Introduction
Frederick Douglass appears to be a prominent figure in the history of the United States of the 19th century. Being a former slave, he was one of the most famous abolitionists and the leader of the whole social movement. Despite the fact that Douglass was a slave in the past, he had splendid oratory skills and managed to present his reflections in written form. A great number of educated people could not believe in his humble origin. These skills helped him to start an antislavery campaign, which drew the attention of the broad public. The example of Douglass proved the assumption that the majority of slaves lack intelligence and education in order to be independent citizens (Gehrz). Therefore, in case of the orator, his adherence to self-education was determinant, which led him to freedom.
Self-Education of Douglass
In order to explain the significance of self-education in the life path of Douglass, it is essential to shed light on some parts of his biography. As it has been mentioned above, he was born as a slave, and therefore, he was not supposed to receive any education. However, the future leader of the antislavery movement was lucky to serve Hugh Auld, whose wife, Sophie Auld, started to teach him how to read regardless of the legislation, prohibiting her from doing it (Gehrz). When Hugh became aware of this fact, he forbade his wife to continue the education process. He claimed that whether a slave learned to read, he would be unsatisfied with his living conditions and current position in general and would require freedom (Gehrz). Later, Douglass remembered this phrase as the “first decidedly antislavery lecture” (Gehrz). Thus, his reading skill led him to reflect on freedom in the future.
It is crucial to highlight that Douglass did not abandon his education process despite the prohibition of his landlord and attempted to teach literacy himself in secret. The slave started to read books and newspapers, and get acquainted with political material, which prompted him to reflect on slavery and judge this event (Gehrz). In this regard, the role of the Columbian Orator cannot be underestimated, as it changed the world perception of Douglass drastically.
Reflecting on the significance of education and his won efforts to obtain knowledge, the orator stated:
I have nothing to commend me to your consideration in the way of learning, nothing in the way of education, to entitle me to your attention; and you are aware that slavery is a very bad school for rearing teachers of morality and religion. (Gehrz)
Therefore, it is evident that in case of Douglass, his perseverance and determination to receive an education were significant and defined his life path to a large extent. It contributed to broadening his horizons, which was essential to starting a war against slavery. This way, his desire to learn literacy changes his life and the lives of all the American slaves significantly, and self-education was determinant in this regard.
Knowledge and Freedom
Analyzing the biography of Douglass, it is possible to conclude that there is a close connection between knowledge and freedom. During this period, educated people could comprehend the problems with the current living conditions of slaves. From the moral and ethical perspective, it is evident that slavery does not imply honesty and respect. In addition, it involves the oppression of a particular group of the population without a significant reason for it. Whether slaves broadened their minds, they could understand other ways of living and the problem of their position (“Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass Introduction”). In case they lack basic knowledge, they would not be aware of other ways of living.
Moreover, slaves would have a possibility to communicate with each other, discuss their difficulties and unite in a social movement. This could be a considerable threat, as the majority of the population were dependent (“Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass Introduction”). Even Douglass highlighted: “a great mass of slaveholders look upon education among the slaves as utterly subversive of the slave system” (Gehrz). Knowledge would allow oppressed people to understand their problems and provide them with an effective way of manifesting freedom.
Conclusion
For this reason, being an educated man, the landlord of Douglass comprehended the threats associated with obtaining comprehensive knowledge by slaves. All the slaveholders were afraid of the power of a huge mass of dependent people, who would understand the dishonesty of their position. It is also should be mentioned that the wealth of landlords was guaranteed by their labor. Consequently, slaveholders were feared by the likelihood of losing all their blessings in case slaves would stop obeying them. In addition, slaves would be angry with their landlords due to the cruelty and violence in communicating with them, so it was highly likely servants would be willing to kill their offenders. That is why the majority of landlords resented accessibility of education among their servants. They understood the risks of social movements, which may lead to their impoverishment and even death. In order to prevent such a sequence of events, they attempted to restrict the spreading of education among slaves, though their efforts were not successful in the long run.
Works Cited
Gehrz, Chris. “The Self-Education of Frederick Douglass.” Patheos, 2019, Web.
“Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass Introduction.” Shmoop, Web.