“Had we started in a fine, attractive, convenient room, I fear we would have “lost our heads” and become “stuck up.” It means a great deal, I think, to start off on a foundation which one has made for one’s self” (Washington, p62). The truth of this quote is exemplified in the lives of the many slaves that have lived throughout time. Slavery began in the 16th-century and ended in the 18th-century. However, during this time many slaves were able to escape the grasps of slavery and became figures recognized today.
Two key people stand out in these figures. The first is Frederick Douglass, who was an abolitionist, orator and author. The second is Booker T. Washington, he preached a philosophy of self-help, racial solidarity and accommodation and also became an orator and author.
Frederick Douglass and Booker T. Washington were both born into slavery in the American South. Although these men came from similar backgrounds and both went on to become well known orators and authors, their writings reveal significant contrast in their histories and messages. They had different experiences as slaves, different views regarding slaveholders, and different motivations as activists.
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First and foremost, both had different experiences as slaves. Frederick Douglass experienced the most bitter sting of slavery. He left his original plantation to live with Mr. Covey, another slaveowner, for six months. Scarce a week passed without Mr. Covey savagely whipping Douglass making him feel “broken in body, soul, and spirit” (Douglass, p38). He was only 15 years of age yet “was made to drink the bitterest dregs of slavery” (Douglass, p37). But even at his lowest point in life he swore he would run away.
Booker T. Washington was never treated with absolute inhumanity. Because he “was not large enough to be of much service” (Washington, p3) Washington didn’t have to do as much work as the average slave. He of course still did smaller things and wasn’t allowed the privilege of school. However, he wasn’t subject to the hand of a cruel master. Although Washington and Douglass were both slaves, Washington never experienced the cruelty and harshness that Douglass knew.
In addition, both Frederick Douglass and Booker T. Washington had different views regarding slave holders. Because Douglass still lived in the middle of the slavery era, he was never allowed to learn anything. Douglass was eventually sent to his second plantation belonging to Mr. and Mrs. Auld. Mrs. Auld had begun teaching Douglass, but Mr. Auld soon found out. He forbade Mrs. Auld from teaching further, saying it would make the slave “unlawful” and “unsafe”. But soon enough her kind heart changed to the worst “The fatal poison of irresponsible power was already in her hands, and soon commenced its infernal work. That cheerful eye, under the influence of slavery, soon became red with rage; that voice, made all of sweet accord, changed to one of harsh and horrid discord; and that angelic face gave place to that of a demon” (Douglass, p19). Though he was saddened by the thought of losing such a kindhearted women he was glad had learned but a snippet of invaluable instruction.
Washington had it a tad bit easier. Around when he was nine years old, the emancipation proclamation was signed. Meaning he and his family were free. After moving away from his old plantation his mother bought him a webster spelling book allowing him to master the alphabet. In the midst of his yearning for education, a young colored boy who knew how to read came to his hometown “As soon as the colored people found out that he could read, a newspaper was secured, and at the close of nearly every day’s world this young man would be surrounded by a group of men and women who were anxious to hear him read the news contained in the papers” (Washington, p11). Schools started opening up for colored people too. Despite both eventually getting an education, Booker T. Washington had it easier because he was a free slave. Frederick Douglass had to work hard to get an education because it was heavily frowned upon for a slave to have an education.
Lastly, both men had different motivations as activists. Frederick Douglass was known for being an abolitionist because, he had to watch others get hurt. He couldn’t stand the thought that other slaves were being treated so poorly “I remember the first time I ever witnessed this horrible exhibition. I was quite a child, but I well remember it. I never shall forget it whilst I remember anything. It was the first of a long series of such outrages, of which I was doomed to be a witness and a participant” (Douglass, p4).
Booker T. Washington was known for his speeches about racial solidarity. Just because he was now a free man didn’t mean that white people accepted him. Even simply getting a hotel room was tough when he was on his way to a school in Virginia “Without asking whether I had any money, the man at the desk firmly refused to even consider the matter of providing me with food or lodging” (Washington, p18). Both had experienced some kind of racism Douglass in the form of extreme violence and Washington in the form of a simple request.
As two former slaves, it would seem that Frederick Douglass and Booker T. Washington had some things in common. However, they both had different experiences as slaves, different views regarding slaveholders, and different motivations as activists. Frederick Douglass was a more sympathetic character because, the reader can understand the reason he became such an avid abolitionist. Booker T. Washington, although also being a slave, didn’t have as many hardships as Douglass. However, the story of both men truly illustrates the life of a slave back then.
Work Cited
- Douglass, Frederick. Narrative of The Life of Frederick Douglass.
- Washington, T. Booker. Up from Slavery.
