Political Quotes

Frederick Douglass: Our destiny was to be fixed for life, and we had no more voice in the decision of the question than the oxen and cows…

On the recordJanuary 1, 1881
Our destiny was to be fixed for life, and we had no more voice in the decision of the question than the oxen and cows that stood chewing at the hay-mow.
Said by
Frederick Douglass

Editor's note · Context

From his autobiography, Douglass reflects on the powerlessness of enslaved people during the division of an estate, where their fates were decided without their input.

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