His life was transformed yet again in August 1841, when the nations foremost abolitionist, William Lloyd Garrison, heard him speak at meetings in New Bedford and Nantucket, Massachusetts, and promptly offered him a position as a lecturer for the Massachusetts Anti-Slavery Society. One is that slavery was an institution that corrupted whites and robbed (or attempted to rob) blacks of their humanity. Get the Writing Style Posters FREE Resource: Grammar/Mechanics, Literacy Centers, Study Skills, Writing argument essay, argumentative essay, common core writing standards, counterargument sentence frames, Counterarguments, Counterclaim and Refutation Sentence Frames, counterclaim sentence frames, counterclaim transitions, Counterclaims, essay argument, essay strategies, Mark Pennington, Opposing Claims, rebut, Rebuttal, Refutation, refute, Teaching Essay Strategies, writing style, and receive a free welcome gift! Power, Protest, and Change Test (blonde davis, Intro To Business Chapter Three (Part Two), The Language of Composition: Reading, Writing, Rhetoric, Lawrence Scanlon, Renee H. Shea, Robin Dissin Aufses, Literature and Composition: Reading, Writing,Thinking, Carol Jago, Lawrence Scanlon, Renee H. Shea, Robin Dissin Aufses, Edge Reading, Writing and Language: Level C, David W. Moore, Deborah Short, Michael W. Smith. Frederick Douglass autobiography, Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, An American Slave offers a depiction of slavery like very few before him, from his firsthand accounts. Having witnessed her transformation from a sympathetic to a hard-hearted mistress, Douglass concludes that slavery was as injurious to her soul as it was to his. In the opinion shared by Taney, Marshall, and many present-day professors, teachers, and students, the stain of racial exclusion suffuses both the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence. [27], Through long and deep reflection, Douglass finally came to regard Lincoln as the one manto whom we are more indebted for a United Nation and for American liberty than to any otherthe greatest statesman that ever presided over the destinies of this Republic.[28], Lincolns assassination was the crowning crime of slavery, as Douglass declared in his 1876 memorial, and it was also a damaging blow to hopes for a just and prudent policy for the nations postwar reconstruction. Seeking such a consummation, Douglass hurled himself into political activism throughout the 1850s. prepaid financial services wolverhampton; lecture analytique petit pays chapitre 23. naval special warfare command quarterdeck; where is wildwood soda made; frankenstein chapter 5 literary devices; jacob degrom haircut video; how to clean beswood meat slicer; But the final, unimpeachable confirmation of Lincolns anti-slavery commitment came for Douglass in August 1864, when the President, fearing that a demoralized electorate would soon force a premature end to the war, summoned Douglass to the White House to discuss a covert scheme for liberating as many as possible in the meantime. As he explained to an audience of Boston abolitionists in early 1862, fair play meant that the ruling majority should do nothing with us, by us, or for us as a particular class. What did Frederick Douglass oppose? Peter C. Myers is Professor of Political Science at the University of WisconsinEau Claire and the author of Frederick Douglass: Race and the Rebirth of American Liberalism. He makes an eloquent case for slavery as an evil and indefensible institution, and he points out as well that it corrupts whites to have such immense power over other human beings. IV, pp. [58] The Blessings of Liberty and Education, in Douglass Papers, Vol. He then begins to think getting his education could be his way to liberty and freedom and though he endeavors to learn much as he can, he starts to doubt whether he is correct or not. [60] Douglass, This Decision Has Humbled the Nation, in Douglass Papers, Vol. At the end of this excerpt, what encouraging signs does Douglass find? Good reasoning for a claim is on topic, logically sound, factual, and can be supported by evidence. In paragraph 5, (a) What does Douglass acknowledge as a counterclaim to his In Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass,did the mistress's initial kindness or her eventual cruelty have a greater effect on Frederick Douglass? But there are two sides to every argument. If I told my mom that bit about the Internet access and the Honor Roll, you can bet she would make me prove it by showing it to her. These were indeed terrible enough; but deeper down, and more terrible still, were the mental and moral wrongs that slavery inflicted. In a short manuscript written sometime in or near 1869, he formulated in rough outline a land-reform proposal, according to which the federal government would correct for southern landowners collusion by becoming itself a purchaser and seller of lands. She has an M.A. Let us know your assignment type and we'll make sure to get you exactly the kind of answer you need. The rise of this abolitionist agitation would alarm slaveholders, who would respond by attempting to suppress abolitionist speech and to strengthen and perpetuate their political power by expanding slaverys presence in federal territories, thus preparing the admission of additional slave states. Not just, 'Because I said so.' Under each type of claim is an example of that claim on the topic of capital punishment. Working with the above claim and reasoning (the United States should ban capital punishment because capital punishment costs taxpayers more than life in prison), below is an example of strong evidence and weak evidence to support the claim and reason. [60] He feared that such a development among black Americans likewise would be the effect of continuing failures to do justice by American institutions, as it could result also from the disaffection propagated by black advocates of emigration, despairing of Americas prospects for reform. What is the "mournful wail" that gives Douglass the topic for his speech? Key Arguments in "The Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass", There are a number of key arguments in The Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass. The Constitution, as well as the Declaration of Independence, and the sentiments of the founders of