Political Quotes

Frederick Douglass: They could not of course sell them, but they retained the power to starve them to death, and wherever this power is…

On the recordJanuary 1, 1881
They could not of course sell them, but they retained the power to starve them to death, and wherever this power is held, there is the power of slavery.
Said by
Frederick Douglass

Editor's note · Context

From his autobiography, Douglass defines the essence of slavery not just by direct ownership but by the power to control another's survival through economic means.

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