The Narrative of Frederick Douglass:

Historical and Cultural Context

A time of ignorance, unhappiness, and hard work for African Americans

“I have no

accurate knowledge of my

age”(517)

“My mother was of darker skin…

My father was a white

man”(517)

The United States was

gaining territory during

this time (1845). The problem of slave/free

territory was becoming a

conflict.James k. Polk

gained Oregon, California, and

New Mexico during his presidency from 1845-

1849

Native born protestant

white Skilled

European Unskilled

New Immigrants

Slaves

coursesite.uhcl.edu-

African Methodist Episcopal Church in Philadelphia

Except for the

Society of

Friends, all religious

groups in

America

supported

slavery.

Plantation owners did not want slaves to practice religion or learn how to read

because they did not want them thinking they were equal to whites or that they

should revolt.

Most slaves were Christian

The Postal

Age

Cities were growing in the North as Farms were growing in

the South. Slavery was

needed more in the South. Frederick

Douglass lived in the North.

Fredericks father was white and his mother

was African

American. Why was he still a slave?

Frederick Douglass, who was he?Frederick Douglass, famous for being an abolitionist, writer, and speaker and most important a free African American slave. Born sometime around 1818 to Harriet Bailey, he resided in Talbot County Maryland. Growing up, he worked and lived in the plantation home of a Mr. Aaron Anthony also believed to be his father. At age twenty, he made a daring and successful escape from slavery. By doing so Frederick Douglass was the one that sowed the seed of change. He became famous for his leadership in freeing slaves and transforming the national attitude towards slavery. Douglass’ renowned lectures on abolishing slavery created outrage with landowners, but hope for the enslaved. He traveled all over the country and even to England telling his story of freedom and in doing so became an “agent” for change.

Music, Art and Literature in the 1800s

The way of communicating and passing on traditions was normally down through oral communication. This way was used for many generations. Slaves started using different methods as time progressed.

Slaves expressed themselves through various methods. Some of them were music, artworks, and literature.

Robert Duncanson-Started his painting business at age 17, He was a self taught artist who wanted to paint landscapes Most works can be seen at the Smithsonian

Shown below is landscape “Pompeii”

Henry Ossawa Tanner only became known in US after he moved to Paris

The Banjo Lesson Sands at Sunset (1855)—Acquired by White House (Clinton term)

Edmonia Lewis-Known sculptress, formalized her training in marble in Rome, Italy; Said to have been visited by Frederick Douglass here known for sculpture, “The Death of Cleopatra”

Art

Art was not just painting and sculpture. Baskets were weaved using African coiling method and Plaited rugs/mats were done in African patterns.

Used not only to brighten up living quarters they were also used as another way of passing information through the Underground Railroad.

It is possible quilts were also used to send messages but this has not be proven nor disproved

Artists in the 1800s

Joshua Johnson (1763-1824)—First professional African American portrait artist; Paintings not discovered until 1939

Slaves and Music

3 typesReligious songs—No music, sung acapella; hand clapping, feet stomping were the

music“ring shout” consisted of singing, clapping and dancing in a circle until spiritual ecstasy was reached. This was saved for Sundays and holidays. Possible beginning of jazz music

Work songs—also called “callers” or “field hollers”. This was call and respond between 2 or more people; helped synchronize group tasks and eased burden of ardous labor

Recreational songs—during free time listened and danced to string instruments.

Music

Gourds became drums, banjos and rattles Music expressed the pain and sorrow or joy and hope they were feeling Modified versions of these African-American slave songs were heard in

Christian white communities

Messages through Music Songs also conveyed secret messages. The song “Swing Low, Sweet Chariot” is thought

to not have just been a loved Christian song It is alleged that this song, when heard, was a communication in the Undergroung Railroad

and meant “be ready to escape”. “Swing Low”—meant coming south “Sweet Chariot” was the transportation—most likely train “To carry me home” was going north to freedom “Canaan”—represented Canada

Huddie “Lead Belly” Ledbetter

A name many may not know is Huddie “Lead Belly” Ledbetter. Known as the “king of the 12 string guitar”

Started life as a field worker, “cotton-chopper” He led the blues movement into the 20th century. Music helped him get pardoned from prison in two states. Known for “Midnight Special”, “Good Night Irene”

Lead Belly’s music (con’t)

He was discovered by John and Alan Lomax who were getting together prison songs for the Library of Congress

When he recorded “Good Night Irene”, the other side of the record had a ballad asking the Governor of Louisiana for a pardon.

