Frederick Douglass: Man With a Thesis

Douglass is significant to American history because of his efforts with President Lincoln. Douglass was not simply looking out for his own freedom; he was concerned for the freedom of every slave in America and was determined to do all that he could to help these men experience freedom. Even if this meant talking to the President of the United States. Paul Kendrick notes that Douglass' first meeting with Lincoln was in the summer of 1863 and this meeting "remains one of the pivotal moments in American history: when a former slave could enter the office of the president to discuss significant issues" (Kendrick). In addition, to this, Kendrick notes that even more remarkable than a former slave visiting the President is the fact that Lincoln seemed to "enjoy Douglass's opinions and views, no matter how contrary to his own" (Kendrick). Kendrick also writes that Douglass recalled that Lincoln was the "first white man I ever spent an hour with who did not remind me I was a Negro'" (Douglass qtd. In Kendrick). Kendrick contends that Douglass knew that Lincoln had "indeed been the essential man in this national crisis, perhaps the only leader who could have both preserved the Union and won emancipation" (Kendrick). This notion alone was reason enough to stay in contact with Lincoln regardless of how slow he seemed to respond to issues that were close to Douglass' heart. It is no secret that these men had very different objectives with Lincoln wanting to save the Union and Douglass wanting to establish equality for all. Kendrick notes that while many tried to avoid the issue of slavery for some time, "Douglass understood that the Union itself would not survive without the monumental contributions of African-Americans" (Kendrick). Douglass took his freedom and decided to good things with it. Just as he knew that slavery was wrong, he also knew that the battle would not be over until all slaves wee declared free.

Frederick Douglass is more than just a writer and he is more than a former slave. We can throw these terms around because we are removed from the history that is involved with their making. When we look t the history involved with Frederick Douglass, we cannot help but look in awe at this man that achieved so much in one lifetime. While many slaves were held back and taught to live that way, Douglass clung to his instinctive inclination that slavery was wrong. While he lived as a slave for some time, he finally realized that he did not deserve to be treated in such a way. After countless beatings and attempts to belittle him, Douglass fought back and experienced a sense of pride that would never be ignored. Once Douglass realized that he could fight and make headway toward freedom, he did not stop nr did he look back. His narrative is an account of one man's triumph over the system. One man takes on the system of slavery and wins -- not just for himself but also for many thousands of slaves that suffered just as he did. Douglass was not happy with simply being free and writing a book; he wanted others to be free as well. His achievements are nothing less than pure inspiration and he proves that we do not have to remain at the mercy of others. He proves that as long as we are alive and have a voice, that voice deserves to be heard. Works Cited Douglass, Frederick. Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave. New York: Penguin. 1982. Hively Russell. Dictionary of Literary Biography, Volume 50: Afro-American Writers Before the Harlem Renaissance. 1986. GALE Resource Database. Information Retrieved April 21, 2009. Kendrick, Paul and Stephen. "Lincoln and Douglass." American Heritage. 2009. EBSCO Resource Database. Information Retrieved April 21, 2009. Piano, Doreen. "Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave, Written by Himself." Nonfiction….....