Frederick Douglass Fight For Freedom History Essay

Frederick Douglass Fight For Freedom History Essay In his speech, The Hypocrisy of American Slavery, Frederick Douglass enforces his main concept of inequality in the nation and the cruelty of slavery. Douglass endured a rough childhood of slavery in Maryland without the presence or help from his parents. From the very beginning of his life, Douglass knew nothing about the whereabouts of his father nonetheless who he was and barely ever saw his mother. During a tough period of a nation infested with segregation and inequality, Douglass applied to his master to have the right to find work for himself. During employment, he concocted a plan to escape slavery. After a successful getaway, Douglass assisted the Underground Railroad. At this time, the country was in great need of change. Certain historical events that occurred during the time period, such as the Compromise of 1850, and Douglasss rugged life experiences as a slave are applied to help frame the speech and convey how African Americans feel on Independence Day. Through a tone progressing from earnest to inflammatory and the use of rhetorical questions, biblical allusions, and puns, the delivery of The Hypocrisy of American Slavery effectively brings forth an awareness of the deterioration of the nation, the inequality between races and reveals how African Americans are affected by the harsh treatment they receive to help persuade the audience that slavery must be abolished. The Compromise of 1850 and Douglasss life as a slave during this time are important factors that help shape Douglasss speech. To help please the nation, The Compromise of 1850 was passed in an attempt to abolish and control slavery. The document states that it is inexpedient to abolish slavery in the District of Columbia whilst that institution continues to exist in the State of Marylandà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ (Compromise). This affected Douglass negatively as well as other states in America because as long as Maryland accepted slavery, other places were not allowed to abolish it. To Douglass, this was unfair and contributed to his reasoning on why he spoke to the public emphasizing the need of a free nation. Douglass lived a good part of his life in Maryland and had to endure the challenging life of a slave because he did not live in a free state. As a child, Frederick Douglass did not get to live a luxury life like whites. In an excerpt from his novel he writes I never saw my mother, to kn ow her as such, more than four or five times in my life; and each of these times was very short in duration, and at night (Frederick, Being). Douglass never got to have a relationship with his parents thus forcing him to grow up faster. In effect, it made him a stronger person in the end. He got split up from his mother because of silly things like the color of his skin. Later in his speech, Douglass references these silly things by referring to America as a blacker nation which is a pun between race and the status of the nation. The African Americans of the audience are captivated by the speech as they relate to the common struggles endured. Also, Douglass was educated about religion when he was young which explicated his frequent use of biblical allusions. He states that à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦if their increase do no other good, it will do away the force of the argument, that God cursed Ham, and therefore American slavery is right (Frederick, Being). Things pertaining to God were always p resent in his life which explains his use of biblical allusions. These biblical references appealed to his audience that comprised of Christians. Also, the irrelevant claims towards why slavery is acceptable are recognized. All of this information about history and Douglasss life are important components when understanding Douglasss purpose for giving his speech. Douglasss experiences of suffering and mistreatment along with being asked by the leading citizens of Rochester on Independence Day led him to his exigency. He passionately expresses his feelings about the life he endured during slavery in an excerpt of the narrative of his life: I say, let him place himself in my situation- without home or friends- without money or credit- wanting shelter, and no one to give it- wanting bread, and no money to buy it, and at the same time let him feel that he is pursued by merciless men-hunter, and in total darkness as to what to do, where to go, or where to stay,- perfectly helpless both as to the means of defense and means of escape,- in the midst of plenty, yet suffering the terrible gnawings of hunger,- in the midst of houses, yet having no home,- among fellow-men, yet feeling as if in the midst of wild beasts, whose greediness to swallow up the trembling and half-famished fugitive is only equaled by that with which the monsters of the deep swallow up the helpless fish upon which they subside,- I say, let him be placed in this most trying situation,- the situation in which I was placed,- then, and not till then, will he fully appreciate the hardships of, and know how to sympathize with, the toil-worn and whip-scarred fug itive slave. (Frederick, Narrative) At this point in his life it is evident that he is already fed up with the struggles of hunger and homelessness along with the rights he was not able to enjoy. Frederick Douglass was finally ready to speak his mind to the dark world. Another reason for his exigency is the concept of freedom. Frederick Douglass was all for Lincolns platformà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦free soil, free men, and free labor (Abolition). Knowing that could possibly become the outcome of his efforts, he was quickly enthused to deliver his speech. The overall concept that drove him to give the speech was the possibility of a better future for him as well as the entire nation and to persuade his audience at Corinthian Hall in Rochester that slavery must be abolished. Douglass begins with an earnest tone and polite diction to appeal to his audiences feelings and uses rhetorical questions to get everyone thinking about the issues between the nations need of freedom and equality. At the start of his speech he declares Fellow citizens, above your national, tumultuous joy, I hear the mournful wail of millions, whose chains, heavy and grievous yesterday, are today rendered more intolerably by the jubilant shouts the reach them? (Douglass). Douglass uses nice words that contrast with harsh words like fellow citizens, to ease the seriousness of the critical references to slavery. Rhetorical questions were incorporated into his speech to make his audience feel accountable for the greatly needed equality and freedom in the nation. Most importantly, he asks Are the great