The Radical and The Republican
In the Radical and The Republican by James Oakes, the relationship and conflicts between two of the most influential men in American history during the period of the civil war are unveiled. Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglas in the text are presented as having many conflicts in their beliefs and actions toward the conflicts that they were encountered with. In the passage the author describes Frederick Douglass as a radical individual who has strong unwavering opinions about the institutions of slavery and their morals. He highlights in the novel that Douglass is a man who will do anything for his beliefs and is very resistance. While describing Abraham Lincoln as a man who is strongly against the institution
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Over the next couple of decades, both the ¨radical¨ Douglass and ¨republican” Lincoln began to move towards a compromise, with Lincoln altering his opinion on issues, such as racial equality and radical liberation of slave in North America rather than political pragmatism, and Douglass eventually acknowledging that there is an extreme need for strategy in his political maneuvering rather than morality and purity in …show more content…
After this act, the president’s political position moved to emphasize the importance of national improvements towards slavery being the new center of attention. James Oakes argues in the text that during Lincoln’s 1860 presidential election campaign in order to gain the vote of the majority non abolitionist in America, Abraham Lincoln used calculated racism to get votes from the high population of non-abolitionists by diverting questions on racial
..I will add to this that I have never observed, as far as anyone is concerned, a man, lady or tyke who was agreeable to creating an immaculate correspondence, social and political, amongst negroes and white men.." (Lincoln 1:267). He rather dressed his wording, a legislator with decade of political vocation in the face of his good faith knows how to disarm the group. Lincoln 's view towards bondage is known to the word, yet what he does in his discourse is a genuine work of a government official, he neither denies the way that he is against servitude nor does he demonstrates support to give measure up to ideal to the blacks. He looked for the obtuse way of having another others conscious being as a slave, he indicates the costing send each African slave back to Africa and purposes finishing subjugation as a contrasting option to these.
James Oakes’ political analysis of the relationship between Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglass is an intricate one. He pursues the duos; a frontier lawyer and a former slave, the president and the most sought after black, the shrewd politician and an agile reformer who are carefully engaged in the context of political succession, emancipation and civil war in the 19th century. Being a prime time when slavery is a fiercely contested issue, the two closely associate in the bold spectrum, differing and agreeing, disregarding and approving each other in different instances, with Oakes ultimately drawing their paths through the epic transformation. This paper seeks out Douglass’ and Lincoln’s approaches that shift some positions in slavery abolition in 19th century America.
However, Douglass’s view of the Constitution changed. He first began to realize that “to seek dissolution” of the union was “not part of [his]
“I wished I could be as free as they would be when they got to be men.” Frederick Douglass said this because he is a slave for life and wants to be free. Abraham Lincoln has similar problems with slavery, the only difference is that Lincoln isn’t a slave. Narrative Life of Frederick Douglass and House Divided are two similar texts. Frederick Douglass has problems with being a slave and Lincoln has problems with slavery.
Loc Truong CIN: 306620449 HIST 2010-10 Spring 2018 Take-Home Final Exam 5/17/2018 Short essay: Abraham Lincoln and Stephen Douglas both were self-trained lawyers and candidate for U.S president in 19th century. While Lincoln represented for Republican, Douglas served for Democratic Party. Therefore, their views on slavery were kind of different, unlike Lincoln wanted to remove slavery totally in the new territories, Douglas said it should be left for decision of each territory.
Abraham Lincoln, Frederic Douglass, were one of the most appealing well-known speakers, people who did believe that slavery was morally wrong and devote their lives to fight for freedom. However, there are several differences between the view of the Constitution’s position differences between Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglass. Kansas-Nebraska Act indicated that the recognition of slavery should be determined by the decision of these residents (popular or squatter sovereignty). This act itself conflicted heavily with the Missouri Compromise was unconstitutional, which was essentially seen as the admittance of slavery anywhere in the country. This act made a political issue of confrontation between North and South.
The Narrative of the Life of Fredrick Douglass challenges and enhances information from the textbook America a Narrative History. In Chapter 13 of the textbook, the Second Great Awakening is mentioned, and the author talks about how large camp meetings were held, which resulted in many converting to Methodism. Similarly, Douglass, as his master attended one, mentions a camp meeting, where Douglass hoped his master would become kinder or emancipate his slaves, however, instead it made his master crueler. In addition, in Chapter 15 the conflict between a true Christian and a Southern Christian is brought up. In both the narrative and the textbook, the fact that slavery is endorsed by the bible is brought up as part of the pro-slavery movement.
