Harriet Tubman and Fredrick Douglass are renowned African America civil rights figures who escaped from slavery. The civil rights activists spent a momentous time of their life fighting against slavery and advocating for social justice thus holding prominent ranks in the American history. In addition, Douglass and Harriet were African Americans abolitionists whose births are not recorded but estimated. Fredrick Douglass was the son of a black woman Harriet Bailey and a white man, making him an African American. Harriet Tubman was born to slave parents Benjamin Ross and Harriet Green Ross. Both Harriet and Douglass were abused by their owners despite the fact that they worked hard. Fredrick and Douglass became African American slaves at a very tender age, but they were able to rescue themselves from slavery to freedom. There are similarities and differences between the lives of Frederick Douglass and Harriet Tubman from their experiences as slaves, antislavery activists, public figures, fugitives, and American heroes.
There are similarities and differences in the lives of Harriet Tubman and Frederick Douglass. First, they were both born at the same time and into slavery. Harriet Tubman was born around 1820 in Maryland (Larson 35). Similarly, Fredrick Douglass was also born in Maryland around 1920 which was about the same period Tubman was born (McFeely 42). They were both exposed to slavery at a very tender age, for instance, Harriet Tubman started working as a house servant at the age of six, while Douglas started working as a slave at the age of nine. During the time they worked as slaves, Fredrick and Tubman experienced the cruelties of slavery as well as witnessing the brutality that was upon the slaves. During this year, many African Americans were slaves and they lived under harsh conditions and harsh rules from their owners. Some of them were beaten to death while others injured but still forced to work. In addition, they spent most of their time working for their owners and they spent most of their nights in the cold and hungry.
Tubman and Douglass were exposed to the brutalities of slavery at a very tender age, and this is the reason behind their fight against slavery. They receive brutal treatment from their owners especially after they were sent to work in the fields. Seven years later, Douglass was hired to work in a farm for Edward Covey where he was treated with cruelty and at time whipped and forced to sleep on a hungry stomach (McFeely 204). Similarly, seven years later, Harriet Tubman was sent to work in the fields where she suffered an injury that affected her entire life (Larson 202). As they worked as slaves, they realized that slavery was not their portion and they embarked on finding ways to escape to freedom.
Harriet Tubman and Fredrick Douglass struggled against slavery and were able to escape from slavery. Douglass and Tubman understood the dynamics of slavery and it was clear to them that, they no longer want to be slaves. They endured hardships in slavery in addition to seeing other slaves suffer in the hands of their owners and they decided enough was enough, they have to put an end to the slavery institution. Fredrick writes about his master’s cruelty by saying “I have known him to cut and slash the women’s heads so horribly” (McFeely 134). Slaves were brutally treated by their owners and Tubman and Douglass were not an exception. Tubman was even hit on the head by her employer while she was trying to protect another slave from being beaten by her owner. Their experience as slaves gave them a reason to struggle for freedom and fight against the institution of slavery.
Harriet and Fredrick fled into freedom as young adults. In 1838, Fredrick Douglass was able to escape by impersonating a Negro sailor who he had borrowed his papers (McFeely 224). He started attending meetings held by free African-Americans and this enlightened him more on the brutalities of slavery and the horrors the slaves experienced. It was during this time that he began speaking against the slavery institution and started the anti-slavery cause. Even though Harriet had no formal education, she had made it clear to her master and mistress that, she hated being a slave. Therefore, in 1849, Harried escaped from slavery just like Fredrick Douglass (Larson 289). After her escape, just like Douglass, she devoted her life to fight against slavery, and she wanted her people to be free like her.
In addition to the similarities, there are but a few differences. The most apparent notable difference between Harriet Tubman and Fredrick Douglass is that, Fredrick learnt how to read and write and he became a famous orator and write. On the other hand, Harriet could neither read nor write. Douglass had a passion to educate himself and he struggled a lot to learn how to read and write. Fredrick used any written material he could find to learn how to read and write in addition to being taught by his owner’s wife. Moreover, he befriended the children who went to school and borrowed them books in order to enlighten himself on slavery and how it is affecting African Americans. But all in all, they all fought against slavery and were able to escape to freedom all the way through the Underground Railroad.
