Frederick Douglass’s Narrative: Myth of the Happy Slave

The firsthand accounts of what it was like to be an enslaved person in the mid-1800s riveted a nation and the issue ultimately led to civil war. Using excerpts from Frederick Douglass's autobiography, budding historians examine what it was like to be enslaved and build argumentation skills by identifying elements of logos, ethos, and pathos in his writing. Extension activities include writing an analytical essay and listening to songs from enslaved people to identify similar strategies.