100+ Frederick Douglass Quotes

A man is worked upon by what he works on. He may carve out his circumstances, but his circumstances will carve him out as well.
FREDERICK DOUGLASS

Carve Circumstance Man Work
I had as well be killed running as die standing.
FREDERICK DOUGLASS

Die Inspirational Kill One Liner Run Stand
The marriage institution cannot exist among slaves, and one sixth of the population of democratic America is denied it’s privileges by the law of the land.
FREDERICK DOUGLASS

Country Democracy Deny Existence Institution Land Law Marriage Privilege Slave
Every one of us should be ashamed to be free while his brother is a slave.
FREDERICK DOUGLASS

Brother Freedom Shame Slave
At a time like this, scorching irony, not convincing argument, is needed.
FREDERICK DOUGLASS

Argument Convince Iron Need Time
Our community belongs to us and whether it is mean or majestic, whether arrayed in glory or covered in shame, we cannot but share its character and destiny.
FREDERICK DOUGLASS

Array Character Community Cover Destiny Glory Majestic Shame Share
We may explain success mainly by one word and that word is work.
FREDERICK DOUGLASS

Motivational Success Words Work
A battle lost or won is easily described, understood, and appreciated, but the moral growth of a great nation requires reflection, as well as observation, to appreciate it.
FREDERICK DOUGLASS

Appreciation Battle Describe Grwoth Lost Moral Nation Observation Patriotism Reflection Requirement Understand Win
Where justice is denied, where poverty is enforced, where ignorance prevails, and where any one class is made to feel that society is an organized conspiracy to oppress, rob and degrade them, neither persons nor property will be safe.
FREDERICK DOUGLASS

Class Force Ignorance Justice Poverty Prevail Property Safe Society
Nature has given woman the same powers, and subjected her to the same earth, breathes the same air, subsists on the same food, physical, moral, mental and spiritual. She has, therefore, an equal right with man, in all efforts to obtain and maintain a perfect existence.
FREDERICK DOUGLASS

Air Earth Existence Nature Perfection She Spiritual Women Power
The white man’s happiness cannot be purchased by the black man’s misery.
FREDERICK DOUGLASS

Black Black Lives Matter Happiness Man Purchase White
The thing worse than rebellion is the thing that causes rebellion.
FREDERICK DOUGLASS

Cause Rebel Worse
A man’s character always takes its hue, more or less, from the form and color of things about him.
FREDERICK DOUGLASS

Character Color Man
A man’s rights rest in three boxes: the ballot box, the jury box, and the cartridge box.
FREDERICK DOUGLASS

Box Man Rights
A little learning, indeed, may be a dangerous thing, but the want of learning is a calamity to any people.
FREDERICK DOUGLASS

Dangerous Indeed Knowledge Learning People Slave
Truth is proper and beautiful in all times and in all places.
FREDERICK DOUGLASS

Beautiful Deep Place Proper Time Truth
The soul that is within me no man can degrade.
FREDERICK DOUGLASS

Degrade Man One Liner Soul
One and God make a majority.
FREDERICK DOUGLASS

God Majority One Liner
The ballot is the only safety.
FREDERICK DOUGLASS

Ballot One Liner Safety
A slave is someone who sits down, and waits for someone to free them.
FREDERICK DOUGLASS

Slave Wait
The struggle may be a moral one, or it may be a physical one, or it may be both. But it must be a struggle.
FREDERICK DOUGLASS

Hard Time Moral Physical Struggle
I will give Mr. Freeland the credit of being the best master I ever had, till I became my own master.
FREDERICK DOUGLASS

Credit Master Respect Teacher
A man, at times, gets something for nothing, but it will, in his hands, amount to nothing.
FREDERICK DOUGLASS

Amount Hand Man Time
I know of no rights of race superior to the rights of humanity.
FREDERICK DOUGLASS

Humanity Race Rights Superior
The man who is right is a majority. He who has God and conscience on his side, has a majority against the universe.
FREDERICK DOUGLASS

Against Conscience God Majority Man Universe
No man can put a chain about the ankle of his fellow man without at last finding the other end fastened about his own neck.
FREDERICK DOUGLASS

Fellow Finding Man Neck Philosophy
If there is no struggle, there is no progress.
FREDERICK DOUGLASS

Inspirational One Liner Progress Struggle

Frederick Douglass Quotes

Famous American writers