the Republic, give us a plat-form broad enough, and strong enough, to support the most comprehensive plans for the freedom and elevation of all the people of this country, without regard to color, class, or clime. A few of which include inequality, education, and Christianity as the keys to freedom in terms of its true values within the institution of slavery. These paragraphs contain the author's sub-claims/reasoning, counterclaims, and evidence. The evils which are now crushing the Negro to earth have their root and sap, their force and mainspring, in this narrow spirit of race and color and the Negro has no more right to excuse or to foster it than men of any other race. While conceding that these critics have a point, Peter C. Myers faults them for embracing a radical critique of America that rejects Americas founding principles as racist, abandons the goal of integration, and fosters alienation. This grand achievement taught Douglass something, as he says, From that moment, I understood the pathway from slavery to freedom. Writing before slaves were freed in the United States, Douglass' main objective in the Narrative is to dispel any notion that slavery is good for those enslaved. He not only. Frederick Douglass (1818-1895) was a former slave who became a nationally recognized abolitionist orator during the antebellum period. 29 plumtrees road newtown, ct; popular subdivision names; how to cite the implicit association test Douglass debunks the mythology of slavery in his narrative by rebuking the romantic image of slavery with very disturbing imagery, promotes his own views on the intellectual belief of slaves, and exposes the system for promoting the disloyalty among slaves. The Declarations affirmation, as self-evident truths, of the principles that all men are created equal and that they are endowed by their Creator with the unalienable rights of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness is now commonly read as a declaration only of the rights of propertied white males. Making a claim is just a fancy way of saying that you're stating your main point. I, p. 311. Profoundly aggrieved by that hell-black crime, Douglass yet struggled characteristically to find in it cause for hope. He gives reasons for this claim and backs them up with evidence. Once again, that hopefulness was grounded primarily in his appreciation of the unique virtue of Americas beginning; first things are always interesting, he liked to say,[10] and most of all in the case of a new nation dedicated to universal principles of justice. She is certified to teach 6-12 grade ELA. He talks of the ways in which black men and women struggle to hold their families together, and the importance of music as a way to express deep sadness. How does the concept vocabulary sharpen the reader's understanding of II, pp. For example, in Virginia, "there are seventy-two crimeswhich, if committed by a black man, subject him to the punishment of death; while only two of the same crimes will subject a white man to the like punishment". They are struggling with the counterclaim (counterargument) and refutation (rebuttal) as these are new Standards for seventh graders. . Abstract: Nearly 50 years after Martin Luther King delivered his memorable I have a dream speech, there is a growing consensus that the civil rights movement, despite some important victories, has been a failure. TheEight Writing Process Essays(printables and 170 Google slides) each feature an on-demand diagnostic essay assessment, writing prompt with connected reading, brainstorming, graphic organizer, response, revision, and editing activities. 2023. Who are the experts?Our certified Educators are real professors, teachers, and scholars who use their academic expertise to tackle your toughest questions. [31] Douglass, Our Composite Nationality, December 7, 1869, in Douglass Papers, Vol. Which words helped you convey information precisely? II, pp. Try refreshing the page, or contact customer support. A claim tells what you think is true about a topic based on your knowledge and your research. Every year adds to his wealth and to his intelligence. When Douglass remarked on Americas inexpiable debt to those who had been enslaved, he was not demanding an effort to restore, however imperfectly, the actual and potential material wealth that slavery had stolen from its victims. An effective argumentative essay addresses what the other side might say and explains why that point of view is wrong. In the end, these elements of freedom-becoming educated-led to his last act of rebellion, which he thought would bring him freedom. Viewing it amid the grand course of human events, Douglass saw in the Civil War an event of epochal moral significance. We utterly repudiate all invidious distinctions, whether in our favor or against us, and ask only for a fair field and no favor.[49]. So he labored on in those years, cherishing the memory of Lincoln in part for his own, personal reasons and calling his fellow citizens also to venerate the Great Emancipator that they might be bound ever more firmly to the great cause for which he and so many loyal citizens had died: to bring forth out of the terrible war a renewed nation, reconceived in liberty and rededicated to the proposition that all men are created equal. Soon enough after AfricanAmericans gained the vote, Douglass believed, the interests of white politicians and voters would overcome their prejudices; blacks would be courted by the leaders of all parties, and their rights and interests would be recognized in law and policy.