass’s philosophy was “agitate!, agitate!, agitate!” whereas, Washington was of the ‘work!, work!, work!” mindset.

One man aided black people on how to become successful while the other advised white people on how to help negros. Most people agree that both Washington and Douglass were productive men, but it is found to be true that each man endured quite different experiences. The length of time they spent as slaves was different, their masters were different, and their education was different. The length of time Washington was a slave compared to Douglass was very different. Washington was only a slave up until his early boyhood years.

Frederick Douglass and Abraham Lincoln are both heroes, due to the fact that they put their own lives at stake to spread the dream of freedom and liberty to all people. Douglass was a brave man, working as a speaker for justice and liberty for all slaves. He put his own life at risk, albeit reluctantly at first, but soon grew accustomed to it and was able to do it with greater passion. He even gathered the respect of some poets and teachers. Robert Hayden, a renowned teacher, quoted in a poem, that “this man shall be remembered… not with statues rhetoric… but with lives grown out of his life, the lives fleshing his dream of the beautiful needful thing.”(SB p.70) Lincoln was also extremely brave in that regard, but instead of standing in speaking,

Robert Carter, who freed more than 500 slaves in his lifetime, and Frederick Douglass, who escaped from slavery and wrote books, made newspapers and spoke to large audiences of Massachusetts abolitionists both fought hard to end slavery in their own different ways. In the early to middle 1800s slavery was a big problem, and people were starting to notice. People thought that someone else would end it, and they didn’t have to do it all by themselves, but these two were proactive in the fight. Their different characteristics, but similar goal helped the US reach a slavery-free country. Whereas Frederick Douglass had to escape slavery to preach for equality, Robert Carter was born into wealth and fought against slavery in a whole different way.

Abraham was the president which he claimed his own and he didn't use his family wealth and name but only by knowledge and speeches.but Douglass is a fighter he fought for his freedom, He earned his freedom its don't came by itself by exposing what he saw and experienced in his slavery life in three autographs that awaken many people of this crisis that slavery had suffered from raping womans, beating to death,treated as animals (Blassingame J,2004) . Abraham perseverance him self as a leader in US civil war,He succeed to keep union of south and north by forgive, and rebuild. soundly,Douglass died from massive heart failure were found in his house (Blassingame J,2004).As for Lincoln he was murdered by John Booth an actor shot him in the head while he was attending a play in Washington (History.com Staff,

The task is never finished. Although Frederick Douglass and Abraham Lincoln did many things to help get this nation to what it is now, things are not as good as they could be. When answering the question “Were the goals of Douglass and Lincoln achieved?” the simple answer is no. Yes, slavery was abolished and all blacks were freed, but sadly, racism and other hindrances were still in existence and are still in existence today.

Abe Lincoln and Frederick Douglass are very different people, but they both had the same purpose. Abraham Lincoln, the president of the united states, wanted the south to secede and to end slavery. Douglass wanted the same thing as Lincoln but his speech was more impactful because it came from a slave himself. Both men gave very impactful speeches, but one of them was definitely better.

During the time of 1858, tension was high and many people were frustrated about the idea of slavery in Illinois. Two people that seemed to be caught in the middle of several feuds were Abraham Lincoln and Stephen Douglas. Lincoln and Douglas were battling for a seat in the Illinois Senate. In seven debates they stated their opinion on the main topic at the time, which was slavery. Lincoln thought the idea of slavery was unjust and wanted to give slaves the same rights others had.