In order to undermine their ability to rebel, legislators deprived slaves of their ability to be literate. The South Carolina Act of 1740, a reaction to the Stono Rebellion, was the first act that limited slaves’ literacy. The Virginia Revised Code of 1819 states that any meetings or schools that teach slaves reading and/or writing “shall be deemed and considered an unlawful assembly” (“Original Documents”). Literacy of slaves was limited in order to take away their sense of possibility and prevent them from advocating for their freedom and equal treatment. Summary of Evidence: Illiteracy prevented slaves from mobilizing and collaborating and being able to use the law to their advantage slave acts that were passed about the literacy of slaves …show more content…
He was born a slave, however escaped from slavery 1838 to New York, where he declared himself a free man (“People”). Frederick Douglass advocated for the freedom of slaves by giving speeches and creating his newspapers. His newspapers were abolitionist papers such as, The North Star, Frederick Douglass Weekly, Frederick Douglass’ Paper, Douglass’ Monthly, and New National Era (“Frederick Douglass Civil Rights Activist”). He also advocated for equal treatment of emancipated slaves. Frederick Douglass is an important example of how literacy would benefit slaves. He wrote a book called Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave about his life as a slave. In the book, after gaining the ability to read and write, he stated “freedom now appeared, to disappear no more forever” (30). He is saying that being literate would open up all kinds of possibilities for slaves, whether it be sending letters or writing fake emancipation passes to gain freedom. Frederick Douglass shows that he believes literacy is essential to slaves’ progress, because without literacy, slaves will continue to be inferior to white men, taking away any sense of
In Frederick Douglass’s essay “Learning to Read and Write” he explains many of the deterrents he faced as a slave, including the challenges of reading and writing in this era. Owners prohibited their slaves to have an education. Why would they not want their slaves to have an education? Being educated meant you had the power of knowledge. Slaves lacked the basic concept of understanding and power, therefore they couldn’t challenge the practice of slavery in a political manner.
These laws that were imposed in the 17th century, made it harder for slaves to be able to runaway, rebel, and buy their own freedom. One of the laws that were imposed was the law of 1639, which prohibited Negros from being able to own guns. If any Negro was caught with possession of a gun or ammunition, they were subject to a fine at the governor’s or council’s judgment. This law really curbed the liberty of the slaves because they were no longer able to possess anything to use to defend themselves. (laws on Slavery & Servitude, 1639, P. 1) Inclusively, the law of 1639 also made it especially hard for slaves to revolt against their
Historical Significance of the Stono Rebellion During the year 1739, America was just beginning to discover her identity in the new world. By establishing three colonies: New England, Middle, and Southern, men were finally gaining their independence from Britain in various ways. One way was by being able to make a living.
Unlawful means that it is against the law. Things that are against the law are usually bad and unfavorable. Readers can infer that the only reason that teaching a slave to read was unlawful is because illiteracy keeps the slaves in chains. It keeps them tapered down and controllable. If a slave was to be taught how to read, she or he would start taking in new ideas (such as freedom).
At the time period, during slavery, slaves were not taught to read. They were
“ Frederick Douglass’ tone changes to match, at times, popular writing genres of the time that had influenced the style and content of slave narratives’(Douglass). By calling himself an American Slave, he was reminding his audience that slavery happened in America and not some faraway land. Frederick Douglass wrote books to improve that black are just as equal as whites and that wasn't no difference between them and the world needed to know that. Frederick Douglass wanted to show the world that his hard-earned education was an success and reminds us that no matter how powerful a
In the Carolinas there are a few possible reasons why they would make it illegal for slaves. One reason would be that by being illiterate, slave owners can keep their slaves ignorant and simple minded. With simple minds, slaves would not question their owners as much when concerning their work and living conditions. If they were educated, they could understand their cruel punishment and learn about when slaves were given protection from abusive treatment. But by eliminating this factor, slave owners can hold on to their slaves with fewer troubles.
But, becoming literate was not an easy task for slave because they were obligated to work from sunrise to sunset in master’s plantation field. Slaves were considered as personal property. They were also prohibited from being educated by law. They were used as slaves for working in master’s house, breeding, working in the plantation field, and obeying the master. They were treated as animals with brutal acts such as physical, sexual, mental, spiritual and psychological torture.
Solomon Northup was born a free man. Frederick Douglass was born into slavery. Northup had his freedom taken away from him. Douglass has never experienced freedom. Many African Americans have experienced slavery and or racism.
African-American slaves were forbidden to obtain the knowledge of being able to read or write, stemming from the fear of white masters that educated slaves will overpower them. Douglass managed to learn to read by bribing poor and hungry white boys into teaching him in exchange for bits of bread. Douglass illustrates his thirst for literacy through “[The] bread [he] used to bestow upon the hungry little urchins, who, in return, would give [him] that more valuable bread of knowledge” (pg 23). This reveals how much Douglass valued education and took advantage of all the knowledge he had access to. Today’s youth, especially the ones belonging to a minority
In his essay “Learning to Read and Write” Frederick Douglass describes how he learned to read and write and the challenges he had to address in his condition of being a slave since childhood. His enslavers did not want him to get an education or to learn anything that could make him someone valuable because for them, slavery and education were not compatible. Despite all the obstacles that his or (he) enslavers put to him were not easy, he did not stop his aspiration to learn to read and write to become a person of character; he looked for other ways to learn to read and write since his enslavers did not allow that. He tries to enlighten that education and freedom are rights that every human being should have; education gives us the opportunity
Frederick Douglass wrote about how he was born into slavery, this meaning he had no rights whatsoever as a human. He talks about how he learned to read even though it was forbidden for him to do so. Slave owners believed that educating the slaves were dangerous because they feared it would help them escape to freedom. Douglass was determined to get an education regardless of the fact that slaves being educated was considered to be culturally wrong.
In the Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass An American Slave: Written by Himself, the author suggests that no one can be enslaved if he or she has the ability to read, write, and think. Douglass supports his claim by first beginning the book with saying he does not know dates and can not read or write and secondly, when his master forbade his wife from teaching Douglass to read. Douglass's purpose is to show that slaves are treated unrightfully and to get the prominent leaders in America's society to acknowledge the book and make changes by abolishing slavery. Based on this autobiography, Douglass is writing the leaders of America that have the power to make changes.
Ch. 9 – Education in the South Although the South depended on agriculture, there were a some people educated. The South didn’t support education for a variety of reasons. One was that people believed that there was no importance to children’s education. Southerners believed that all children only had to know their parents’ skills, such as planting or sewing. Southerners also thought education in the South would give African Americans a chance to learn how to read and write, which would make them communicate-to transmit information, thought, or feeling so it is received and understood- and rebel against the Whites.
Douglass states: “The more I read, the more I was led to abhor and detest my enslavers. I could regard them in no other light than a band of successful robbers, who had left their homes, and gone to Africa, and stolen us from our homes, and in a strange land reduced us to slavery” (Douglass 51). Reading and writing opened Frederick Douglass’s eyes to the cause of the abolitionist. He became knowledgeable about a topic that white slave owners tried to keep hidden from their slaves. Literacy would eventually impact his life in more ways than what he could see while he was a young slave under Master Hugh’s