On the recordJanuary 1, 1881
They did not deprive the old master class of the power of life and death which was the soul of the relation of master and slave.
Said by
Frederick Douglass
Source
gutenberg.orgFrederick Douglass: “They did not deprive the old master class of the power of life and death which was the soul of the relation of master…”
Editor's note · Context
From his autobiography, Douglass argues that Reconstruction failed to dismantle the fundamental power dynamic of slavery, leaving former masters with significant control over the lives of freed people.
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