Narrative Of The Life Of Frederick Douglas, An American Slave

Throughout America’s history, we have committed some questionable and highly shunned acts: The Indian Removal Act, The Salem Witch Trials, racism, suffrage, and of course, slavery. Many people have opposing views concerning slavery. Some would even venture as far as saying that America never owned ANY slaves. However, historical evidence proves them wrong. Frederick Douglas was a slave during the 1800’s who ultimately escaped and became an Abolitionist and activist for equality for all people, no matter their race or gender. In his autobiography, Narrative of the life of Frederick Douglas, an American Slave, Douglas describes his life as a slave and the horrific acts he endured. America, a Concise History, by James Henretta, devotes a whole chapter to slavery and society. A few ideas from the two overlap, but there are many differentiating ideas about slavery in the south. One of the few views they shared was that the more slaves a person owned, the more esteemed they were in society. Douglas discusses how slave owners and overseers would impregnate their female slaves just so the child would also be born into slavery, hence, more slaves to work the plantation. â€Å"†¦ That slaveholders have ordained, and by the law established, that the children of slave women shall in all cases follow the condition of their mothers; and this is done too obviously to administer to their own lusts, and make a gratification of their own wicked desires profitable as well as pleasurable†¦Ã¢â‚¬  TheShow MoreRelatedNarrative Of The Life Of Frederick Douglas An American Slave1450 Words   |  6 PagesThe book Narrative of the life of Frederick Douglas an American slave, is showing a highway map, displaying the road to how the slavery went to freedom. Douglas at the opening of the book was a slave in both his body and mind. Then at the end good things happened to him, he gets legal freedom and frees his mind. The events in the book are good points in Frederick’s life, in the book it explains how he get there, and what he had to do and learn along the road. Where it first starts is Douglas realizesRead MoreA Slave’S Awakening . . . Yifan Lin. . . . History 1301.1085 Words   |  5 Pages History 1301 Nicholas Cox May 4th ,2017 Fredrick Douglas, a black slave, wrote the Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglas, an American Slave. The autobiography not only reveals the cruel nature of slavery but also discusses the issue of how slavery was maintained for such long time. Douglas enlightened us about the idea of that: knowledge is power, knowledge changes fate, and â€Å"it is the only access to freedom†. Frederick Douglas from (1817-1895), was one of the most prominent black leadersRead MoreJacobs Douglass: An Insight Into The Experience of The American Slave1019 Words   |  5 PagesThe slave narratives of the ante-bellum time period have come across numerous types of themes. Much of the work concentrates on the underlining ideas beneath the stories. In the narratives, fugitives and ex-slaves appealed to the humanity they shared with their readers during these times, men being lynched and marked all over and women being the subject of grueling rapes. The slave narrative of Frederick Douglas and Harriet Jacobs: Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl themes come from the existenceRead MoreNarrative Of The Life Of Fredrick Douglass, An American Slave916 Words   |  4 Pages Narrative of The Life of Fredrick Douglass, an American Slave In Fredrick Douglass’s a narrative, Narrative of The Life of Fredrick Douglass, an American Slave, he narrates an account of his experiences in the dehumanizing institution of slavery. This American institution was strategically formatted to quench any resemblance of human dignity. Throughout, the narration of his life Fredrick Douglas, meticulously illustrates the methodical process that contributed to the perpetual state of slaveryRead MoreThe View from the Bottom Rail Essay703 Words   |  3 Pagesstereotyping occur in every aspect of life. No one should ever take anything for face value before they examine it first.  In reading the narrative, â€Å"The View from the Bottom Rail† by James Davidson and Mark Lytle and â€Å"Frederick Douglasss Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglas† by Harold Bloom. I became very aware on how American history can be looked at as one sided or bias. Even in today’s society, there is still a lot of biasness presente d in American history that is told when it is relatedRead MoreThe Narrative Of The Life Of Frederick Douglass1492 Words   |  6 Pages There are various major themes in â€Å"The Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass†. One of the most prominent themes in the book is inequality. The theme is dominant due to its real values in the institution of slavery. The theme not only regularly appears in the narrative but is in so many ways interconnected with other themes such as education. Inequality is the most dominant in the narrative. Douglass attempts to reveal how the African American slaves are just like their white counterparts despiteRead MoreDouglas vs Stowe1650 Words   |  7 Pagescomplicated social quandary that incorporated individual, societal, political, economic, and religious principles. Its authorship includes Frederick Douglass and Harriet Beecher Stowe who dually challenges the legitimacy of slavery in their literature. While both Harriet Beecher Stowe’s â€Å"Uncle Tom’s Cabin,† and