Frederick Douglass spent around 40 years of his life fighting against slavery. Whether through his speeches or books, Frederick sought to end the slavery of his own people. He did not have the power to end slavery in the United States on his own, but he certainly was a leader in proclaiming his disgust with the issue. Frederick Douglass traveled, spoke, and wrote; he did all that he could for others to hear what he had to say. Frederick Douglass's efforts impacted the United States government, economy, and ethics.
Before Douglass's impacts are detailed, his motives need to be checked. What were the reasons for all of his hard work against the issue of slavery? Frederick Douglass believed that slavery was completely wrong; but it needs to be pointed out that he did not have a biblical basis for his beliefs. In the Old Testament, Moses allowed the Israelites to purchase slaves by God's command. From a biblical perspective, the real issue with slavery is the treatment of slaves by their masters. Douglass experienced harsh treatment, and that was one of the main reasons why he felt so strongly opposed to slavery.
With that said, Frederick Douglass became one of the most prominent leaders of the abolitionist movement. The movement effected the United States in several different ways. Douglass himself changed views of who was to hold political offices when he became the marshall for Washington D.C. in 1877. "He saw the appointment as simply another milestone for his people" (Thomas). Frederick Douglass was also influential with his support of amendments and bills that gave blacks more freedom.
With his impact in the United States' government, Frederick Douglass had a hand in most of the very important documents concerning the rights of blacks. These documents not only changed the rules but also the way many Americans lived. Starting with the Emancipation Proclamation, the whole economy of the United States changed. As a result of the abolition of slavery, official in 1865 with the ratification of the Thirteenth Amendment, plantation owners had to completely change the way they operated their plantations.
Douglass did not just impact America from a political and economic standpoint; he impacted the hearts of many Americans as well. Through his autobiographies and speeches, Frederick Douglass changed Americans' views of slavery. Through his speeches with the Massachusetts Anti-Slavery Society as well as on his own, Frederick told thousands of people how harsh and cruel slave masters could be and how slaves were being mistreated. "Many people described him as one of the world's greatest speakers" (Thomas). Douglass's work most definitely brought supporters to the abolitionist movement.
All of Frederick Douglass's work paid off in the end. During his lifetime, Douglass saw the end of slavery in the United States and the passing of new laws that gave rights to his race. Obviously, it took time for Americans to start treating blacks equally, but the battle for the abolition of slavery was won. Frederick Douglass has been called "one of the most influential and famous Americans of the nineteenth century" (Ayers 321). Frederick Douglass's goal was to end slavery in the United States, and he did so by changing Americans' views of slavery. He impacted America in such a way that American lives today are a result of his efforts and accomplishments.
