10/2/2019 The Value of Literacy as Seen by Frederick Douglass, and its Application to 21st Century AmericaRead NowFrederick Douglass is often seen as one of the greatest abolitionists of slavery in the early-mid 1800's. He came upon these views as a result of his desire of learning, specifically reading and writing. Douglass strived to become educated so that he could one day be free from his master, and in this pursuit, he often bribed or challenged young boys near the wharf to teach him how to read and write (Fraser, 100). The use of challenging boys to writing contests or bribing them with bread shows how determined Douglass was to learn what he thought would be important for him in his future.
Literacy skills were one of the most common skills desired by employers in the early-mid 1800's. To account for this, laws were created in "many Southern as well as Northern states", that required masters to arrange for "instruction in literacy as well as job-related skills" (Urban, 120). This desire for members of the workforce to be educated in literacy showed that the United States wanted growth in the mind of its' citizens. Similarly, this is seen in 21st century America's society within government standards for education that requires students to learn about literacy and many other subjects in order to grow their mind and prepare them for the workforce after their schooling.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
Details
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. Archives
December 2019
Categories |