Frederick Douglas’s â€Å"Narrative of the Life of an American Slave,† offe r impelling accounts, regarding the historical slavery era throughout the 1800s, the two authors write from distinctive experiencesRead MoreNarrative Of The Life Of Frederick Douglass987 Words   |  4 PagesLife of Frederick In the â€Å"narrative of the life of Frederick Douglass an American slave written by himself† Frederick reveled to audience the time he was living as a slave and the moments of brutal treats for example psychological, emotional and physical abuses. He was suffering terrible moments during his 20 years as a slave in the twentieth century. In addition, he describes in his own words the strategies he used to escape from the slave holders and to be free. This story the â€Å"Narrative of theRead MoreAnalysis Of A Slave Narrative By Frederick Douglass1646 Words   |  7 PagesWithin a slave narrative, the identity of the writer greatly affects the perspective of the story and the message that the author wishes to convey. For a narrative of this nature, to send its meaning directly and efficiently it must be able to illustrate the individual struggle of the writer as well as create a clear line between what it means to be a slave and what it means to be free. These identities of the author not only conflict with the image of self but also help to illuminate the strugglesRead MoreEssay on Slavery and the Power of Rhetoric to Effect Social Change1250 Words   |  5 Pagesat least one dirty little time in their history that all would rather forget. America knows this feeling well, especially within the 19th century, the slave era. America was divided, the North was generally against slavery and all for letting the African Americans r oam free in a colony in Africa. The South on the other hand viewed African Americans as tools, essential to the economy and work, however still just tools. Tools to be bought a sold and driven until the breaking point just like every other

Arguments for and against Australia’s Alliance with the United States Free Essays

string(71) " to fight alongside those of the US in an effort to contain terrorism\." Australia, apart from being the United States’ oldest friend as well as ally in the Asia-Pacific region also is America’s second closest ally worldwide. In spite of the fact that this alliance has been in existence for over 50 years, it was until September in 2001 (few days before the 50th anniversary) that the treaty was for the first time since its signing invoked. Since then Australia has increasingly gotten involved with the United States and its activities. We will write a custom essay sample on Arguments for and against Australia’s Alliance with the United States or any similar topic only for you Order Now Not only did Australia join the American-led coalitions in fighting against Iraq and Afghanistan but also signed a free trade agreement with the United States, a development that both governments perceive to be most significant in the bilateral relationship since the ANZUS Treaty that binds Australia, the United States and New Zealand. ANZUS’s also separately binds the United States and Australia to cooperate and assist each other on matters of defence in the Pacific region. More developments have however been made on this treaty with current understanding implying that the cooperation relates to attacks in any area globally. These events, developments have however prompted a debate in Australia about what the nature of the United States’ power and what its expectations from the alliance are. The costs and benefits of the close ties, military as well as economic with the United States are also being hotly debated in Australia. Critics of the formation of the free trade area perceive it to be a way of killing the country more than developing it . In spite of all these doubts and criticisms of the alliance, there are those who believe that this alliance places Australia in a privileged position with the world’s greatest if not the only remaining superpower which has large and potentially enormous benefits that would enhance Australia’s economic strength and its national security . The Australia-United States alliance is not just any ordinary alliance. There are not many alliances that last up to fifty ears and even exceed it. Very few alliances have ramifications that go beyond military and diplomatic affairs into economic, social, cultural and political affairs as this alliance . The Australia-America alliance has developed such that in its own right, it can be described as a political institution that is more like a monarchy or a political party. Those charged with the responsibility of managing such an institution constantly face the challenges of assessing and ascertaining the elements that need to be changed so that they adapt to meeting changing circumstances and those that must be maintained constant . In the case of this alliance, those responsible for its management must ensure that it retains support of the opinion of both the government and the public of the two countries. Since the signing of this agreement, the Americans, with the exception of the Nixon administration have been comfortable and secure with the alliance. The Australian politicians regardless of the criticisms and opposition to the alliance while in opposition have invariably kept the alliance when they got to the office. This is because they have witnessed the consistent benefits of the alliance which they perceive to outweigh the political costs