Frederick Douglass by Brianna O.

 

Frederick Douglass is a person who has triumphed in the face of adversity. What happen to his mother, and what did his grandma do to him as a child? How did he begin to learn? Finally, what did he knew when he was unrestricted? Other people, like Frederick Douglass, can overcome adversity because he has shown us the way.

Douglass was born a slave, to begin with. He was taken away from his mother and placed with his grandmother, according to www.cram.com. Since his mother worked on a different plantation, Douglass didn’t get to visit her very much. He would still see his mother four or five times every year, but she passed away in 1825. Frederick’s grandmother was in charge of twelve other kids, including his brothers, sisters, and cousins, which meant he got little parental attention. His grandmother abandoned him when he was 7 or 8. He was depressed because he felt alone. He was left at the Great House to labor in the fields.

Next, Douglass was given to the Auld family in Baltimore as a friend for their boy, but was treated well in the Great House. He met Hugh Auld’s wife, Sophia Auld, there. Sophia adored Douglass, so when she began teaching him how to put words together, she thought it was natural. Sophia was proud of him, but when her husband learned about this, he was disappointed. According to www.history.com, Hugh’s disapproval was based on the fact that it was both illegal and dangerous to educate a slave. Sophia would no longer want to be associated with Douglass as a result of this. However, it was to late, Frederick was determined to learn to read and write. This literacy would lead him to become a freedom fighter who inspired others. 

To continue, Douglass didn’t give up years past and he was now able to keep high-ranking federal appointments after Reconstruction. As the United States Marshal of Washington, D.C., he served under five presidents between 1877 and 1881. He was also D.C’s Recorder of Deeds from 1881 to 1886. He held these posts at a time when African American political involvement was severely limited by violence, fraud, and discrimation. On top of his federal responsibilities, he continued to advocate for racial equality and women’s rights in his speeches and dealings with people. Douglass published his third autobiography in 1881. Frederick Douglass: His Life and Times, takes a long view of his life’s work, the nation’s progress, and the work that still has to be done. Even though the country had injustice and a fundamental lack of freedom, Douglass and like-minded thinkers had more to do.

Overall, Douglass had both a difficult and a fortunate existence. Douglass was a hardworking man. Douglass never gave up and succeeded in the end. Douglass would have liked if everyone could work hard even when they wanted to give up. His adversity led to success.