Another difference between Harried and Fredrick is that, Harriet physically freed the slaves through her own tactics, while Fredrick Douglass only taught them how they could free themselves. After Harriet escaped from slavery, she came back to help her people escape too unlike Douglass who travelled across the world preaching against slavery. Harriet did a commendable job of freeing the slaves until he earned a name "Moses," which was after the Moses in the Bible who led God’s people to freedom. In addition, she earned the name because she used the slogan, "let my people go," which was a phrase use by Moses to convince Pharaoh to let God’s people go (Larson 278).
Another difference is that, even though Harriet and Fredrick were born nearly at the same time, they got married at different times. In addition, their family life was so different because, at least Douglass was able to have children, but Harriet was not lucky. Harriet got married in 1844 to John Tubman, a free black man and this is how she earned her surname Tubman. After she fled to Pennsylvania, she left her husband she got married again to her second husband Nelson Davis, and they adopted one daughter, Gertie. On the other hand, Fredrick got married to Anna Murray in 1838 and they had five children, two daughters Rosetta in 1839, and Annie Douglass 1849 and three sons Lewis Henry in 1840, Frederick Douglass Jr, in 1842, and Charles Remond in 1844. After his wife’s death in 1182, Douglass married Hellen Pitts in 1884 and she was 20 younger than him.
Harriet Tubman and Fredrick Douglass are renowned African American heroes who fought against slavery and fought for the rights of the slaves. They were key speakers at anti-slavery meetings and they dedicated their lives to the emancipation of the African-American people. Harriet and Fredrick are famous African-American abolitionist whose legacy of fighting against slavery still remains. The two activists made sure that, the slavery institution was abolished completely and all the slaves were freed. They worked together with other abolitionists to stop slavery during that time.
Even after the freeing of slaves, Harriet and Douglass continued playing vital roles during the war. First, they advocated for blacks to take positions as soldiers during the war for political and strategic reasons. In addition, they encouraged them to enlist as colored volunteers in order to save them from becoming slaves again. Moreover, Douglass and Harriet worked together with other African American abolitionists to make the lives of the ex-slaves free completely. The freed slaves were taught how to make their lives better and how to help free the remaining slaves. They used any resources available to preach against slavery and help free their people from enslavement.
Harriet Tubman is one of the most remembered African American women. She was a leading abolitionist who escaped from slavery and the Underground Railroad conductor. She was able to lead a hundreds of slaves to freedom through the Underground Railroad, including her mother. She went to the south at least more than fifteen times to so as to free all Africans that were bound to slavery. Similarly, Fredrick Douglass is also another influential African American personality in the United States. An African-American abolitionist, writer, a statesman, and a speaker, Fredrick Douglass has remained famous in the American history (McFeely 424). Fredrick and Harriet changed their names after they were separated from their parents. Harriet Tubman was born as Araminta Ross while Fredrick Douglas was born as Fredrick Augustus Washington Bailey, and later changed his name to Fredrick Douglass.
In conclusion, Harriet Tubman and Fredrick Douglass are among the most influential African Americans. They were abolitionists and civil rights activists who were both born in slavery and around the same time in Maryland. Both Harriet and Fredrick were ex-slaves and abolitionists and they spoke plainly about the slavery issue which helped in fighting against the institution of slavery. In essence, Harriet and Fredrick Douglass are African American ex-slaves who have left a legacy in the American history for their fight against slavery. Moreover, they have become household names and American heroes and their contributions to the American history cannot be hyped. Harriet Tubman and Fredrick Douglass were prominent African-Americans in their own right and their names will always remain prominent for their fight against the institution of slavery and freeing the slaves.
Works Cited
Larson, Kater Clifford .Bound For the Promised Land: Harriet Tubman, Portrait of an American Hero. New York: Ballantine Books, 2004. Print.
McFeely, William S. Frederick Douglass. New York: Norton Publishers, 1995. Print.
