Frederick Douglass

It was well known among American slaveholders that an educated slave was a threat to the institution of slavery. There was no better example of this than the autobiography Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave. The influence of Douglass’ work is immeasurable as it offers greater understanding of the mindset of a slave of any time period. The insight provided is valuable to historians of slavery who have little to no documentation from a slave’s perspective in their own era of study. While he could not know the impact his narrative would have on future generations, his objective was to enlighten white northern readers about the reality of the institution of slavery. In this respect he succeeded, selling 4,500 copies in the first four months of publication and 30,000 before the start of the war. By combining his experience as a slave with his understanding of the northern society dynamics, Frederick Douglass was able to target the deeply held cultural values of his readers. These values were shaped by two influences: the standards and expectations of women and the authority of religion. Douglass understood the importance of these values and constructed his narrative to make obvious the contradiction between the role of women and religion in its ideal and the reality of slavery. By emphasizing the distortion of these values, Douglass manipulated Americans, forcing them to reevaluate the institution of slavery.
In nineteenth century culture, the mother-child relationship was central to the functioning of society. It was a widely held belief that while the husband’s duty was to provide for the family, the woman was to be naturally gentle and nurturing and her primary responsibility was to be caretaker of the home. This involved maintaining the house, tending to her husband’s needs and most importantly, raising the children; thus creating a special bond between mother and child. Motherhood was viewed as one of the most important