Christina Williams

AP English Language

Mrs. Kanawi

28 September 2016

Frederick Douglass vs. William John Grayson

Slavery has been present in cultures, and nations almost since the ancient times and still

occurs today. People and countries have favored abolishing slavery, but some feel the control of

a slave is important and very much needed. There are many people that agree that slavery should

be present in cultures and countries. In the 1800s of America, the idea of slavery was very

popular in many of the southern states of the nation including Maryland, Virginia and many

more others. The northern states on the other hand did not agree with the southern states about

slavery. The states differences led the country into a feud and the american civil war began in

1861. Before the war occurred there were many people that tried to share their beliefs about how

essential slavery is. One man that was very public about how he supported slavery was William

John Grayson. He was fighting to sway people to agree with him that slavery is best for the

country and the people by using rhetoric and different appeals. Although Graysons arguments

were strong, an escaped slave Frederick Douglass combats Grayson and many other pro slavery

articles in his own autobiography , Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American

Slave. Frederick Douglass is very forceful in his writings to affirm that Grayson is mistaken and

misguided about his thoughts of slavery.

William John Grayson a segregationist and believes that slavery is great for the slave and

the country. In an excerpt from Grayson, The Hireling and the Slave, he states that slavery is
good to the negro, and to the country whose rich fields he has cleared (Paragraph 5). Grayson

writes with confidence to show how slavery is the best system for America. He uses economic

and social appeals to attract people to believe his words and to be pro slavery right before the

civil war outbreaks. He continues to say that slavery is meant to be because it is Gods will by

saying Christians believe that affairs of the world are directed by Providence for wise and good

purposes (Paragraph 5). Frederick Douglasss experiences as a slave himself refute and displays

that Graysons statements are blasphemous. For example, Douglass says that when he was a

slave, Scarce an hour would pass during the day but was marked by the blood of one of these

slaves (Douglass 45). He proves Grayson wrong because slavery is not good to the slave, the

slave is beaten and tortured. Douglass also counter argues Grayson by saying slavery in the

south must soon become unscriptural (Douglass 6). If God loves doing things for wise and good

purposes like Grayson says, then why are the slaves of America being harmed and constantly in

misery? Frederick Douglass disputes Grayson and all the other pro slavery activists by his own

life experiences and exemplifies how horrendous the system of slavery in America truly was.