principles of political freedom and of natural justice, embodied in the Declaration of Independence, extended to us? (Douglass). This one question forces everyone to think about what rights exist in the nation and who they are extended to. Also, Frederick Douglass became fed up with the inequality of the nation because of race. He expresses that This Fourth of July is yours, not mine. You may rejoice, I must mourn (Douglass). He feels very strongly about the indifference of the nation and its status between the freedom and rights extended to all people. Douglass brings up a valid point that the Declaration guarantees the rights of Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness and that slaves are not all blacks are privileged to enjoy these. Douglasss first half of his speech captivated his audience and enabled him to shift to more serious matters. The speech soon shifts to a vexed tone as Douglass explicates the obstacles of slavery and uses biblical references to point out the injustice of the mistreatment of slaves. Douglass becomes irritated when he complains Must I argue that a system thus marked with blood and stained with pollution is wrong? No I will not. I have better employment for my time and strength than such arguments would imply (Douglass). Douglass progressively becomes more passionate with his words as he becomes annoyed. He states here that it is ridiculous for people to not understand how seriously wrong slavery is and hopes it is a wakeup call to everybody. Next, he uses biblical references to relate to the audience. When mentioning the act of selfish men that would not rejoice when slaves are free, he implies that I am not that man. In case that, the dumb might eloquently speak, and the lame man leap as an hart (Douglass). The meaning behind this biblical reference is that a man is healed by God and then l eaps like a deer. Douglass acknowledges that he would be the one to rejoice when slaves were finally free. Certain references that come from the Bible relate to everyone because it points out the mistreatment of slaves and reminds everyone that God would not approve of this injustice. Both his tone and his references have transformed to be more harsh and unpleasant. Lastly, the tone is shifted to sound inflammatory and Douglass uses puns in order to point out the status of the nation due to race. Douglasss tone becomes bombastic towards his audience when he begins to bring up similarities between blacks and whites to prove that they are equal. He implies à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦that we are engaged in all the enterprises common to other men-digging gold in California, à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦feeding à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦cattle on the hillside, living, moving, acting, thinking, planning, living in the families as husbands, wives, and children, and above all, confessing and worshiping the Christian Godà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦-we are called upon to prove that we are men? (Douglass). Douglasss inductive argument continues to incorporate references to God and rhetorical questions. These things repetitively remind the audience to think of what they can do to change the nation because God would not approve of such behavior. Finally, Douglass cleverly incorporates a pun into his speech. He reasons I do not hesitate to declare, with all my soul, that the character and conduct of this nation never looked blacker to me than on this Fourth of July (Douglass). He cunningly uses blacker to reference race as well as the shadowing darkness the nation lies under. Usually puns are used for comic relief; this one is not. Frederick Douglass effectively conveys his message to his audience by all three of those rhetorical strategies along with his change in tone. Douglasss remarkable speech led to many accomplishments like abolitionist movements with William Lloyd Garrison as well as contributions to the Emancipation Proclamation. In the end, the Thirteenth Amendment was passed which completely abolished slavery in all of America. With the efforts of Garrison and the delivery of Douglasss speech, life in America was greatly impacted. It is recorded that In 1841, Garrison hired Frederick Douglass, a former slave, as an agent for the society. Douglass was an immediate success on the lecture circuit, first in the North and later on a six-month tour of meeting halls throughout the American West (Abolition). Both men teamed together and became a successful duo. Douglass and Garrison started successful abolition movements in the North and rattled the South. Soon after, propaganda in the South arose. It is concluded that When Lincoln was elected, the South saw him as a threat to Southern institutions and resorted to secession. And the Civil War bega n (Abolition). It can be assumed that the efforts of Douglass and Lincoln began the Civil War. The war led to an outcome of abolishing slavery for which Douglass speech will always be remembered. Finally, In 1863, Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation, which declared all slaves in the Southern secessionist states free. Two years later, the Thirteenth Amendment to the Constitution, which states that neither slavery nor involuntary servitude shall exist in the United States, was ratified, and the abolitionists finally had their victory (Abolition). The country finally saw change and began to lighten up. Slavery was finally abolished as an effect of the hard work of Garrison, Lincoln, and Douglass. Most importantly, Douglasss efforts will always be remembered because it caused an unforgettable change in America. Frederick Douglass was an outstanding man with great character and strong beliefs. He did not care what others would think of him and stood strongly for what he believed and knew was right. The struggles of being a slave child shaped him to be the man he turned out to be. Also, historical events including the Compromise of 1850, shaped the phenomenal speech he gave on July 4th, 1852. By using rhetorical questions, biblical allusions, and puns, Douglass effectively conveyed his message that the freedom of slaves all around America was essential and that the nation was unhealthy, unjust, and slowly deteriorating as time progressed. Another key element he incorporated were shifts in tone. Douglass starts off nice and not over bearing but evolves to a bombastic tone. The legacy of his speech will forever be remembered because of the astounding things it caused including but not limited to abolitionist movements, the Civil War, the Emancipation Proclamation, and most importantly the Thirt eenth Amendment to the Constitution. If it were not for the hard work of Frederick Douglass, slavery may not have been abolished to this day.

