Narrative Of The Life Of Frederick Douglass Narrative Essay

The following weeks and months involved tracking down the slaves that escaped. Some ended up being executed, including the ones that went back to their plantations hoping their absence hadn’t been noticed. Others were awarded for defending their masters during the night of

Aspects of the law were applying to slaves, those who owned slaves, all white people who either do or do not own slaves, and servants. It shows how all different groups of people in the society have to do their part in order to maintain the economic system. In the Slave Code of South Carolina, it begins stating rules of slaves paying off debts to their owners by saving and paying off with money or goods, or being sold and their profit being given to the original owner. It continues to talk about runaway slaves and the process in which someone must go through if they find one. The document states “ no person whatsoever, except the sheriff or gaoler, shall keep any runaway slave or slaves above four days… employ any of them, or suffer him, or her in custody”, this shows the idea of ownership of slaves in the fact that they must be returned quickly, having done no work for the capturer, and there is a small reward upon return.

As a result, the slave is upset or depressed in that he has to live through this. Although he is a good person at heart, he is still not given the chance to prove himself or get the rights he

Slaves knew that running away from their master would be hard, due to the lack of trust they were given. As time passed, slaves became wiser, and more determined to be free. Many slaves set up plans, and met with men that would help them escape the horrible lives they faced. Many slaves decided to create plans that would help them get out of their lives as servants, knowing that the consequences would be brutal. According to Dr. Bryan Walls, “Henry Box Brown” from KQED he says “a White sympathizer.

When they were getting ready to be sold, they would have marches for several miles and some of them would be shackled around the neck. Once they reached the coast of where they would board ships, the slaves would be put into cages just like animals are today. After boarding the ships, they were cramped in so tight that hundreds of them would die because they would not being able to breath. Inhuman conditions like these went on for thousands of year. Incidents such as running away or sleeping with a black slave would appear during this time.

When Douglass master unexpectedly died, he and other slaves were to be sent off to be claimed or sold to family and friends, because these slaves are “considered property” This is a hard time for slaves because then “families are divided and friends separated, never to see each again.” Douglass was lucky enough to be sent back to Baltimore. His grandmother ;however, is sent into the woods to fend for herself, considered “not valuable enough to sell.” Soon after these events, Douglass is sent to the country. When he becomes aware of this, he realizes that it may be too late to escape saying that “ it’s much harder to escape in the country than in a big city like Baltimore.”

Along with the harsh labor contracts, freedmen and their families had to endure racial hostility. They lived in seclusion among other sharecroppers for numerous reasons. Safety was a main concern. A slight step out of line would cause an angry anti-abolitionist or Lost Cause survivor to threaten their livelihood. These threats could also mean even death.

Slave owners only needed to supply an affidavit to a federal marshal to capture an escaped slave. Since no suspected slave was permitted trial, this led to many free African Americans being forced into slavery since they could not defend themselves against

The Fugitive Slave Act was a newly passed law by Congress. It made it a crime to help runaway slaves and allowed officials to arrest those slaves in free areas. Slaves weren’t allowed to run away to free states. Slaveholders were allowed to take suspected fugitives to U.S. commissioners, who decide where their fate. People who hid or helped a runaway slave faced six months in jail and also had to face a 1,000 dollar fine.

He describes how slaves were treated like property rather than human beings, and how they were subjected to brutal physical and emotional abuse. Douglass vividly depicts the psychological impact of slavery, describing how it robbed slaves of their sense of self-worth and identity. Another significant issue that Douglass addresses is the hypocrisy of the slave owners and the wider society. He notes that many slave owners claimed to be Christian and yet saw no contradiction in owning slaves. Douglass also highlights the injustice of the legal system, which allowed slave owners to commit crimes against their slaves with impunity.

Slave owners felt that it was their responsibility and duty to dominate the “less fortunate and the less

Whites on the other hand knew and "understood the necessity of keeping their slaves under coercive

Many slaves fear even the idea of escaping because of the possible consequences that come along with it. Therefore, the escape of Frederick Douglass is relatively substantial. Douglass says he feels “like the one who escaped a den of hungry lions.” He feels fortunate to have accomplished something that not many have been able to. Unfortunately, his happiness is short lived.

It was conceived to force states to deliver escaped slaves to slave owner’s violated states ' rights due to state sovereignty and was believed that seizing state property should not be left up to the states. The Fugitive Slave Clause states that escaped slaves "shall be delivered up on claim of the arty to which such Service or labour may be due". During the

Living conditions for slaves were dreadful, with long work hours and low wages. Slave masters separated families and sold off children from their parents, or vice versa. Slaves were prone to severe punishment for even trivial offenses. Whippings and beatings were prevalent. Running away allowed them to get away from all the hostility, if only for a while.