and/or military risks of any of the subservience that the might of Washington is alleged to have. Australia’s position in the Southeast Asia and South Pacific enables it to have a defense posture that is self reliant which enhances mutual security between the two countries in the alliance . The United States has guaranteed security to this posture and access to its intelligence, weapons, defense science and support with military logistics. This has also enhanced the status of Australia in global affairs and particularly in Asia. The Australian public opinion is the one that has raised questions over the durability of this alliance. Public opinion matters so much that in 1984, Paul Wolforwitz, the then US assistant secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs, reminded the Australian audience (both the public and the government) that the most significant task in management of an alliance was to constantly nurture public support . His remarks though diplomatically phrased were a message to the Australian government about the country’s public opinion and its significance. The current debate on this alliance is therefore due to public opinion which determines the period the alliance might last. This paper therefore seeks to study the prevailing debate on the Australia/America alliance and critically analyse the arguments for and against the alliance. Arguments for Australia’s Alliance with the United States One of the arguments used in support the Australian-United States alliance is the security guarantee that is promised by the United States. This promise guarantee includes the terms that were agreed upon in the Australia, New Zealand, United States Security Treaty (ANZUS Treaty) in 1951 in which the two countries committed themselves to acting together to deal with common dangers . This treaty also binds the united states to aiding Australia in the event it faces a major strategic threat and vice versa. Australia is confident that it is safe and can rely on the United States for help in the event it needs them. It can be argued this reasoning is based on the fact that the United States is the most powerful nation in the world. Having the support of a superpower increases the probability of Australia winning any security confrontation it might face. This is because the United States has all the necessary resources required to counter an attack in the event of one. Another reason as to why those who support the alliance count on the guaranteed security of the United States is because of the fact that Australia has been there for the United States when most needed. Australia responded to this agreement by evoking it in September 2001 after the terrorist attacks on the United States. Australia did so by supporting the United States attack against Afghanistan and sent its forces to fight alongside those of the US in an effort to contain terrorism. You read "Arguments for and against Australia’s Alliance with the United States" in category "Argumentative essays" The fact that Australians sent their soldiers to bleed and even die alongside the Americans in pursuit for its security justifies their reasoning and reliance on the United States to step in when it is needed . Australia, sharing the same view that spread of weapons of mass destruction is threat to humanity and should be not be encouraged sent its army to fight in the United states led war against Iraq after it was suspected of producing weapons of mass destruction. Australia has been faithful to the agreement for over fifty years. It has fulfilled it part by participating in joint defence facilities and supporting a number of the United States’ very critical and most sensitive strategic capabilities. These capabilities include systems that are related to collection of intelligence, early warning of ballistic missile, submarine and satellite-based communications . Australia has also responded to humanitarian needs by the United States like sending its forces to help during the Katrina and Tsunami disasters. Australia’s actions have showed commitment to the alliance over the years by going to America’s aid when they were needed. In regard to this, Australia expects the United States to take any security threats to the country as seriously as Australia did when the United States’ security was threatened. Recent development however seem to challenge this argument for support of the alliance. Over the years, Australia has not been involved in any wars individually but currently faces security threats from the rising China . China is perceived to be enhancing and growing its military power through modernization at a pace that is very fast. The nature of the scope and structure of this military development in China have been a cause of concern to its neighbours especially since China has done very little to explain the aims and agenda of its military plans . China has also not done much to build the confidence of its neighbours in its military developments. It is perceived that china is going to be Asia’s strongest military power and the fact that it is not explaining the purposes of its military plans creates the idea that China is preparing for a future confrontation that is bigger than the conflict over Taiwan with its neighbours. Australia perceives china to be a potential future threat to its security and has responded by preparing its forces and arming itself to face the challenge in case it arises. The United States is however seems not to be committed to assisting Australia