Radical and Republican was written by James Oaks. It was written mainly on two great leaders named Abraham Lincoln and Fredrick Douglass. Radical and republic describes details about the attitudes, reasons behind their thoughts and evens the political points of view on slavery. Although they had their different reasons, described by Oaks in his writing, they both hated slavery and thought differently about the issue. Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglass had opposite thought about human equality and slavery but as the time passed by, they both became clearer and found that they are supporting same thing but differently. In fact, Douglass, and Lincoln, both had strong point of view about how people should get best benefits for their labor, work ethics and a clear idea about how slavery should be abolished from the society. Because of his religious aspects, Douglass thought it was a sin to have a slave and in …show more content…
During his presidency, the slavery was becoming so huge that it even a compromise was not a solution to it and it led the country to war. During this war, Douglass wanted to free as much slaves possible and make them citizens, where Lincoln was worried about securing the union. He was much more outspoken about the emancipation where Lincoln was a methodical speaker who always waited for the right time to put his idea on the table.
Later, Fredrick Douglass and Abraham Lincoln met each other on different occasions and discussed the future slavery in US. These meeting of both leaders gave them a good chance to grow profound. It gave them a chance to share ideas and thoughts which resulted in better understanding between them and found they both support same thing. Douglass found that Lincoln wanted to give slaves more right such as recruiting them into army, which he really liked and thought it was an important aspect of emancipation
Frederick Douglas, as a slave, lived on a plantation with two other “sister” plantations. The main plantation was so prestigious that a slave would have to be voted on to be able to work on that plantation. Frederick Douglass used an analogy to compare what the political candidate had to do and what a slave had to do to get voted on by the plantation leader.
With that being said, one can wonder if between these men was as described. It is difficulty to know if Douglass was very focused on Lincoln, and if Lincoln was very concerned with Douglass as portrayed in this book. It is important that we remember that although the two were once opponents, politics of racism and the emancipation allocated them to be closer, to the point that both would ultimately become heroes of American history. Furthermore, despite continued points of views on various concepts, Douglass emotionally spoke highly of Lincoln after he was assassinated. As Oakes speaks on this, one can find the uniqueness in their relationship.
Though they lived during the same time period their perspectives were very different from each other because of their role in their current society. In Fredrick Douglass book he was a slave since he was a child. He and his family were all treated poorly by their owners on a plantation. Many examples of this poor treatment are shown throughout the book such as “After crossing her hands, he tied them with a strong rope. and led her to a stool under a large hook in the joist, put in for the purpose.
Lincoln’s and Douglass’s views differed from Davis’s because they did not consider the slaves as a chattel. Lincoln declared slavery illegal in the Confederate States in the famous Emancipation Proclamation. There is a famous quote form Douglass: where justice is denied and where any one class is made to feel that society is in an organized conspiracy to oppress and degrade them, neither persons nor property will be safe. Also, their views differed from Lydia Maria Child’s. Lincoln and Douglass believed the Constitution should be a protection against, rather than a sanction for slavery.
He also struggled for stopping the racial violation and helped the fleeing slaves to escape. One of the main point of Douglass’s speech was slavery should be stopped. And he also argued that what’s the point of celebrating Fourth July if the term liberty doesn’t apply equally for all? He also exhibited that a slave is also a human being like others. If white people have the right to utilize all the rights and facilities as a citizen, on the whole as a human, why will the black people lead a life as sub human?
Lincoln answered the spread of slavery to the territories, and had a vision of the expanding United States. Abraham was a self taught lawyer and legislator with a character as a strong rival of slavery,
Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglass are American heroes with each exemplifying a unique aspect of the American spirit. In his recent study, "The Radical and the Republican: Frederick Douglass, Abraham Lincoln, and the Triumph of Antislavery Politics" (2007), Professor James Oakes traces the intersecting careers of both men, pointing out their initial differences and how their goals and visions ultimately converged. Oakes is Graduate School Humanities Professor and Professor of History at the Graduate Center of the City University of New York. He has written extensively on the history of slavery in the Old South. Oakes reminds the reader of how much Lincoln and Douglass originally shared.
