On the recordJanuary 1, 1881
They gave them the uniform of soldiers, but no arms; they called them citizens, and left them subjects; they called them free, and almost left them slaves.
Said by
Frederick Douglass
Source
gutenberg.orgFrederick Douglass: “They gave them the uniform of soldiers, but no arms; they called them citizens, and left them subjects; they called them…”
Editor's note · Context
From his autobiography, Douglass powerfully illustrates how Reconstruction offered superficial symbols of freedom and citizenship without providing the substantive power or protection to make them real.
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Our very lack of preparation for the conflict disposed us to look for some other than the way of blood out of the difficulty.
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