prepare for this potential war. It has either cancelled, delayed, postponed and shrinked the delivery of weapons and war technology such as the F-22 program, aircraft carrier fleet, new cruisers and procurement of new bombers to Australia. In other words, the United States is reluctant to give Australia the services it would need to counter china in the event of a threat . These events challenge the reasoning of the supporters of the alliance based on the fact that the United States will honour the agreement of the treaty as they imply that the United States might not be so ready to engage in a war that does not concern it. This is in spite of all that Australia has done in the past to assist it in its security threats. Another argument for support of the alliance is that Australia will have the privileged access to advanced science and technology especially in areas that concern defence . The United States is as developed and industrialised nation is known to be advanced in technology in all areas and more so in security and defense issues. Being an ally to such a nation implies that in the event the less fortunate country can enjoy the privilege of accessing these technologies which are not available to other countries that have no relationship with it. Less powerful nations have used the same strategy to benefit from the technology that superpowers have and it can be said that this is the reasoning this argument is based on. However, it would be worth to remember that the United States and any other nation for that matter can not easily give away its technology to a foreign country no matter how close the ties are. Each country always strives to be better equipped technologically than others so as to remain powerful and competitive. The United States is also known to be resistant in arming other nations as it delights in claiming that it advocates for peace. This is also clear in the way the Obama administration is reluctant in letting Australia acquire the weapons and technology it needs to arm itself against the potential threats that China poses to its security. In regard to this it can be said that the argument for support of the alliance that is based on the reasoning that Australia will benefit by having access to the United States’ advanced technology is vague as this access is not guaranteed. The other argument for the alliance is that Australia will have exceptional and unlimited access to the high-level American policy makers who will give them advice on political, military and diplomatic affairs . It is common knowledge that the United States has some of the best strategies in these areas and has been able to develop due to the implementation of these strategies. The United States is argued to be the most democratic country in the world hence most politically stable. The United States also has one of the best diplomatic strategies that have enabled it to have good relations with its neighbours and other countries world wide which is good for the social and economic development of the nation as it enhances trade, tourism and other exchange programs. Being an ally to the United States will therefore enable Australia to borrow some of the policies and strategies hence apply them in the mentioned areas enhancing its stability and development. Moreover, the geographical positioning of Australia requires it to have these strategies especially the military and diplomatic ones in order to survive . It however is of worth to note that not all of the United States policies and strategies are desirable. Some of its military policies particularly ones on war against terrorism and its operations in Iraq have raised several questions amongst humanitarians causing it to be accused of violating human rights and being discriminative. Not all US policies are good and care needs to be taken when deciding on which ones to borrow. Australians who support the alliance also argue that it will enable Australia to benefit from results of the American intelligence agencies . On addition to the American intelligence agencies using modern advanced technology in their operations, their agents also are some of the best trained in the world. This implies that the country can easily dictate threats to its security or that of its allies and warn them. Australian figures that due to its geographical position that is close to Asia and the fact that it has constantly supported the United States in its war against terror makes it vulnerable to attacks . Having a powerful friend with advanced intelligence agency would enable it to detect threats and mitigate them or prepare adequately to ace them. Australians who use this reasoning to support the alliance expect the United States to warn them of impending threats and dangers. Intelligence agencies are however more committed to the security of their country and might not concentrate on that one of their allies. This creates opportunity for information to on the allies to slip them. This is to say that being an ally to a nation that has advanced intelligence agencies does not provide full protection. This intelligence can however be borrowed and be used to solve some security challenges and treats by Australia. The other argument for the Australian-American alliance is that it will economically benefit Australia as it will have access to the American Market under the free trade area . Formation of free trade area is one of the strategies that most countries have implemented to enhance their economic development. This