Frederick Douglass Contradiction

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Pages: 2

Inherent and natural rights were bestowed to every citizen of the United States, yet none were granted to many free black men and women. Frederick Douglass challenges the contradiction of being an American citizen but not having a voice in the laws implemented by the federal government. The contradiction exists due to the mixing of the church and state which results in the maltreatment of minorities, a term that Douglass refers to as “republican religion.” He finds that the President and even religious figures in America enforce a “duty … to [their] free and glorious country, and to [their] God” to “do this accursed thing,” or slavery. Fugitive Slave Laws were enacted in the South, pertaining to cases of escaping slaves; however, the laws