Frederick Douglass's Influence in Making This True
             "When in the Course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation."
             "We the People," "When in the Course of human events," "Four score and seven years ago today," all these are examples of speeches or documents that are easily recognizable after the first few words. The Preamble to the Constitution of the United States, the Declaration of Independence, the Gettysburg Address, are all examples of these. Frederick Douglass, a prominent anti-slavery figure, knew all of these texts; he knew them all by heart. They explain the "unalienable" rights that all men should have: Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness. Frederick Douglass held these rights sacred, he believed that these American values should be truly universal, not based upon race, gender, or color. After escaping out of the manacles of slavery Frederick Douglass made it his life's work to make sure that these American values became truly universal so that all men could truly be, equal.
             Most likely born in February of 1818, Frederick Douglass was born a slave, his mother black, and his father white. Douglass experienced a wide spectrum of masters ranging from the aptly named Master Severe, harsh and cruel master, to Master Freeman, a nice and generous master. He saw the effects of slavery on his fellow slaves and how it affected their spirit. He also saw how it turned a "woman of kindest heart and finest feelings" into a woman whose "heart had turned stone, and the lamblike disposition gave way t...