Phonics †Word Identification Essay

1. Identification of Student Prerequisite Skills Needed for Lesson: (4 minutes) a. The teacher begins the lesson by asking her students to think about strategies that they use to read and spell bigger words. The students are prompted to write one of these strategies on a sticky note and to compare strategies with their pod. b. After reviewing strategies as a class, the teacher writes the following objective on the board: i. Given a set of letter cards, and verbal directions from the teacher, students will spell and write down multisyllabic words for their weekly spelling list. c. Before passing out materials, the teacher engages the class in a discussion to focuses the on the term multisyllabic, and especially the pre-fix â€Å"multi†. 2. Presentation of New Information or Modeling: (7 minutes) a. Parent volunteers help pass out â€Å"letter cards† to each student, and all  students are prompted to keep letter cards in the envelope until the activity begins. b. The teacher tells the students about the contents of the envelope and its purpose. Next, the teacher asks the students to open their envelopes. c. As a modeling exercise, the teacher reads the following directions: i. â€Å"As a class, we will now spell the word â€Å"ate† using three letters from our envelope.† d. She models how she would arrange the letters in the correct order (a-t-e) underneath the document camera for all students to see. She has the students do the same, as she roams the room to informally check their understanding of directions. She prompts those who finish early to attempt to construct other words using the same three letters. (tea, eat, tee, etc.) 3. Guided Practice: (10 – 15 minutes) *As students finish up the modeling exercise, the teacher gains student attention by clapping three times. She prompts students to open their spelling notebook and then she gives her first direction for guided practice: â€Å"Students, our first multisyllabic word that we are going to construct is a five letter, two syllable word: â€Å"pizza†. Before you arrange your letters please attempt to spell â€Å"pizza† in your spelling notebook. Once you have it written down in your spelling journal, please construct the word using your letter cards. When you have finished, please put your pencil down, and your thumb up. Remember to keep your answer a secret from your neighbors†¦We will reveal our answers at the same time. *After all students finish, a volunteer arranges the letters â€Å"p-i-z-z-a† underneath the document camera. Students who misspelled the given word are prompted to correct the word in their spelling notebook. As more words are introduced, the parent volunteers line up the completed words on the chalkboard ledge. Students are prompted to discuss patterns among their new spelling words (prefix, suffix, vowel combinations, etc.). After all words are shown on the chalkboard ledge, the class discusses these patterns. This is repeated in the culminating activity, as well. *Lastly, students check their answer with a neighbor to ensure proper understanding. -The teacher roams the room, checking for student understanding. -The same directions are repeated for the following words: lastly, general, mostly, optional, directly, moral, and anticipation. 4. Independent Student Practice: When students finish their guided practice work, they are prompted to pair up, grab a computer, and log in to their accounts on spellingcity.com *After logging in, students are prompted to take turns typing their new spelling words into a new list. This list should be saved as â€Å"making words list† on their account. *When finished with the list entry, students are prompted to play a game or activity related to their list. Examples of games and activities include: 1. Test Me (orally given by computer generated voice) 2. Hang Mouse (similar to Hang Man, but with words from the new list) 5. Culminating or Closing Procedure/Activity/Event: After comparing/reviewing spelling patterns among their new words, students are prompted to write down two challenge words to add to their list at a later time. These words must be at least three syllables and 8-12 letters long. Pedagogical Strategy (or Strategies): – direct instruction – modeling of desired behavior – partner work (checking for partner’s correct spelling) Differentiated Instruction: Gifted/accelerated learners: *These students are given a separate (and more challenging) list of words. They can also help check the work of the other students at their pod. Student Assessment/Rubrics: *informal assessment performed by teacher during guided practice *results from â€Å"Test Me† and other games/activities are sent to the teacher’s spellingcity.com account and this data is used to modify instruction.

