Fredrick Douglass

A detailed Summary of Fredrick Douglass

The Ways in Which Masters Dehumanize Slaves

Have you ever wondered what it would be like to not have a last name? What would be so unique about being just another Kim, John, or Jessica? In many ways the simple absence of a last name would lead to a lack of individual identity. Our name is as familiar and as close to us as our own skin and we are more frequently aware of our name than we are of the unique living body that it identifies. We write it, speak it, and answer to it often and unreflectively. Not only would one feel robbed of their personal rights, but without a last name it goes without question that one would feel less than human. The simple yet horrific act of taking away a last name was one of the many acts committed by slaveholders. Masters took away Africans culture, families, freedom, and exposed them to hard, unsanitary labor by dominating them with cruel and unusual punishment. It is in ways such as these that slaveholders during the 19th century dehumanized slaves.

In the book "My Bondage and My Freedom," by Fredrick Douglass, a sad but clear picture is painted revealing just how terrible masters treated their slaves. "My sufferings on this plantation seem now like a dream

Some might ask how white masters could be so inhumane after supporting a declaration to liberate men from tyranny. Were they completely at fault for such a demoralizing act? Society as a whole was responsible, as well. Many masters did not always enjoy inflicting such pain and torment upon their slaves, but the law insisted that slaves be held down and kept inferior to white masters. It was a society in which slaves were the basic means of production and it would have been impossible to keep it this way if slaves weren't lacking knowledge and equality because with those rights, the system wouldn't work. European males dominated America at this point in time and with that power they felt that their rights were more important than the savage slaves they considered as property. However, they did not know that these acts would not be tolerated forever and that one day the truth would unleash the cruelty induced by white masters.

* Jefferson, Thomas. Declaration of Independence. In Congress, July 4th, 1776.

Overall, during this time period, slaves were considered property and slave masters would have done everything in their power to remind them of it. Slave masters attempted to dehumanize slaves by starting on the outside with cruel and unusual punishment and slowly working to the inside in successful stabs to the soul. They did this by violently weakening their bodies with whips and chains, selfishly erasing their prided culture and religion, and most importantly, ignorantly depriving them of their freedom. It's amazing that these acts were committed to fellow humans all because of the color of their skin, but during this time, superiority was more important than equality. These deliberate acts have left Africans in an inferior position, even in present times. Fathoming the pain and heartache felt by slaves during the 19th century, creates a shocking realization of the pain that still exist today.

rather than a stern reality," (Douglass, 219) In this quote, a man is expressing that his torment, due to slavery, was so horrifying that he couldn't distinguish it as a dream or reality. What could possibly be so horrifying that one could not determine such a reality? The fact that white slave masters found it necessary to inflict physical pain as a way to demonst

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Approximate Word count = 1549
Approximate Pages = 6 (250 words per page double spaced)

Category: History