. Evidence tells your reader how your claim is proved. keep that person in prison for all of his or her natural life" (Spangenberg and Walsh 15). Here is where the author has a bit of discretion over how to organize their essay. That which is inhuman, cannot be divine! Rejectthe counterclaim. -he's hopeful that they hear what he's saying & things change over time, Write a summary of this excerpt from "What to the Slave Is the Fourth of July?" Although Frederick Douglass believes that the only way to freedom for him and his fellow slaves, is through learning how to build on. copyright 2003-2023 Study.com. In response, however, influential scholars and activists have embraced a radical critique of America that is much more likely to worsen those problems than it is to resolve them. Another is that slavery is an institution fundamentally based on violence, telling the story of the vicious beatings an aunt of his would often receive: I have often been awakened at the dawn of day by the most heart-rending shrieks of an own aunt of mine, whom he used to tie up to a joist, and whip upon her naked back till she was literally covered with blood. (a) In one sentence, state Douglass's argument, -abolsih slavery in the eyes of God/our country. [N]o one seems to have doubted the correctness of the prevailing opinion of the time.[4]. While this quote is from a credible source (Markkula Center for Applied Ethics), it merely restates the claim and reasoning, rather than providing actual evidence to support it. Speaking in mid-1863 on the question What shall be done with the Negro? he specified four altogether objectionable responses. [60] He feared that such a development among black Americans likewise would be the effect of continuing failures to do justice by American institutions, as it could result also from the disaffection propagated by black advocates of emigration, despairing of Americas prospects for reform. Another way to organize the body of the essay is to spend two paragraphs discussing reasons and providing evidence for support and using the third body paragraph to address a counterclaim. [5] As Abraham Lincoln and many others have observed, the claim that the Founders regarded blacks or nonwhites as beings lacking equal natural rights is altogether false. Why, then, did Douglass speak as harshly as he did? Rebecca Simon is an ELA and social studies Master Teacher. While Frederick Douglass made some key arguments, he also made common ground to make his . Today we're going to learn about the parts of an argument necessary to win one! In Stevenss plan, lands belonging to the former Confederate states and their soldiers would be deemed forfeited and then distributed in parcels of 40 acres as homesteads to the freedpeople. No people can make desirable progress or have permanent welfare outside of their own independent and earnest efforts. With due respect to King and to other stalwarts of the 20th-century movement, I submit that in the search for the most thoughtful proponents of the pro-integration, pro-America argument, there is no worthier object of our attention than the life and thought of the greatest of their 19th-century predecessors, the renowned abolitionist and advocate of civil and political equality Frederick Douglass. of people, -two football teams competing for State Champion. 61, 6465. This technique helps to make the argument more effective by strengthening the claim being made. 19 Step-by-step answer 17.02.2022, solved by verified expert Bhaskar Singh Bora p PhD Mathematics, Physics. [39] Address of the Colored National Convention to the People of the United States, October 47, 1864, in Life and Writings, Vol. how does douglass refute this counterclaim? In his 1894 Blessings of Liberty and Education speech, presented a few months before his death, Douglass ventured on the subject a last word that he feared would be more useful than palatable: Since emancipation we hear much said of our modern colored leaders in commendation of race pride, race love, race effort, race superiority, race men and the like. The hook should be on-topic and supportive of the author's argument. Fair play meant at minimum that the nation must reject the alternatives of (1) re-enslavement, this time of the entire black American population; (2) colonization or expatriation; (3) persisting subordination of blacks as a degraded caste; and (4) outright extermination. For each of the following sentences, write the correct word or expression from the pair in parentheses. Douglas first swam alone in the pool to remove his residual doubts about his fear of water. His story, an instant best seller, succeeded in confirming his veracity, but at the cost of attracting greatly intensified attention from fugitive slavecatchers. Search where you will, there is no country on the globe where labor is so respected and the laborer so honored, as in this country.[47], This, too, was a corollary of Douglasss non-exceptionalism principle. They are struggling with the counterclaim (counterargument) and refutation (rebuttal) as these are new Standards for seventh graders. Education empowers people to make good decisions and paves a future that provides opportunities. II, pp. To be deprived of the vote in America, or in any democracy, he continued, is to suffer a double injustice. This seemingly contrarian hopefulness was no mere exercise in morale-boosting. how does douglass refute this counterclaim? Douglass never tired of quoting the lines of Byron to this effect: Who would be free, themselves must strike the blow. To the end, he held strongly to the principle that he stressed in an 1855 editorial: our elevation as a race, is almost wholly dependent upon our own exertions.