The Radical and the Republican

Although he lived briefly in England and even turned down English citizenship, Frederick Douglass often referred to being an alien in his own country. Still, he strove to become an American citizen. Why do you think that it was so important for Douglass to be seen an American reformer and not just a reformer in general?

In many places throughout The Republican and the Radical, Oakes cites how both Lincoln’s and the Republican’s opposition to slavery stemmed from an economic argument, namely that it deprived African-Americans of the fruits of their labor and not because they saw blacks as being the equals of whites. What is your opinion on this? Doesn’t being able to work equally with others imply equality?

Myth-making is something that often occurs when we look back on historical figures; however, Douglass was a contemporary of Lincoln who then helped to lionize him after his death. Why do you think Douglass was so ready to relinquish many of his former criticism of Lincoln to build him up as an almost saintly figure?

Compromise is one of the founding fundamentals of Democratic government; without compromise, it either cannot function or becomes a dictatorship. However, it is clear that the Southern states did not wish to compromise on slavery. Should they have been allowed to exit the Union without issue, as this was the “will of the people”? Why or why not?

Give specific examples where Frederick Douglass’s positions contradict themselves. How did Douglass support these inconsistencies in his platform?

It can be argued that the culture of the North and the culture of the South were completely different. Often today, Cultural Relativism states that it is impossible for one culture to comment or critique another because they are all inherently different and formed by different foundational ideas. By this modern reasoning, did the North have the right to “impose” its culture violently on the South, or should it have just let slavery slowly die out at some point in time?

Based on his statements and writings, what do you think Frederick Douglass would say about the current political climate and the state of race relations in the modern United States?

How is dissent and difference of opinion good for Democratic government—especially if it often causes a democracy to move much more slowly than other forms of governments, like monarchies or dictatorships—in enacting changes to social policy?