Frederick Douglass

Frederick Douglass was and African American anti-slavery activist.

• "I didn't know I was a slave until I found out I couldn't do the things I wanted."

Frederick Douglass

This is saying that he did not know what being a slave was until he realized that being a slave meant he had to obey what other people wanted.

• "Without a struggle there can be no progress"

This quote is saying that if everything is handled to you and there is absolutely no stress during anything you are doing there cannot be any progress because to learn from something and to learn new things struggle is involved. Struggle is glorious when you have overcome it and you're progressing from the last step you took.

• "Its easier to build strong children than to repair broken man"

This is saying that its easier to mold children it a strong person rather than to repair a broken man because children haven't gone through all the experiences in life and its easier to guide them in life. With a broken man it is harder because they've seen the struggle and have been through the struggle. IT ll be harder to repair the man that has already witnessed life rather than children who haven seen anything yet.

• "To him, your celebration is a shame"

This quote is Frederick Douglass explaining that the celebration of the Fourth of July is a shame because for enslaved African Americans and himself they cannot celebrate it at all the way other people can. The reason for this is because the Constitution states every man is created equal, but he believes its a shame because enslaved African Americans are restricted from almost everything while white and free people aren't.

• "There is not a nation on the earth guilty of practices"

This is saying that the United States is not a union with things like slavery because of the cruelty it brings with it. He believes that a nation is a place where all men and women are given equal rights no matter the skin color or race.