is because of the benefits that it has. It creates a large market for goods and services and removes all trade barriers such as revenues and taxes promoting business. Free trade area will enable Australia to get access to American produced goods and services at lower prices. Australia will be able to sell its produce to the larger America n market without incurring the cost of taxes and revenues . This promotes international trade which contributes greatly to economic development. Free trade area however has its weaknesses especially when it is between a weak and a powerful nation that is industrialised. This is because it easily ‘kills’ the local industry as cost of production might be cheaper in the more industrialised countries causing their products to be cheaper hence denying the local products a chance in the market as they can not compete in terms of price . Arguments against Australia’s Alliance with the United States One of the strongest arguments against the alliance is that the United States take Australia’s commitment for granted . Australians who are opposed to the alliance based on this reasoning are justified to do so. This is because as explained earlier, Australia has been very faithful and committed to the ANZUS treaty. Australia has stood by the United States and responded when needed in facing threats to security such as terrorist and production of weapons of mass production hence supported the United States in its war against Afghanistan and Iraq respectively . Australia has supported and fought alongside the United States in other wars before this one as well such as Vietnam and the Second World War. Over the years, Australia has not faced any major threats to its national security hence has not been in need of military and defense help from the united states. Recent military developments in china however pose a great threat to Australia’s security which the united states refuses to acknowledge and is even reluctant in letting Australia acquire the technology and weapons it needs that will enable it to counter attacks from china in the event they occur. It can be argued that the reluctance of the US to assist Australia prepare itself for potential future attacks to its security justifies the opposition to alliance and the claim that the US has been taking Australia’s assistance for granted . However, the reason the United States is reluctant to avail these weapons and technology to Australia could be that being a nation that advocates for peace and democracy, it does not want to contradict itself by arming one nation against another. The other argument against this alliance is that it renders Australia completely dependent on the United States . This can be argued to be true based on the study of the way Australia has over the years supported the United States always expecting something in return because it is a more powerful nation. Continual support of this alliance implies continual dependency on the United States which is not right as each country should strive to be independent . However, it can also be argued that each country needs the support of others in order to develop and getting this support from a superpower is the best thing that can happen to a less powerful nation because of the because of the advantages that come with it. Other individuals opposed to the alliance argue that the creation of a free trade area is ‘killing’ the country (Australia) . We could argue that this argument is completely justified. Free trade area implies that the goods and services produced within the member states can be traded freely without any trade barriers or restrictions. Free trade areas can however have a negative impact on local industries and cause some of them to completely shut down. This happens when the cost of production is lower in one of the countries in the block due to availability of raw materials in that country or low cost of energy. The goods produced in such a country usually are priced low when they come to the free market. Countries that produce the same goods but at a higher cost, are hence forced to stop producing as they can not afford to sell them at low prices without making massive loses. The fact that they can not beat the cheaply produced goods in the market forces these industries to shut down hence ‘killing’ the country. Free trade areas however have several advantages; they have the potential of producing large per capita such as the one produced by NATO, increasing employment opportunities, promoting trade between the member countries hence enhancing economic development. Conclusion It is predicted for the foreseeable future that Australia will remain one of the committed allies of the United States. Both Canberra and Washington have the same views on fighting the war against terrorism, dealing with and curbing the spread and production of weapons of mass destruction that threatens the security of the humanity, supporting and upholding democracy and preventing the re-emergence of failed states. The challenges faced by Australia in its own neighbourhood however have the first priority when dealing with these issues. As the United States is comfortable with the alliance, maintaining support for it hence overly depends on how successful the strategies taken by Washington will be in convincing the Australian government and public that the United States policies are necessary as well as legitimate. The Australian public will also have to be convinced that the United States does not take its contribution to mutual security for granted. Obstacles to good relations in this alliance could arise in the event the United States makes demands that are politically difficult on Australia in combating of terror, or if the US sought from Australia military support that forced risks that are unacceptable to Australia or one that drew the country into a major conflict with China over Taiwan. Differing views on security challenges that emanate from a rising China is perceived to be the alliance’s greatest potential threat. How to cite Arguments for and against Australia’s Alliance with the United States, Essays