Battling Nerves and Anxiety Over Presentations

Nearly everyone experiences nervousness when they perform in some way, whether in giving a speech, taking a test, offering a presentation, or teaching a class. Its something everybody deals with. But some people hide their nervousness more than others. Some people simply understand that nervousness is self-perpetuating. Here is an alarming little equation: Signs of Nervousness Leads to Increased Nervousness In other words, one sign of nervousness can cause other symptoms to pop up. To clarify this cruel little formula, just think back to a time when you were speaking in front of a group. If you noticed that your hands were shaking or your voice was cracking, you probably became distracted and unnerved by these signs. They probably embarrassed you and made you even more nervous, which made your heart beat faster. True? Theres good news: This formula also works in reverse. If you can prepare ahead of time to prevent and disguise the normal causes for nervousness, you can avoid a chain reaction of symptoms. Types of Fears That Cause Anxiety The best thing you can do is to over-prepare when youre facing an intimidating situation that makes you nervous. The number one cause for nerves is feeling inadequate about the topic. Fear of Looking Stupid: Whatever your topic may be, from phases of the moon to Internet safety, you must research it thoroughly. If you try to skimp or slide by with a little knowledge, youll start to feel insecure--and it will show. Prepare ahead and go way beyond the parameters of your specific topic. Find out all you can about the how and why of things, especially if you will be answering questions about your topic. Fear of Forgetting Information: When giving a speech, its normal to forget details if youre nervous, so you should take steps to avoid this. Make an outline of your topic or make several note cards to use as prompters. Practice with the note cards and re-make them if they confuse you in any way. Make sure you number any note cards so you can keep them in the right order. Fear of Freezing Up: You can avoid the appearance of freezing up during your presentation, discussion, or speech by having props on hand. These can include a drink of water, a notepad, or a visual aid. Anytime you feel like you might go blank, say Excuse me for a moment, and take a drink or pretend to jot something down. This will give you an extra moment to gather your thoughts. Its also a good idea to have one note card prepared that you can go to in a moment of panic. This card could contain a space filler like an anecdotal story that goes along with your topic. If you need to go to this panic card, you could simply say, You know, this reminds me of a story. After you complete your story you can say, Now where was I? and someone will tell you. Types of Symptoms That Increase Anxiety You can reduce some nervous symptoms by scoping out the room where youll be speaking or presenting. Find out if youll be standing still, sitting down, walking around, or using a microphone. Educate yourself as much as possible about your situation. It will give you a greater sense of control. Dry mouth: Prevent dry mouth by carrying a glass of water with you. Also avoid drinking carbonated drinks before you speak, since those tend to dry out your mouth.Shaky, nervous voice: The more you know your topic and the more confident you feel, the less trouble youll have with your voice. If you start to feel short of breath or shaky, just pause to consult your notes or take a sip of water. Breath slowly and give yourself a moment to re-group. It wont look odd to the audience.Rapid heartbeat: Its not a good idea to eat a big meal before an event. The combination of jittery nerves and a full stomach can create a strong heartbeat, which will make you feel short of breath. Instead, eat a small but healthy meal before you speak. More Tips for Battling Nerves Prepare transitional phrases ahead of time to help you flow from one idea to the next. If you dont have a good transition, you might get nervous as you struggle to change from one topic to another.Practice your speech, presentation, or argument out loud and in front of the mirror several times. This will help you fix any awkward segments.If you have a microphone, concentrate solely on it as you speak. This helps you block out the audience.Dont think about underwear. Some people suggest that you imagine your audience wearing underwear. You can do that if you really want to, but it might not prove very helpful. The real idea behind this trick is to think of your audience as ordinary people just like you. They are ordinary, and chances are, theyre all impressed at your courage and very supportive.Move around the room if you have the opportunity. This sometimes helps distract you from the eyes of your audience and it can make you look professional and in control.Start out your presentati on with a great quote or a funny line. For instance, a good line to use as an icebreaker is I just want you all to know that I am not picturing you in your underwear.