Frederick Douglass And The Abolition Of Slavery - 1713 Words

Enslaved Africans committed a myriad of acts that are considered rebellion, or resistance, against the institution of slavery. They rebelled against their positions in a variety of ways--sometimes small, subtle acts; other times very obvious and direct implications. Frederick Douglass resisted slavery by understanding the fundamentals of it, standing up for himself, and formulating an escape. James Oakes argues the direct resistance displayed by slaves, like running away, was significant and necessary to the abolition of slavery as a whole. Oakes understood slave resistance as a positive, necessary force. He believed the most effective resistance displayed by slaves was day-to-day resistance, or a variety of acts designed to ease their burdens and frustrate the master s wills (Oakes 89). These acts included [breaking] tools, [feigning illnesses], [deliberately malingering], [stealing] food, and [manipulating] the tensions between master and overseer (Oakes 89). They resisted in a myr iad of other ways as well, like running away or when Douglass let his master s horses loose on purpose--creating both a hassle for his slaveholder and a distraction for him. These acts of resistance were important because of their influence on national politics and events. Oakes states that slave law in the United States was but one part of a much larger and more powerful body of Anglo-American law (92). Essentially, the laws within slavery were but part and parcel of the law of theShow MoreRelatedFrederick Douglass and the Abolition of Slavery600 Words   |  3 PagesFrederick Douglass and the Abolition of Slavery There were many influential people who fought for the abolition of slavery in the 1800s. Among these people are Harriet Tubman, William Lloyd Garrison, and our sixteenth president, Abraham Lincoln. Frederick Douglass is one of these people. 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