[55]. The evils which are now crushing the Negro to earth have their root and sap, their force and mainspring, in this narrow spirit of race and color and the Negro has no more right to excuse or to foster it than men of any other race. What counterclaim does Douglass address in his dpeech in From what to the slave is the 4th of July? In fact, weve already writtenour argumentative essays on whether Phoebe was a good friend to Sal. Of course the writing prompt is a bit more complex. Yet, while Douglass narrative describes in vivid detail his experiences of life as a slave, what Douglass intends for his readers to grasp after reading his narrative is something much more profound. [7] I develop this argument at length in Frederick Douglass: Race and the Rebirth of American Liberalism (Lawrence, Kan.: University Press of Kansas, 2008). You're going to need to support your claim to get rid of that crummy, old, obsolete phone that's holding you back. Douglass states that "scorching irony, not convincing argument, is needed." She has something to say against your claim that you need a new cell phone, and it goes something like, 'No, you don't.'. An effective argumentative essay will bring up counterclaims for two reasons: Bringing up counterclaims provides the author with a sense . how does douglass refute this counterclaim? If the author's claim is that organ selling should be legalized, an example of an effective counterclaim would be that organ selling should not be legalized because it can drive up the cost of organ transplants, meaning that only the rich could afford to receive a transplant. In The Blessings of Slavery, by George Fitzhugh he states that southern slaves for the most part are the freest and happiest people in the world. Who can reason on such a proposition? Douglass made these particular remarks in a speech at the dedication of an industrial education institution in the state of Virginia, but they represent an extension of his broader advocacy, in this period, of a federally established system of public schools. Evidence - something that proves the truth of a claim, or leads to a . He understands that education is his only way out of slavery. Including using the example of Joseph and his brothers, as well as the Israelites being slaves in Egypt. A claim of fact (or a factual claim) is a claim arguing that something is or is not true. If you've ever said this or something like it, you've made a claim. I was a man now.[9]. 790, 795797. He is set free, in an educational sense. He claims that African Americans like himself have been denied the freedom that the holiday supports. A reason makes someone care and tells the importance of the claim and the argument. While this quote is from a credible source (Carolina Justice Policy Center) and provides factual evidence, the evidence is not relevant to the specific claim and reasoning provided. The overall claim for an essay is also known as the thesis and can be found in the introduction of the essay. Why, or why not? I, ed. -he wishes he could present a speech that was positive for the people. [4] Thurgood Marshall, Speech at the Annual Seminar of the San Francisco Patent and Trademark Law Association, May 6, 1987, at http://www.thurgoodmarshall.com/speeches/constitutional_speech.htm (November 8, 2010). Human nature cannot honor one who is helpless, Douglass had observed long before, but it is bound to respect those who display a forceful, virtuous self-reliance. I, p. 311. Visiting Scholar, 2016-17 Visiting Fellow in American Political Thought, Frederick Douglasss America: Race, Justice, and the Promise of the Founding, Presidents Day Reflections on George Washingtons American Character, http://www.americanrhetoric.com/speeches/wjclintonmemphis.htm, http://www.thurgoodmarshall.com/speeches/constitutional_speech.htm, http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/doughtml/doughome.html. -I have learned that African Americans have always been bullied and degraded by others, and they didn't get their freedom in the US until the mid 19th century, A discussion of a controversial or debatable issue, A particular belief, conclusion, or point of view. the debate over slavery? Two key components of an argumentative essay are the reasons and evidence. He not only. Children would be separated from their mothers before they were twelve months in age-Frederick too was separated from his mother. [17] Douglass, Speech on the Dred Scott Decision, May 11, 1857, in Life and Writings, Vol. 'My friends that have Internet access make the Honor Roll.'. The prostrate form, the uncovered head, the cringing attitude, the bated breath, the suppliant, outstretched hand of beggary does not become an American freeman, and does not become us as a class, and we will not consent to be any longer represented in that position. [43] Douglass, Property in Soil and Property in Man, November 18, 1848, in Life and Writings, Vol. Douglass discovers that a slave was set free by persuading his master, and as a result, this information makes Douglass an avid learner. Covey as an event that "revived within me a sense of my own manhood". So, there you have it - the four parts of an argument: claims, counterclaims, reasons, and evidence. In a widely publicized speech commemorating the Constitutions bicentennial, Marshall asserted that in its infamously pro-slavery ruling in Dred Scott v. Sandford (1857), the Supreme Court merely reaffirmed the prevailing opinion of the Framers regarding the rights of Negroes in America. He claimed that Chief Justice Roger Taney, writing for the Court in that case, had accurately described the Founders views when he alleged that in the Founders day, black Americans, had for more than a century before been regarded as beings of an inferior order, and altogether unfit to associate with the white raceand so far inferior, that they had no rights which the white man was bound to respect; and that the Negro might justly and lawfully be reduced to slavery for his benefit. [43] True abolition and true liberation, in Douglasss understanding, required the restoration of slaves property rights, not the elimination of all others property. Through his knowledge, he learns more about his situation and potential. It made of Americans one glorious and homogeneous people (as Douglass said of the Emancipation Proclamation)[30] and elevated America to its rightful place among nations as exemplar of the humanitarian spirit of the age. Under its influence, the tender heart became stone, and the lamblike disposition gave way to one of tigerlike fierceness" (page 28). https://www.facebook.com/groups/sorliteracyhub, Create Decodable Text with Artificial Intelligence, FREE Diagnostic Reading and ELA Assessments. For example, This evidence may be true; however, the objection does not change the fact that, 2. Note that every step of the argument is supported by credible evidence. What did Frederick Douglass oppose? : Rowman & Littlefield, 2001), chapter 1. Criticizethe reasoning of the counterclaimas being flawed, illogical, or biased. 1. Douglasss great cause was integration, and his great theme was hopefulnessrationally grounded hopefulnessin Americas capacity to secure justice for all, irrespective of race, color, sex, or creed. A counterclaim is the argument (or one of the arguments) opposing your thesis statement. So he labored on in those years, cherishing the memory of Lincoln in part for his own, personal reasons and calling his fellow citizens also to venerate the Great Emancipator that they might be bound ever more firmly to the great cause for which he and so many loyal citizens had died: to bring forth out of the terrible war a renewed nation, reconceived in liberty and rededicated to the proposition that all men are created equal. In Ch. The climactic reversal in his youth came when he resolved to resist, and successfully resisted, a cruel slavemasters attempt to whip him. IV, p. 68. [15] Douglass, What to the Slave Is the Fourth of July? in Douglass Papers, Vol. Body--The body of a five-paragraph essay is three paragraphs. Posted on June 22, 2022 by June 22, 2022 by Pick the best evidence to support the opposing point of view. ete the task. But in 1804 the North voted to abolish slavery but the South refused making states escape the union.Slavery in the South had an effect on the economy, but also on the slaves.Frederick Douglass, who was once a slave with his family in Maryland suffered greatly, but still pushed on and finally escaped and became a national leader of the abolition in the south movement.He made a narrative about his life as a slave and stated that the purpose of the narrative is to throw light on the American slave system.The goal of this paper is to discuss three aspects his narrative discusses that he throws light on, his position against the feelings of defenders of, The Narratives of the Life of Frederick Douglass is the story of Frederick Douglass life from the time he was born into slavery, to the time he escaped to freedom in the north. The specific nature of slaverys worst wrongs, however, suggested a more definite approach. This deep, Lockean insight, which he shared, once again, with Americas Founders, moved Douglass to defend the natural right of property against errors and attacks from divergent positions. [6] James Madison, Speech of June 6, 1787, in Records of the Federal Convention of 1787, Vol. Latest answer posted August 20, 2009 at 11:51:14 PM. Then, it's time for your evidence, which, again, you have thoughtfully and thoroughly prepared. Writing Revision: How to Fix Mistakes in Your Writing, AEPA English Language Arts (NT301): Practice & Study Guide, AEPA Middle Grades English Language Arts (NT201): Practice & Study Guide, Common Core ELA Grade 8 - Literature: Standards, 10th Grade English: Homework Help Resource, 11th Grade English: Homework Help Resource, Study.com ACT® Test Prep: Help and Review, Study.com ACT® Test Prep: Tutoring Solution, 11th Grade English Curriculum Resource & Lesson Plans, 12th Grade English Curriculum Resource & Lesson Plans, Common Core ELA Grade 7 - Speaking & Listening: Standards, Create an account to start this course today. It is a dream deeply rooted in the American dream. At the center of Kings dream was the hopeful expectation that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creedwe hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equaland that all men, yes black men as well as white men, would be guaranteed the unalienable rights of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.