Frederick Douglass

The whole relationship must not only demonstrate, to his mind, its necessity, but its absolute rightfulness.

It must not depend upon mere force; the slave must know no Higher Law than his master’s will.

To make a contented slave, you must make a thoughtless one.

He had the power to compel me to give him the fruits of my labor, and this power was his only right in the case.

The right to take my earnings, was the right of the robber.

I contracted for it, worked for it, earned it, collected it; it was paid to me, and it was rightfully my own; and yet, upon every returning Saturday night, this money—my own hard earnings, every cent of it—was demanded of me, and taken…

There was no reason why I should be the thrall of any man.

I was living among free men; and was, in all respects, equal to them by nature and by attainments.

After learning to calk, I sought my own employment, made my own contracts, and collected my own earnings; giving Master Hugh no trouble in any part of the transactions to which I was a party.

The laws and the morals of the Christian city of Baltimore, afforded no protection to the sable denizens of that city.

The slightest manifestation of sympathy or justice toward a person of color, was denounced as abolitionism; and the name of abolitionist, subjected its bearer to frightful liabilities.

He could issue no warrant on my word, against white persons; and, if I had been killed in the presence of a thousand blacks, their testimony, combined would have been insufficient to arrest a single murderer.