英语故事FrederickDouglassWord文档下载推荐.docx

英语故事FrederickDouglassWord文档下载推荐.docx

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ssuffragist,editor,orator,author,statesman,ministerandreformer.Escapingfromslavery,hemadestrongcontributionstotheabolitionistmovement,andachievedapubliccareerthatledtohisbeingcalled“the

sageofAnacostia”and“thelionofAnacostia”.Douglass

isoneofthemostprominentfiguresinAfricanAmericanand

UnitedStateshistory.

Hewasafirmbelieverintheequalityofallpeople,whetherblack,female,NativeAmerican,orrecentimmigrant.Hewasfondofsaying,“Iwouldunitewithanybodytodorightandwithnobodytodowrong.”

Lifeasaslave

FrederickDouglassbeganhisownstorythus:

“IwasborninTuckahoe,nearHillsborough,andabouttwelvemilesfromEaston,inTalbotCounty,Maryland.”FrederickAugustusWashingtonBailey,wholaterbecameknownasFrederickDouglass,wasbornaslaveinTalbotcounty,Maryland,betweenHillsboroandCordova,inashackeastoftapperscornerandwestofTuckahoecreek.Hewasseparatedfromhismother,HarrietBailey,whenhewasstillaninfantandlivedwithhis

maternalgrandmotherBettyBailey.Hismotherdiedwhen

Douglasswasaboutseven.

Theidentityofhisfatherisobscure.Douglass

originallystatedthathewastoldhisfatherwasawhiteman,

perhapshismasterAaronAnthony.Laterhesaidheknewnothingofhisfather'

sidentity.Atageseven,DouglasswasseparatedfromhisgrandmotherandmovedtotheWyehouseplantation,whereAnthonyworkedasoverseer.WhenAnthonydied,DouglasswasgiventoLucretiaAuld,wifeofThomasAuld.ShesentDouglasstoserveThomas'

brotherHughAuldinBaltimore.

WhenDouglasswasabouttwelve,HughAuld'

swifeSophiastartedteachinghimthealphabetdespitethefactthatitwasagainstthelawtoteachslavestoread.WhenHughAulddiscoveredheractivity,hestronglydisapproved,sayingthatifaslavelearnedtoread,hewouldbecomedissatisfiedwithhisconditionanddesirefreedom.Douglasslaterreferredto

thisstatementasthe“firstdecidedlyantislaverylecture”hehadeverheard.asdetailedinhisautobiography,Douglass

succeededinlearningtoreadfromwhitechildrenintheneighborhoodandbyobservingthewritingsofmenwithwhomheworked.

AsDouglasslearnedandbegantoreadnewspapers,politicalmaterials,andbooksofeverydescription,hewasexposedtoanewrealmofthoughtthatledhimtoquestionandthencondemntheinstitutionofslavery.Inlateryears,DouglasscreditedtheColumbianorator,whichhediscoveredataboutagetwelve,withclarifyinganddefininghisviewsonfreedomandhumanrights.

WhenDouglasswashiredouttoWilliamFreeland,hetaughtotherslavesontheplantationtoreadtheNewTestamentataweeklySundayschool.Aswordspread,theinterestamongslavesinlearningtoreadwassogreatthatinanyweek,morethan40slaveswouldattendlessons.Foraboutsixmonths,

theirstudywentrelativelyunnoticed.WhileFreelandwascomplacentabouttheiractivities,otherplantationownersbecameincensedthattheirslaveswerebeingeducated.OneSundaytheyburstinonthegathering,armedwithclubsandstones,todispersethecongregationpermanently.

In1833,ThomasAuldtookDouglassbackfromHughafteradispute（“asameansofpunishingHugh,”Douglasswrote）.DissatisfiedwithDouglass,ThomasAuldsenthimtoworkfor

Edwardcovey,

apoorfarmerwhohadareputationasa

“slave-breaker.

”thereDouglasswaswhippedregularly.The

sixteen-year-old

Douglasswasindeednearlybroken

psychologically

byhisordealundercovey,buthefinally

rebelledagainstthebeatingsandfoughtback.AfterlosingaconfrontationwithDouglass,coveynevertriedtobeathimagain.

In1837,DouglassmetAnnaMurray,afreeblackin

Baltimore.Theymarriedsoonafterheobtainedhisfreedom.

Fromslaverytofreedom

DouglassfirstunsuccessfullytriedtoescapefromFreeland,whohadhiredhimoutfromhisownercolonelLloyd.In1836,hetriedtoescapefromhisnewownercovey,butfailedagain.

OnSeptember3,1838,DouglasssuccessfullyescapedbyboardingatraintoHavreDeGrace,Maryland.Dressedinasailor'

suniform,hecarriedidentificationpapersprovidedbyafreeblackseaman.HecrossedtheSusquehannaRiverbyferryatHavreDeGrace,andthencontinuedbytrainto

Wilmington,Delaware.Fromtherehewentbysteamboatto“QuakerCity”（Philadelphia,Pennsylvania）andcontinuedtoNewYork;

thewholejourneytooklessthan24hours.

