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The Autobiography of Frederick Douglass
by Erin Cavallaro |
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Background
In the Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, Douglass describes his arduous journey from slavery to freedom. In doing so, he provides a detailed account about slaves’ everyday lives that enlightens his readers to the realities of slavery. Though there are many passages of note, one that is particularly powerful comes at the end of Chapter 2, when Douglass discusses the slaves’ singing. These few paragraphs correct the common misunderstanding that slaves sang to express their joy, as Douglass stresses repeatedly that “[s]laves sing most when they are most unhappy.” In fact, not only did these spirituals serve as an outlet for slaves’ anguish, but they also allowed slaves to express their devotion to God, to praise the democratic ideals to which they were not yet privy, and to pass along messages hidden within the songs. After the abolition of slavery, spirituals remained a part of American music, and many of them, such as “Swing Low, Sweet Chariot,” continue to be sung today. In addition, spirituals served as an influence in the ever-evolving landscape of American music, and elements of slaves’ songs remain prevalent in music today.
Objectives
- Students will be able to understand and identify slaves’ purpose in singing spirituals.
- Students will be able to identify common characteristics of spirituals.
- Students will be able to use primary or secondary sources to analyze the history of spirituals.
- Students will be able to critically analyze the effect of spirituals on modern music.
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