[1]. "What is Frederick Douglass's overall claim in The Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass? The reasoning is the logic used to prove a claim. [If] the Negro cannot stand on his own legs, let him fall. His embrace of the arguments of the rival political abolitionist school freed him to involve himself in politics, and his increasing political activism through the 1850s and into the Civil War years eventually brought him face to face with President Abraham Lincolnfirst in the role of harshly critical petitioner and later, after the Emancipation Proclamation and the deepening of their acquaintance, as Lincolns valued adviser and friend. As he gathered his energies to prepare yet another lecture on the imperative of equal justice for all, he suffered a sudden heart attack or stroke and died on February 20, 1895. how does douglass refute this counterclaim? Douglasss sometimes stern emphasis on the virtues of self-reliance and self-elevation does not mean that he had grown insensitive to the magnitude of the difficulties yet to be overcome; nor does it mean that he had resorted to blaming the victim or placing exclusive responsibility on the freedpeople for their condition. The implication was that the agitation that abolitionists had begun could never be finally pacified until slavery was finally abolished. The power of education was also a key argument in The Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, but it was not an argument with a consistent meaning. James Madison, the commonly acknowledged Father of the Constitution, in a speech at the Constitutional Convention denounced slavery grounded in the mere distinction of colour as the most oppressive dominion ever exercised by man over man.[6] Likewise, Thomas Jefferson, the principal author of the Declaration of Independence, in his original draft of that document denounced slavery (not only the slave trade) as a cruel war against human naturean institution creating and depending on a market, he emphasized to excite outrage in his readers, where MEN should be bought & sold. All the major figures of the Founding forwarded similar denunciations of slavery. Copyright 2009-2023 Pennington Publishing. on his farm recently because of a lack of water, so he decides to research how many acres of farm land were lost in his area during the last extended drought. Evidence is sourced facts, statistics, data, or quoted experts the author uses to provide factual support for their claims and reasoning. For Douglass as for Abraham Lincoln, America was, after all, the last, best hope of Earth.[62]. 556, 569. An effective argumentative essay utilizes the following four components of an argument: The claim is the author's central argument that they are trying to persuade the audience to believe. A great deal is at stake in this critique, and it demands a clear, forthright response: These charges against the Founders are false as well as pernicious. In your argument for a new cell phone, your mom stands on the other side. [37] Ibid., pp. Every nation, owing to its peculiar character and composition, has a definite mission in the world, Douglass observed in 1869, but Americas mission, clearer than ever in the aftermath of the war, marks it as exceptional. work!!! What evidence does he use to support his claim?" We must not beg men to do for us what we ought to do for ourselves. OR. [62] Abraham Lincoln, Annual Message to Congress, December 1, 1862, in Abraham Lincoln: His Speeches and Writings, ed. Writing before slaves were freed in the United States, Douglass' main objective in the Narrative is to dispel any notion that slavery is good for those enslaved. The reasons can also be thought of as the "why" behind a claim. Central to the question of the wars larger moral legacy was the fate of those with whom he peculiarly identified: those lately emancipated. Addressing a womens rights convention in 1868, Douglass made the point simply and bluntly: If the elective franchise is not extended to the negro, he dieshe is exterminated.[39], Moreover, as the voting right was an imperative of justice, it was also, Douglass argued, a powerful agency for the cause of integration. Introduction--The introduction of a five-paragraph essay is one paragraph. IV, p. 253. I explain Douglasss argument more elaborately in Frederick Douglass, pp. : Da Capo Press, 2001), p. 688. Dont pick a straw man. In other words, dont pick a weak opposing argument that is too easy to refute. Douglass, was an African American writer, abolitionist, and so much more, but before any of this, he was a slave. With the election of the first Republican President in 1860, Douglasss hopeful predictions would soon be vindicated, but this was not what he initially expected of an Abraham Lincoln Administration. The propensity of the latter, he warned, was to foster an enervating spirit of alienationa perpetual longing for some mighty revolution, diverting and dissipating the energies of those who harbored it.[59]. Various options can be effective: 1. but his relative moderation in this proposal is certainly in keeping with his classical-liberal respect for property rights, along with his longtime concern to sustain and strengthen a spirit of virtuous self-reliance among black Americans. Max Farrand (New Haven: Yale University Press, 1911), p. 135. Douglass' primary claim in his narrative is that a nation predicated upon individual freedom cannot allow slavery to exist. Common Core ELA Grade 8 - Writing: Standards, Writing Arguments: CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.8.1, How to Support Your Claims in Writing With Reasoning and Evidence, Psychological Research & Experimental Design, All Teacher Certification Test Prep Courses. But his Do nothing with us! rhetoric, oversimplified for emphasis, has been misunderstood by critics who read it literally as a denial of public obligation and a justification of public indifference toward the freedpeople.