What did being an American mean to Douglass and what did he do to mold Essay

What did being an American mean to Douglass and what did he do to mold himself into an American - Essay Example For him America was a nation with great potentiality and it was hindered by slavery and racism. The black females were tortured and abused by white masters which were not an ideal characteristic of an American citizen according to Douglass. The American need not harm others to achieve any benefit. Being an American means giving justice to all and working towards goodness of others. According to Douglass, mutual co – operation and harmony were qualities an American need to possess. He thought being an American means to fight against slavery and suppression. Being an American means to have good education and knowledge. As per (Douglass) â€Å"Once you learn to read, you will be forever free.† Being American means having freedom to live learn and work. For Douglass, an American needs to see each other as a part of a family and care for each other. An American needs to struggle in order to progress. The moral and physical struggle should be an identity of a true American. According to ( Douglass) â€Å" If there is not struggle there is no progress† America being a Christian dominant country needs to work towards a peaceful and impartial society. He wants an American where there is no corruption, slavery, women – abusing, hypocrisy and impartiality. For him an American means one with justice, prosperity, knowledge and equality. For Douglass being an American means to fight for justice, liberty, truth and humanity. To be an American one need to reform the existing evils in the country. He wanted to be an American who could make political changes in the country and abolish slavery. An American would be one who advocates for the right of every man and woman. The first step taken by Douglass to mold to be an American was to get educated. Education made him knowledgeable and confident. To become a true American he resisted slavery and racism. He stood for himself and his race and fought for