Mccarthyism in the Crucible free essay sample

Both in Salem, Massachusetts and the country of Oceania, its residents had to follow strict laws without question. For example, in Salem everyone was expected to know their Ten Commandments and to not know it would be counted as being a non-puritan. When John Proctor is asked to recall his Ten Commandments, he forgets adultery. Reverend Hale at this point while having a deep thought and with a worried face lets Proctor know that even something like that cannot be counted as a small thing and excused as it is the duty for every puritan to know this. Things like this were not accepted in a superstitious society like Salem. This made the society Of Salem no different to the society of Oceania as both societies thought that to have a perfect society meant that the people had to sacrifice their free will in exchange. The people of Salem woke up, went to church, worked, and slept as an everyday cycle of life. We will write a custom essay sample on Mccarthyism in the Crucible or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page In Oceania, where people are controlled and oppressed by the Party, led by the Big Brother, free speech, rebellious and independent thought are forbidden.People who fail to abide by the strict laws are taken away by the Thought Police and punished severely for disobeying the Party. In 1984, the main character Winston Smith, is employed as a records editor. Disliking the current government, he starts a journal of his rebellious thoughts against the Party. If discovered, this journal will result in his execution. To be safe, Winston only writes when safe from the view of the surveying telecasters. Although McCarthy is evident in both The Crucible and 1 984, the authors convey McCarthy a bit differently in both stories.One difference is that The Crucible was set in a different time and with a different type of system or government controlling he society. Although both had strict laws that its residents had to abide by without question, 1984 had a totalitarian government that was tightly controlled and everyone was monitored closely, while in The Crucible was set in a time of superstition and religious extremism that controlled the day today choices of life. In The Crucible, girls accused others for having relations with the devil.The accused would then be sent to trial, most often, the accused would find themselves guilty for something they did not commit, and be sentences to death or imprisonment. In 1984, when en was found to be disobeying the strict laws set in Oceania, such as when Winston was found to be in a love affair with another of the main characters Julia, he was taken away by the Thought Police to be tortured brutally. Winston torturer quizzes Winston asking him how many fingers he was holding up, Winston replies four as he is being constantly tortured. Four, Stop it, stop I it! How can you go on? Four! Four! How many fingers, Winston? Five! Five! Five! This time the exclamation marks show the pain and weakening of Winston individualist beliefs. The last sentence, he cries out Five! Five! Five! which was the point he had given up. The pain, for believing in something he wanted to believe had only brought him pain and us offering; Arthur Miller and George Orwell have similar views towards the theme of Power and Authority Both readings also show how easily power can be corrupted.Millers views of rebellion was that if there is something wrong being done in front of your eyes and if you have a chance of making it right, you should because if a system is corrupted, this needs to be pointed out to people. Orwell on the other hand tries to show that if we dont question our government or head of states for every decision they make, it could be a fatal mistake because once they have got control of everything; as demonstrated in the 1 984, there it is nearly impossible to change things to the way it was. Rebellion was shown by Winston even though he knew there was no change he could bring by going against the party. In 1 984 Winston tried to stand up for what was right, but it was no use because the party was much stronger than one person, Winston himself. Unlike Proctor who had his free will and made his own decision to die trying, Winston didnt eave a choice of not rebelling as he didnt have the same free will that Proctor had.Both the Crucible and 1 984 concerns with society, in The Crucible it shows that people were free in its society, while in 1 984, it shows that individual free will was a danger to the party and was not allowed in its society. In Conclusion , it is clear that McCarthy is evident in both the play The Crucible and the novel 1 984 although conveyed a bit differently one can find some similarities regarding McCarthy in both readings. In both The Crucible and 1984 , its residents must follow strict saws affecting their everyday life.