Frederick Douglass

(1818-1895) 

Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, An American Slave (1845) 

'"What to a Slave is the 4th of July?" (1852)'

Thesis, Subarguments
On Hypocrisy in Religion:

Mr Auld, after conversion at a Methodist camp meeting, did not get any more humane or have difference in feelings toward slavery. Mr. Covey was known as a religious man, a pious man, but was also known as a good “n**-breaker” and whipped Douglas weekly, and raped his female slaves. “For all slaveholders with whom I have ever met, religious slaveholders are the worst. I have ever found them the meanest and basest, the most cruel and cowardly, of all others. It was my unhappy lot not only to belong to a religious slaveholder, but to live in a community of such religionists.”

His Appendix at the end, explaining what he said against religion. “I mean strictly to apply to the slaveholding religion of this land, and with no possible reference to Christianity proper; for, between the Christianity of this land, and the Christianity of Christ, I recognize the widest possible difference.” “I love the pure, peaceable, and impartial Christianity of Christ: I therefore hate the corrupt, slaveholding, women-whipping, cradle-plundering, partial and hypocritical Christianity of this land. Indeed, I can see no reason, but the most deceitful one, for calling the religion of this land Christianity.”

Key Terms
Freedom