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
Source
gutenberg.orgThey 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.
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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To-day the negro, starting from nothing, pays taxes upon six millions in Georgia, and forty millions in Louisiana.
None now denies the ability of the colored race to acquire knowledge of anything which can be communicated to the human understanding by letters.
They cannot be coaxed or driven to vote with their enemies against their friends.