Douglass implored blacks to remain faithful to Grant and the Republicans. “[W]hatsoever may be the faults of the Republican party,” he stated, “it has within it the only element of friendship for the colored man’s rights.” He continued, proclaiming he would rather “put a pistol to my head and blow my brains out, than to lend myself in any wise to the destruction or defeat of the Republican party.” As Douglass later noted in his autobiography, he saw “no path out of the Republican party” that did not lead blacks “away from our friends and directly to our
The two documents “Abraham Lincoln Appraises Abolition (1854)” and “Douglass Looks Back on Abolition (1882)” refute each other on the subject of Abolition. Frederick Douglass took abolition as a very aggressive way to be against slavery while Abraham Lincoln saw it more intentionally than aggressive. Douglass was an avid abolitionist who really stretched for equality throughout blacks, females, and natives. He was apart of the newspaper The Liberator and was always making speeches on anti-slavery. Lincoln was Whig at the time of his speech but later became the leader of the Republican Party.
Lincoln and Douglass were self-made, self-educated, and ambitious, and each rose to success from humble backgrounds. Douglass, of course, was an escaped slave. Douglass certainly and Lincoln most likely detested slavery from his youngest days. But Lincoln from his young manhood was a consummate politician devoted to compromise, consensus-building, moderation and indirection. Douglass was a reformer who spoke and wrote eloquently and with passion for the abolition of slavery
Both King and Douglass were advocating for the same thing: their constitutional sanction of freedom. Both men, in their respective letters touch upon parallel thoughts and beliefs that revolve around the much bigger topic of racial inequality and discrimination. Both men were discriminated against and they talk about their experiences and plight in their very distinctive yet special styles. Born in the year 1817, in an era of open and unashamed slave trade, Frederick Douglass’s story begins as a serf to Mrs. Hugh in the city of Maryland.
Douglass’s position differ from those who supported slavery is that people who supported slavery, they thought it was a natural thing to do because on the Document “ Slavery a positive Good” on paragraph 1 it says, “ To maintain the existing relations between two races, inhabiting that section of the Union, is indispensable to the peace and happiness of both…. But let me not be understood as admitting, even by implication, that the existing relations between two races in the slaveholding states is an evil: - far otherwise; I hold to be good, as it has thus far proved itself both, and will continue to prove so if not disturbed by the fell spirit of abolition.” What this piece of evidence is saying is that slavery is a good thing and not a bad thing and that abolition should stop. Another way that Frederick Douglass’s position is different from people that support is that people who support slavery is that the people who support slavery has a different perspective of what is right and what is wrong because on the Document “ Slavery a Positive Good” paragraph 2 it says,” I hold in the present state of civilization, where two races of different origin, and distinguished by color, and other physical differences, as well as intellectual, are brought together, the relation now existing in the slaveholding States between the two is, instead of an evil, a good- a positive good… I hold then, that
The Radical and the Republican by James Oakes Book Review James Oakes’ The Radical and the Republican is a thorough and captivating account of two of America’s most distinguished figures, Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglas. In his intriguing and polished work, Oakes examines the issues of slavery, race, politics, and war in America during the mid-1800’s. Though both Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglas engendered immense social and political change throughout the Civil War era, the relationship between the two men is often neglected.
Douglass points to the vast unwillingness from the group of whites that refuses to fully perceive and accept African-Americans as deserving and equal citizens of the nation. Based on his personal experiences as a slave, Douglass is abundantly aware that the battle to abolish slavery is not an easy task. For the first twenty years of his life, he witnessed firsthand the abject cruelty of that institution in our country. Tactfully, Douglass seizes this opportunity to publicly highlight the unmerited and coarse differences in the treatment between the whites as opposed to the blacks living in the United States during this time period. He makes a “powerful testaments to the hypocrisy, bigotry and inhumanity of slavery” (Bunch 1).
Lincoln’s political religion grounds itself in the American principle of equality. His political religion was necessary to bind the nation together in a time of dire need. The nation stood divided. One side believed it was their natural right to reap the fruits of another man’s labor, which denied his natural rights as well as his humanity, while the other side disagreed, affirming the humanity of the slaves and remained free. Lincoln pushed to change public sentiment in regard to slavery.