Although a century apart, Martin Luther King Jr’s Letter from Birmingham Jail and Frederick Douglass’s What to a Slave is the fourth of July are kindred spirits. Notwithstanding the many differences in their respective writing styles, deep down the essence of the message conveyed is still very much the same. Both Martin Luther King Junior and Frederick Douglas had similar beliefs and concepts related to the treatment of the African American community. They both describe a tough yet heart breaking situation that makes them question their moral values and doubt the system and its ability to change for better.
Fredrick Douglas and Benjamin Franklin are both one of the most famous successful in American history. They both followed a certain milestone to make them successful. Even though they are considered hard workers, they both have different obstacles and different views in their lifestyle. Fredrick Douglas used to be a slave who was a fugitive and Benjamin Franklin was young white man who had a rough time with his parent because his parents are very abusive to him. By comparing the difference and similarities by these two great people in American history even though they had their rough times, that does not stop them from their success.
Douglass’s position differ from those who supported slavery is that people who supported slavery, they thought it was a natural thing to do because on the Document “ Slavery a positive Good” on paragraph 1 it says, “ To maintain the existing relations between two races, inhabiting that section of the Union, is indispensable to the peace and happiness of both…. But let me not be understood as admitting, even by implication, that the existing relations between two races in the slaveholding states is an evil: - far otherwise; I hold to be good, as it has thus far proved itself both, and will continue to prove so if not disturbed by the fell spirit of abolition.” What this piece of evidence is saying is that slavery is a good thing and not a bad thing and that abolition should stop. Another way that Frederick Douglass’s position is different from people that support is that people who support slavery is that the people who support slavery has a different perspective of what is right and what is wrong because on the Document “ Slavery a Positive Good” paragraph 2 it says,” I hold in the present state of civilization, where two races of different origin, and distinguished by color, and other physical differences, as well as intellectual, are brought together, the relation now existing in the slaveholding States between the two is, instead of an evil, a good- a positive good… I hold then, that
On July 5th 1852 Fredrick Douglass gave a speech to the anti-slavery society to show that all men and woman are equal no matter what. Douglass uses ethos, pathos, and logos in his speech to make look reasonable. Douglass demonstrates ethos by speaking in first person that of which he had experience slavery: "I was born amid such sights and scenes"(Douglass 4). When Douglass spoke these words to the society, they knew of his personal knowledge and was able to depend on him has a reliable source of information. The anti-slavery society listening to his every word, considering that Douglass spoke with integrity, knowledge and emotions.
Most of his time was in the movement of the abolition of slavery. He did not want any other black person to face brutality, humiliation, and pain. His arguments became very useful in the anti-slavery movement. It is through his experiences of being a slave that he urged for the abolition of slavery (Douglass, 1845). Douglass’ style of narration makes the reader to be involved in the story emotionally.
Lincoln was a president during his life. Frederick Douglass was born as a slave, while Lincoln wasn’t. Douglass emancipated himself by escaping from slavery. Frederick gave himself the last name Douglass. Douglass made his childhood in slavery the centerpiece of his writing.
The Radical and the Republican by James Oakes Book Review James Oakes’ The Radical and the Republican is a thorough and captivating account of two of America’s most distinguished figures, Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglas. In his intriguing and polished work, Oakes examines the issues of slavery, race, politics, and war in America during the mid-1800’s. Though both Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglas engendered immense social and political change throughout the Civil War era, the relationship between the two men is often neglected.
A common controversy in American history is the fact that Abraham Lincoln freed the slaves. Many claim that he freed them with the Emancipation Proclamation but it’s more complex than that. There were many events that helped free slaves and the Emancipation was only a small portion of America’s journey to freedom and “equality”. In reality, Lincoln helped the process of freeing the slaves but, he did not do it himself. Lincoln was not an abolitionist.