Frederick Douglass And The Civil Rights Movement

1020 Words5 Pages

The Civil rights were a period of hard times for minoritys fighting for equlity. Frederick Douglass was a man who tried to help fight for equlity. He was a civil rights activist who over came many difficultys, who came from a tough backgrond andwho’s actions impacted not only the past but also modern culture, He helped save the lives of thousands.
Frederick Douglass’s childhood helped him shape his life. It helped him become the man he is today. Frederick Bailey was born in Tukahoe, Maryland, on Febuary 7th, 1817. His father was a white man while his moher was a black slave. He never knew his father, and was separated from his mother at a very young age (Frederick). He lived with his grandmother on a plantation untill he turned eight years …show more content…

She was a slavewoman who had a very bad temper. She was a cruel lady to all the children and punished them. Her punishments include beating them and starving them when ever she thought they weren’t doing what they were supposed to do; or if they were to loud (Sparatacus). While Frederick spent his time on this plantation Mrs. Auld broke the state of Maryland’s law by teaching Frederick how to read and write. In 1833, she died in her home. After her death Mr. Auld sent Douglass back to his original home in Maryland. He was sixteen years old (Frederick). He stayed on this plantation untill 1838, Frederick escaped and traveld to New York where he changed his name from Frederick Bailey to Frederick Douglass (Sparatacus). Frederick Douglass kept his past to himself for three years. During these three years most of his time was spent in a hard school of adversity (Sparatacus). Douglass’s house in New York was burnt to the ground. He needed a way to express his anger, so he wrote about it in his weekly newspaper the New National Era (White). There was no hard proof of who burnt the house. so no arrests were made. This angered Douglass, so he …show more content…

Fredrick Douglass was assigned to an office for a orginzation to help fight for equal rights. While in office, duglass continued to speak out against segregation, disenfranchisement, and lyching of African Americans (Frederick). Frederick used to travle to conventions and speek out for rights. At a convention to talk about equal rights for woman back in 1884, Frederick Douglass was the only man to come to the convention. He kept his faith that everyone would one day be treated equal. In the office, Douglass’s post was minor, but he was the first African American to hold this office. Frederick Douglass did so many different things to help fight for equality, he had a monument made for him. He was the first African-American to have a monument dedicated after himself. Douglass was a great man who housed escaped slaves, he once had eleven fugitives in his home at one time, but he didn't mind. His thought was “one less slave, one more freeman” (Sparatacus). Frederick Douglass lived in Washington D.C for the rest of his life, but he had a greater presence in Rochester that never went away. While fighting for the rights of African-Americans he also tried to help integrate public schools before the war

Open Document