[41]. Already a member? In the speech, Douglass makes a claim. [17] Douglass, Speech on the Dred Scott Decision, May 11, 1857, in Life and Writings, Vol. II, pp. -it allows the student to prove his/her point even further by refuting a misconception. It contains a hook or way of gathering the audience's attention. What was Douglass's purpose in writing his Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave? What is the Function of a Claim in an Argument? [2] Cornel West, Race Matters (Boston: Beacon Press, 1993), chapter 1. Although writers use plenty of other options, Im teaching the counterclaim and refutation in the final body paragraph. of people, -two football teams competing for State Champion. It is difficult to challenge the accuracy of the first hand account offered. How does learning to read and write change Douglas, as he outlines in Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave? to confirm your understanding of the speech. The claim is the author's argument that they are attempting to prove in the essay. They also remarked that slaves were often singing, which was said to prove they were happy, asserted that slaves were well taken of with cradle-to-grave security offered by benign masters, and argued that Christianity insured that white slave owners treated slaves with compassion. Douglass made these appeals to greatest effect in the most popular and frequently presented of his postwar speeches, his lecture on Self-Made Men. After briefly considering a few alternative explanations of worldly success, Douglass declares it evident that we may explain success mainly by one word and that word is work! That which is inhuman, cannot be divine! For example, This evidence may be true; however, the objection does not change the fact that. The proper remedy for these violations, as he conceived of it, was in accord with this conviction. to this land, when it strips five millions of its people of all motives for cultivating an upright character.[36]. [37] Ibid., pp. There are three parts of the structure of an argumentative essay: introduction, body, and conclusion. The federal government would find itself surrounded by a hostile spirit in the lately rebellious states, he warned, and the strength to counterbalance this spirit would be found in the negroes of the south.[40] Moreover, a policy of equal suffrage would have, over time, a more profound integrative effect in the healing of racial divisions. [8] The boy who became Frederick Douglass was born, enslaved, on Marylands Eastern Shore in February 1818 and given the improbably dignified name Frederick Augustus Washington Bailey. Your claim is that you need a new cell phone. Soon after his master discovers this, and commences the teaching at once. All of the violence and the degradation was intended, Douglass makes clear, to rob African-Americans of their humanity. For its first 18 months, Douglass found in Lincolns presidency mostly a confirmation of his doubts. A claim of value makes a judgement on something's worth, morality, or merit. The authorsTEACHING ESSAYS BUNDLEincludes the threeprintable and digitalresources students need to mastertheCCSS W.1 argumentative and W.2 informational/explanatory essays. Woe, woe! He was appealing to the public to honor those victims claim for a slight measure of compensation in a fashion carefully tailored to their needs and to the deepest of the wrongs that they had suffered. Various options can be effective: 1. In other words, rather than attempting to restore what slavery took from its victims in actual or potential acquirements of wealth and status, governments should secure opportunities and lend support for the freedpeoples own efforts in self-improvement and self-elevation. The first televised presidential debate took place between John F. Kennedy and Richard Nixon in 1960. Frederick Douglass devoted his singular 54-year career of public advocacy to the grand, mutually inseparable causes of the liberation and elevation of his fellow black Americans and the racial and moral integration of America. Covey was at the house, about one hundred yards from the treading-yard where we were fanning. It is an effort to cast out Satan by Beelzebub. Taking the policy claim from earlier, if an author is arguing that the United States should ban capital punishment, their reasons would be the reasons why they believe this is the case. Douglasss postwar arguments were consistent with this position. how does douglass refute this counterclaim? IV, p. 183. and the excerpt from Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass IV, p. 319. Counterclaims are also provable and supportable by reasons and evidence. [24] Douglass, The Late Election, December 1860, in Life and Writings, Vol. To the contrary, it was a hard-won achievement, and as such, it contains valuable lessons for all Americans and especially for those who, like the young Douglass himself, find themselves dispirited about their place and prospects in their country. "The demographics of the death row population show a racial bias as well. [26] Douglass, Life and Times of Frederick Douglass, in Frederick Douglass: Autobiographies, pp. To be deprived of the vote in America, or in any democracy, he continued, is to suffer a double injustice. I have had but one answer from the beginning. That's a reason. [46] One of the most corrupting, debilitating effects of slavery, in Douglasss analysis, was its fostering of a cultural disdain for laboring as an activity beneath the dignity of truly free, truly human beings. Douglass says that laws in the South are anti-black. Contrary to conventional wisdom, it's much more costly to execute a person than to imprison them for life" (Andre and Velasquez). This provides more room to address the counterclaim and apply a rebuttal of the counterclaim. The purpose of an argument, whether it's in a paper or a speech, is to convince or persuade. He understands that education is his only way out of slavery. [32] Douglass, What the Black Man Wants, January 1, 1865, in Douglass Papers, Vol. No class of men can, without insulting their own nature, be content without it. Most of the slaves were hungry because they were ill-fed, and they were expected to toil sun-up to sundown. How would you expect obdurate people to respond to advertisements? [20] Douglass, Speech on the Dred Scott Decision, in Life and Writings, Vol. III, p. 418. [9] Douglass, My Bondage and My Freedom, in Frederick Douglass: Autobiographies (New York: Library of America, 1994), p. 286. For Douglasss ultimately irrepressible faith in America was not at all a natural inheritance or an easy acquisition. ALL Shopping Rod. Most Africans that were either captured, born, or sold in America, lived the life of a typical slave, however Frederick Douglass was the exception. A counterclaim is the argument (or one of the arguments) opposing your thesis statement. Latest answer posted August 20, 2009 at 11:51:14 PM. It is very clear that Douglass wants us as readers understand the true humanity of him and other slaves and wants to show the extent to which perceptions of inequality are flawed.