What Frederick Douglass thinks about racism
American abolitionist and writer (about 1817 to 1895); born into slavery, escaped in 1838 and became a principal leader and spokesperson of the abolition movement; author of three autobiographies.
Frederick Douglass did not write this page.
We collected these quotes from things they published elsewhere, and every quote links to where it was said. They have no account here and have not endorsed this site. Quotes are word for word; the short line under each one is our own restatement, not their wording. Their own site. Is this you? Claim it or ask us to remove it. Or tell us what is wrong here.
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6 dated positions, c. 1881, in their own words. Our reading of what Frederick Douglass has said — not written or endorsed by them.
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Our readingThe Constitution, read by its declared purposes, warrants abolishing slavery in every state
Their wordsThen, again, if the declared purposes of an instrument are to govern the meaning of all its parts and details, as they clearly should, the Constitution of our country is our warrant for the abolition of slavery in every State of the Union.
↗Life and Times of Frederick Douglass (1881)gutenberg.org All 17 from this book
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Their wordsFrom the first, I, for one, saw in this war the end of slavery; and truth requires me to say that my interest in the success of the North was largely due to this belief.
↗Life and Times of Frederick Douglass (1881)gutenberg.org All 17 from this book
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Their wordsOnly a moderate share of sagacity was needed to see that the arm of the slave was the best defense against the arm of the slaveholder.
↗Life and Times of Frederick Douglass (1881)gutenberg.org All 17 from this book
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Their wordsLiberty won by white men would lose half its luster.
↗Life and Times of Frederick Douglass (1881)gutenberg.org All 17 from this book
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Their wordsWe fought the rebellion, but not its cause. The key to the situation was the four million of slaves; yet the slave who loved us, was hated, and the slaveholder who hated us, was loved.
↗Life and Times of Frederick Douglass (1881)gutenberg.org All 17 from this book
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Their wordsUntil it shall be safe to leave the lamb in the hold of the lion, the laborer in the power of the capitalist, the poor in the hands of the rich, it will not be safe to leave a newly emancipated people completely in the power of their former masters, especially when such masters have not ceased to be such from enlightened moral convictions but by irresistible force.
↗Life and Times of Frederick Douglass (1881)gutenberg.org All 17 from this book