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Significance

At a time when slave trade was at its peak, Africans deprived of all their privileges like for example freedom of expression, movement, right to earn wages and many more deprived from them by the whites, Fredrick Douglass speech was very important at that time. It not only spoke for the millions of slaves that could not raise a voice or be heard under any circumstances but was an eye opener to the rest of the public about this vice, slavery. The document was also instrumental in exposing factors that enabled this vice to thrive at that time. The church was put on the spot light for preaching empty gospel and seemed to be in complete support of this vice. Fredrick also pointed an accusing finger to the government of the day for feeling comfortable with current situation and used the constitution to illustrate that what was going on was wrong and should not be happening.

The document also sheds lots of light on life in the time period it was written. To the Americans, life was rosy. They were enjoying independence from the British crown. United States of America governed its self under its colonies and was not subjects to the British rule. Despite this being the situation at that time, the Africans had nothing to celebrate. Their rights and privileges compromised, and forced to work on the whites’ lands with no wages explains just how life was tough for them. The presence of tough rules that would condemn the blacks to death and the corrupt judiciary system that sided with the whites made life even unbearable.

This vividly reveals the relationship status of the social groups in the United States. The courts sided with the slave hunters because of the extra tip they earned for condemning an African to slavery. Nobody cared about the Africans, not even the church tried to make a difference in their lives. It is for this reason orators like Fredrick who had escaped slavery to the mission to fight against slavery through his speeches and writing.

Revelations brought forward by Fredrick Douglass helped a great deal the historians understand the time period in which these events occurred. The description of the government of the day, the religious structures, and forms of trade go a long way in helping understand the events of the time like slave trade. This is because roles played by each party for example the heroes helped gain independence, are vividly explained hence it is easier to conceptualize why things were happening like they did and who was responsible or made it possible for such acts to happen.