Music influenced blues, rock, hip hop artists Inducted in Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1988

Literature Firsts

Jupiter Hammon—First published African American poet (1761) Never freed from slavery; he used poetry to try and end slavery. Phillis Wheatley (1753-1784)-Was taught to read and write by the

family who bought her. “Poems on Various Subjects, Religious and Moral”; published in London, England, 1773 Third American woman to publish book of poems

Harriet Jacobs (1813-1897)

Wrote “Incidents in the Life of a Slave girl”—fugitive slave—detailed the sexual incidents that female slaves had to endureShe and her brother John, worked above the “North Star” newspaper offices, owned by Frederick Douglass. Never really known but made an impact on women and slavery at the time. Civil War overshadowed her writings

Lucy Terry Prince (1730-1821) 1746 “Bar Fights” First African American to compose a poem This was a work that was passed down in oral tradition before being published in 1855

William Wells Brown (1814-1884) Career developed when he was forced to live in Europe due to the Fugitive Slave Law of 1850 “Clotel, or The President’s Daughter” was a narrative work life of a slave in US. Also first published African American playwright,

“The Escape, or a Leap for freedom”

Frances Watkins Harper—(1825-1911)—was an educated author and speaker; known for uplifting African-American people. First to publish a work of poetry, “Forest Leaves” (1845)

Paul Laurence Dunbar—(1872-1906) First to gain national attention as an African American poet and author First to deliberately try and make a living off of writing; first published work “Oak and Ivy” Met Frederick Douglass after moving to Chicago and looking for work, later penned a poem in his

name.

Literary Analysis

“The Narrative of the Life if Frederick Douglass, an American Slave” was written by Frederick Douglass. Douglass starts out his narrative by talking about how he was born into slavery, and what his life was like being a slave for around two decades. He then goes on to talk about his post slavery life of being a freed slave, and also about being an abolitionist for slavery.

Throughout his narrative, Douglass seems to revolve a lot of things around the theme of religion. To narrow it down even more, Douglass uses the theme of Christianity. “They very soon mustered up some old spelling books, and nothing would do but that I must keep a Sabbath school. I agreed to do so, and accordingly devoted my Sundays to teaching these my loved fellow- slaves how to read” (Douglass 553). Sabbath school is a Biblical term for Sunday school, which would represent the theme of Christianity.

In “The Attack on Christianity in NARRATIVE OF THE LIFE OF FREDERICK DOUGLASS, AN AMERICAN SLAVE” written by Thomas Peyser, a closer look is taken to see how Christianity is viewed in Douglass’ narrative. “The appendix offers only the final indications that something inherent in Christianity inclines its adherents toward an embrace of slavery, and what that something might be is suggested in the description of Colonel Lloyd’s garden” (Peyser 87). Peyser seems to be alluding to the Biblical story in Genesis with Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. Douglass writes in his narrative, “Scarcely a day passed, during the summer, but that some slave had to take the lash for stealing the fruit” (Douglass 523). In the Biblical story of Adam and Eve, God commanded them to not eat fruit from one tree in the garden, but they disobeyed God’s command, resulting in God punishing them. Peyser observes Douglass’ writing and does a good job analyzing how it has correlation with a Biblical event.

