Memoirs of an American slave, a life story

Memoirs of an American Slave A Life Story It was the American Civil War—in the sixties of the last century—that played a decisive role in officially ending the slave trade and freeing them. But hatred for the colored people remained in the American conscience, and the Blacks—until now—still find various degrees of discrimination and segregation. The American settler's attitude towards Blacks differed from his attitude towards Indians. While he exterminated—in unparalleled brutality—the Indian tribes with their rich ancient cultures, the original landowners, he did not attempt to exterminate the Blacks. Instead, he brought them into the continent and considered them part of his strength and capital. To achieve this, he fought fiercely to erase their culture and obliterate any trace indicating any relationship—of any kind—between them and humanity! Among these Blacks, many tried to escape to the northern states and to Canada. Among those who succeeded in escaping was Frederick Douglass, the author of this autobiography. But he was different from others. His understanding of slavery was early, and his escape was also early. He joined anti-slavery groups in the North, became one of their leading figures, orators, and a passionate leader for his fellow colored people. Later, he became a minister in the federal government after the war. He wrote "My Bondage and My Freedom" in 1855, then "Life and Times of Frederick Douglass" in 1888. He died in 1895. It is an old story that has passed more than a century and a half, but it remains alive and pulsating. It is the story of a tortured spirit and unparalleled oppression—only written by those who lived and endured it. It vividly depicts the brutality of life on the vast plantations in the American South under slavery, delves deeply into the essence of slavery, the inhumane acts of slave owners, and portrays—most vividly—how the writer’s soul was tormented as he looked toward freedom and the tremendous effort he made to reach it. How he discovered his birth date, learned to read and write, depicted the horror and terrors around him, and many other details I leave to the reader in the book that caused a great shock at the time in American circles and still retains its spirit. This autobiography, although it explains why America is suffering now from the effects of the past, perhaps also explains America’s behavior with small nations these days. Book: Memoirs of an American Slave; the life story of Frederick Douglass Author: Frederick Douglass Translator: Ibrahim Abdel Majid