Stowe and Douglass Discussion

After reading Stowe and Douglass’s works and reviewing your notes, please respond to the following questions and reply to ONE classmate’s posts.

1) While both works were very controversial and popular (in some cases, infamous) during their time, discuss why Stowe and Douglass’ works were important in their own right. What elements made Stowe’s work important? What elements made Douglass’s work(s) important. Feel free to compare and contrast.

2) What was Stowe and Douglass’s relationship like? How was this important during the time period and to their writings? Can you make a connection between particularly Douglass’s work and the works we read from the Founding Fathers?

class mates post is – Stowe’s work “Uncle Tom’s Cabin” was important because it shed light on the reality of slave ownership. Many people were in an uproar over it because they didn’t want to believe what Stowe had written was true and thought it was a misrepresentation of slaves. However, it helped set the groundwork for change and has since been very influential. The elements that made Stowe’s work important was the fact that she did major research on the topic and not only base it off of what she thought was happening. She managed to obtain firsthand accounts of slavery and incorporate them into this work.

Douglass’ work, “What to the Slave is the 4th of July” is important because it was a wake-up call for all Americans. He was able to inspire many by pointing out that the Founding Fathers believed justice, liberty, and humanity were much more important than slavery and oppression. Douglass wanted people of color to realize their worth and see themselves for the independent men and women they should have been all along. In regard to the 4th of July, he scolded the backward celebration of a nation cheering for their liberty while continuing to allow slavery to exist.

Stowe and Douglass respected each other. Stowe’s works inspired Douglass in his own writing. This was particularly important during this time because it was a period when liberties were still being fought for all Americans. Many still believed a woman should not speak her mind but Douglass was a strong supporter of women’s rights. Likewise, many were adamant about keeping slaves and didn’t want to see the wrong in it but Stowe was empathetic towards slaves and wanted to help fight for their freedom. There is a connection between Douglass’ work and the works of the founding fathers. They were all passionate about fighting for their freedom, and, in fact, it was the most important principle that they cared about.