Colonel Lloyd, according do Peyser, is seen to be a God-like figure. “Perhaps most fundamentally, the position of both rests on the assumption that the universe is and ought to be hierarchically structured. Colonel Lloyd, in a word, might very well be seen as ordering things on earth as they are ordered in heaven, so long as one understands the dynamics of lordship and submission as the heart of Christianity” (Peyser 87-88). It is clear that in Douglass’ narrative, Colonel Lloyd is seen as a “higher being” to an abundance of slaves that he rules over. Peyser talks about how everything in the universe is hierarchically structured. What this means is that from a Christian’s perspective, God is the higher being. Peyser describes Colonel Lloyd as a God-like figure, because that is basically how the slaves portrayed him.

Peyser now views the opposing side of Christianity that can be seen in Douglass’ narrative. “In the space of one paragraph, the slave-breaking overseer Mr. Covey is referred to as “the snake” (322) and as one whose “comings were like a thief in the night” (323). He is thus at once associated with the Satan of Genesis and with the come-again Christ of 1 Thessalonians” (Peyser 88). Peyser uses a good symbolic theme when he mentions “the snake” in the above quote. He is referring to how cunning Mr. Covey was, and comparing it to Satan when he disguised himself as a serpent in the Garden of Eden. Many people may argue that this would not be a valid comparison, because it is not mentioned in the book of Genesis that Satan was actually the serpent; however, if you read in the last book of the Bible, Revelation, it says, “He laid hold of the dragon, that serpent of old, who is the Devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years” (Revelation 20:2, NASB). As you can see “that serpent of old” is referring to Satan being the serpent in the book of Genesis, which is in the Old Testament. Peyser uses Douglass’ metaphor “comings were like a thief in the night” (Peyser 88), and uses it in correspondence with a Biblical verse in 1 Thessalonians, which says, “For you yourselves know full well that the day of the Lord will come just like a thief in the night” (1 Thessalonians 5:2, NASB). It is evident that Douglass was using the metaphor in regards to Mr. Covey, who could also now be seen as Satan-like because of the symbolism of “the snake”, whereas the Bible was referencing the Lord’s coming as the thief in the night.

Is it really possible for one individual human to portray both God and Satan at the same time? Peyser covers this question when he says, “While not wholly implausible, this reading requires us to reject the idea that Douglass really means what he seems to imply, namely that Covey recalls both Christ and the Devil. It is not hard to see why Covey might do so, for Douglass describes the overseer in terms that suggest both God’s omnipresence and Satan’s readiness to strike at every opportunity”(Peyser 88). So, according to Peyser, we have to dismiss the idea that Mr. Covey depicts both God and Satan. Douglass does an exquisite job in portraying God and Satan, which are the two most significant factors that make up Christianity.

Vince Brewton, unlike Peyser, had a completely different view of Douglass’ narrative. He talked a lot about self-making and respect, and stayed away from the Christianity aspect of the narrative. “Bold defiance took its pace”- “Respect” and Self-Making in Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave” talks about how Douglass was finding his purpose in life, while having to raise himself basically by himself. According to Brewton, some people question whether or not claims that Douglass makes are accurate or not.

“Douglass’s biographer William S. McFeely has raised serious questions about the accuracy of some of Douglass’s claims, but scholarship on the issue of Douglass’s factual accounts remains divided” (Brewton 706). Basically what Brewton means by this is that there is no evidence to make accusations that Douglass’ claims are not accurate. Let’s take a look at the main question. What exactly does Brewton mean when he says “Self- Making”? “Douglass has available to him in his repertoire of identity options the self-made man, the Franklinian owner and proprietor of the self, and if any person literally realized the conception "self-made" it would be a self-freed slave” (Brewton 708). What it seems that Brewton means by “Self-Making” is that Douglass became who he was because of what he did for himself.

“The Narrative of the Life if Frederick Douglass, an American Slave” is a very interesting narrative. Douglass does an excellent job in how he uses different literary elements throughout his narrative. He especially did a great job in using the theme of Christianity throughout his narrative; because had he not done that, then he would not have gotten the attention that he received from the abolitionists as easily.

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