Frederick Douglass: “A mere look, word, or motion, a mistake, accident, or want of power…”

On the recordJanuary 1, 1855

A mere look, word, or motion, a mistake, accident, or want of power, are all matters for which a slave may be whipped at any time.

Said by

Frederick Douglass

Source

Douglass enumerates the trivial and arbitrary reasons, including mere looks or accidents, for which an enslaved person could be whipped.

More from Frederick Douglass

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If I have had kicks, I have also had kindness.

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Frederick Douglass: “A mere look, word, or motion, a mistake, accident, or want of power, are all matters for which a slave may be whipped at…”