“Just at this point of my progress, Mr. Auld found out what was going on, and at once forbade Mrs. Auld to instruct me further, telling her, among other things, that it was unlawful, as well as unsafe, to teach a slave to read. To use his own words, further, he said, "If you give a [n****r] an inch, he will take an ell. A [n****r] should know nothing but to obey his master--to do as he is told to do. Learning would spoil the best [n****r] in the world. Now," said he, "if you teach that [n****r] (speaking of myself) how to read, there would be no keeping him. It would forever unfit him to be a slave. He would at once become unmanageable, and of no value to his master. As to himself, it could do him no good, but a great deal of harm. It would make him discontented and unhappy.”
Quote by Frederick Douglass
Work
This seminal work provides a first-hand account of the hardships and triumphs of Frederick Douglass, a former slave who rose to prominence in the fight against slavery. The narrative covers his early years in bondage, his escape to freedom, and his subsequent journey to becoming a leading figure in the abolitionist movement. more
Author
Frederick Douglass was a renowned orator and writer, born into a slave family in Maryland, USA. He gained his freedom in the mid-19th century through self-education and became one of the leaders of the abolitionist movement. Douglass made significant contributions to the cause of equality and justice in the United States through his incisive speeches and writings, which exposed the cruelty of slavery and inspired countless people to join the abolitionist movement. more
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