FrederickDouglasslaterwroteofhisarrivalinNewYork

City:

“IhaveoftenbeenaskedhowIfeltwhenfirstIfoundmyselfonfreesoil.Andmyreadersmaysharethesamecuriosity.ThereisscarcelyanythinginmyexperienceaboutwhichIcouldnotgiveamoresatisfactoryanswer.Anewworldhadopeneduponme.Iflifeismorethanbreath,andthe‘quickround

ofblood,'

Ilivedmoreinonedaythaninayearofmyslavelife.Itwasatimeofjoyousexcitementwhichwordscanbuttamelydescribe.InaletterwrittentoafriendsoonafterreachingNewYork,Isaid:

‘Ifeltasonemightfeelupon

escapefromadenofhungrylions.'

anguishandgrief,like

darknessandrain,maybedepicted;

butgladnessandjoy,liketherainbow,defytheskillofpenorpencil.

Abolitionistactivities

DouglasscontinuedtravelinguptoMassachusetts.TherehejoinedvariousorganizationsinNewBedford,includingablackchurch,andregularlyattendedabolitionistmeetings.

HesubscribedtoWilliamLloydGarrison'

sweeklyjournaltheliberator,andin1841heardGarrisonspeakatameetingoftheBristolanti-slaverysociety.Atoneofthesemeetings,Douglasswasunexpectedlyaskedtospeak.

Afterhetoldhisstory,hewasencouragedtobecomeananti-slaverylecturer.DouglasswasinspiredbyGarrisonandlaterstatedthat“nofaceandformeverimpressedmewith

suchsentimentsofthehatredofslaveryasdidthoseofWilliamLloydGarrison.”Garrisonwaslikewiseimpressedwith

Douglassandwroteofhimintheliberator.Severaldayslater,DouglassdeliveredhisfirstspeechattheMassachusettsanti-slaverysociety'

sannualconventioninNantucket.Then

23yearsold,Douglassconqueredhisnervousnessandgaveaneloquentspeechabouthisroughlifeasaslave.

In1843,DouglassparticipatedintheAmericananti-slaverysociety'

shundredconventionsproject,asix-monthtourofmeetinghallsthroughouttheeasternandMidwesternUnitedStates.heparticipatedintheSenecafallsconvention,thebirthplaceoftheAmericanfeministmovement,andsigneditsdeclarationofsentiments.

Autobiography

Douglass'

best-knownworkishisfirstautobiographynarrativeofthelifeofFrederickDouglass,anAmericanslave,publishedin1845.atthetime,someskepticsattackedthebookandquestionedwhetherablackmancouldhaveproducedsuchaneloquentpieceofliterature.Thebookreceivedgenerallypositivereviewsanditbecameanimmediatebestseller.Withinthreeyearsofitspublication,theautobiographyhadbeenreprintedninetimeswith11,000copiescirculatingintheUnitedStates;

itwasalsotranslatedintoFrenchandDutchandpublishedinEurope.

Thebook'

ssuccesshadanunfortunatesideeffectinmakinghimapublicfigure.Douglass'

friendsandmentors

fearedthatthepublicitywoulddrawtheattentionofhisex-owner,HughAuld,whomighttrytogethis“property”back.TheyencouragedDouglasstotourIreland,asmanyotherformerslaveshaddone.DouglasssetsailontheCambriaforLiverpoolonaugust16,1845,andarrivedinIrelandastheIrishpotatofaminewasbeginning.

Douglasspublishedthreeversionsofhisautobiographyduringhislifetime（andrevisedthethirdofthese）,eachtimeexpandingonthepreviousone.The1845narrative,whichwashisbiggestseller,wasfollowedbymybondageandmyfreedomin1855.In1881,afterthecivilwar,DouglasspublishedlifeandtimesofFrederickDouglass,whichherevisedin1892.

Fightforemancipation

Douglassandtheabolitionistsarguedthatbecausetheaimofthewarwastoendslavery,AfricanAmericansshouldbeallowedtoengageinthefightfortheirfreedom.Douglasspublicizedthisviewinhisnewspapersandseveralspeeches.

PresidentLincoln'

semancipationproclamation,which

tookeffectonJanuary1,1863,declaredthefreedomofallslavesinconfederate-heldterritory.Douglassdescribedthespiritofthoseawaitingtheproclamation:

“wewerewaiting

andlisteningasforaboltfromthesky...wewerewatching...bythedimlightofthestarsforthedawnofanewday...wewerelongingfortheanswertotheagonizingprayers

ofcenturies.”

Withthenorthnolongerobligedtoreturnslavestotheirownersinthesouth,Douglassfoughtforequalityforhispeople.HemadeplanswithLincolntomovetheliberatedslavesoutofthesouth.Duringthewar,Douglasshelpedtheunionbyservingasarecruiterforthe54thMassachusettsregiment.HissonFrederickDouglassjr.alsoservedasarecruiterandhisotherson,LewisDouglass,foughtforthe54thMassachusettsregimentatthebattleoffortWagner.

SlaveryeverywhereintheUnitedStateswasoutlawedbythepost-war（1865）ratificationofthe13thamendment.The

14thamendmentprovidedforcitizenshipandequalprotectionunderthelaw.The15thamendmentprotectedallcitizensfrom

beingdiscriminatedagainstinvotingbecauseofrace.

Afterreconstruction

Aswhitedemocratsregainedpowerinthestatelegislaturesofthesouthafterreconstruction,theybegantoimposenewlawsthatdisfranchisedblacksandtocre