The roots of slavery date back more than two thousand years. With such a long history, many discussions have arisen regarding the definition of slavery. Frederick Douglass, being a former slave from the American South, offered a definition of the term “slave” during a lecture. It stated: "The slave is a human being, deprived of all rights, reduced to the level of a brute... By law, a slave has no wife, no children, no country, no home..." ("The Nature of slavery”). One might wonder how treating a person in this way could be condoned. To successfully convince a society that it was acceptable to enslave a group of innocent people, it was necessary to justify their excuses. however, they are irrelevant when used to oppress a strong abolitionist leader. In his book Inhuman Bondage, David Brion Davis examines the methods of beastization, dehumanization, and racism as steps toward legitimizing slavery. he ignored each of the rationalizations. His actions, rebelling against his “master,” starting a family, and becoming a leader, contradict the justification of slavery. After examining the measures taken by the American people to legitimize the enslavement of African Americans, it becomes clear that Frederick Douglass conflicts with their explanations (Davis). Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay A first step in legitimizing slavery is the beastization of the individuals to be enslaved. Society aligns the domestication of wild animals with the “domestication” of African American slaves. David Brion Davis examines this topic through quotes from Aristotle, while discussing the value of a domesticated animal. This leads to the discussion about African Americans. He says, “these men are slaves by nature, and it is better for them to be subject to this kind of control” (Davis 33-34). Aristotle literally discusses these people in terms of agricultural work animals. He goes on to state the difference between the body of a slave and that of a free man. Aristotle says: «Nature must therefore have wanted to make the bodies of free men and slaves different; slave bodies strong for the services they must perform…” (Davis 33-34). Aristotle's words express racism towards people of African descent. He lumps together cattle, oxen, horses, and slaves, saying that all should be treated like wild animals. They must be tamed and used by the white man for their physical abilities. As a slave, Douglass was classified among livestock. He writes: “Now I saw, in my situation, several points of similarity with that of the oxen. They were property, and so was I; they had to be broken, and so was I” (Douglass 212). At times he may feel reduced to another man's property, but he uses the fire of his emotions. He rebels against his “owner” and refuses the position assigned to him. He says, “I remembered my promise to stand up for myself…I was determined to fight” (Douglass 242). He is not destroyed as he uses his fury to defend himself; he says, “Fighting madness had come upon me, and I found my strong fingers fastened firmly upon the throat of my cowardly tormentor” (Douglass 242). Although he initially rejects his life as a slave and fights his oppressors, he encounters many obstacles along the way. His definitive ascension from the life of an animal occurs through his education. By learning to read, write and speak, he distances himself from his bestialization and fights the system of slavery. The dehumanization ofAfrican Americans also contributed to the legitimization of slavery. Indeed, slaves were “deprived of precisely those traits and faculties which are prerequisites to human dignity, respect, and honor” (Davis 29). Many slaves were provided with little clothing and no sanitary facilities; this robbed them of their pride. Even the most basic human relationship, from mother to child, has been taken away from them. Douglass was taken from his mother after birth so he could return to work; he was left with his grandmother to grow up alongside his biological siblings. At the beginning of the book it is often mentioned that his relatives were beaten. As the story progresses, however, there are no more allusions to his family. He is sent alone to different plantations, without social ties or home. Davis states: “This absence of a past and a future, of a place in history and society from which to grow in small increments, made each slave totally vulnerable. This may be the very essence of dehumanization” (Davis 37). Douglass had no past, no history, no permanent group to connect with, and no home. He, however, overcame this problem. While living in Baltimore, he met a woman; after escaping, he is reunited with her. He says, “my future wife, Anna, came from Baltimore, and in the presence of Mrs. Mitchell and Mr. Ruggles, we were married by the Rev. James W. C. Pennington” (Douglass 341). With nothing to hold on to, he created his own past, present and future. Douglass and Anna later had two children. He rejected the dehumanization that held him back, becoming the head of his family. Thus, he regained his “human dignity, respect and honor” (Douglass). Racism, of course, was another aspect of slavery's legitimation. Through a highly racist ideology, slaves were believed to be part of an inferior human class. Academically, prominent figures have publicly announced their negative views of African Americans. The philosopher Immanuel Kant wrote: “The blacks of Africa have not received from nature any intelligence that rises above the fools” (Kant). Through this quote, it can be deduced that society considered slaves mentally insufficient and incapable of overcoming this limit. This is ironic, considering that Douglass recounts Mr. Auld's fear of the slaves being educated. As he berates his wife for teaching Douglass to read, he expresses fear that the slaves will learn enough to realize that they can rebel. It is evident that they were concerned about the power of the slaves and the extent of their abilities. Indeed, Kant's contemporary, David Hume, held similar racist beliefs. He stated: “I am inclined to suspect that the negroes, and in general all other species of men, are naturally inferior to the whites” (Hume). The belief that African Americans were physically and psychologically inferior to whites was a generally accepted belief. When Frederick Douglass attempted to gain employment after escaping slavery, for example, he was denied work as a caulker because of the color of his skin. The white men threatened to leave if he worked alongside him. Yet Douglass did not allow this mentality to persist. Although he worked as a laborer, earning fractions of white men's wages, he did not settle down. He joined the abolitionist movement and wrote in newspapers against slavery. After joining Mr. Garrison, Douglass spent much time speaking out against slavery. In doing so, he proved to the world that he was equal to any man who would listen to him. Using his skills as a speaker, he worked to break down the racism that held him back; in this Douglass worked for..