A Research Proposal: Slavery and Education - Historical Perspective

This report presents a research proposal that examines the historical relationship between slavery and education, drawing on Frederick Douglass's narrative as a primary source. The proposal aims to investigate the incompatibility of slavery and education by analyzing the challenges faced by enslaved people in their pursuit of literacy and the broader impact of slavery on educational opportunities. The research will involve a review of secondary sources, including research papers, journals, and books, to explore the experiences of African Americans and other groups who suffered from slavery. The goal is to provide insights into the historical context of slavery and its effects on education, with the potential to inform contemporary discussions about inequality and access to education. The research will delve into the specific conditions faced by enslaved individuals and how their circumstances affected their ability to gain access to education. The proposal also intends to highlight the ongoing relevance of these historical issues in the present day, where various forms of oppression continue to impact educational attainment.

Research Proposal
To determine the compatibility between Slavery and Education
Student
[Pick the date]

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To determine the compatibility between Slavery and Education
Frederick Douglass has written an autobiography called “The Narrative of the Life of Frederick
Douglass”. In that book, he has mentioned clearly that the slavery and education are
incompatible with each other (Douglass, 2000). The reason that he has given for this is, that in
his entire life, he has constantly been oscillating between an intense desire to become literate and
educated and giving up hope altogether. He felt that his desire to learn to read was a curse on him
rather than a blessing or a true wish. Each time to thought of become a literate person, his slavery
came into picture and reminded him of the wretched condition in which he was living. He felt
that slavery was a pit in which he was fallen and he could not find a ladder to come out of it.
Acquiring education was a constant battle for him which was very unlike to other people for
whom getting educated was no big deal because they were not the sufferers of slavery. Even
when he continued to battle for gaining education, his miserable condition did not improve
because he started understanding the hopelessness of the situation that he was facing and he
started realizing the pain of the other slaves.
Not only this, the condition of African Americans was also very bad in terms of slavery and
education. They continuously fought for education due to the slavery in which they were living.
This shows that the issue of slavery and education had a great impact on our history and it may
still be persisting in many societies. Therefore, it needs to be examined.
The paper seeks to review the literature that talks about the various characteristics and features of
the slavery from which the people suffered in the past and its impact on the education that they
got or did not get. The reasons due to which people suffered from slavery and lack of education
will also be discussed after reviewing the history and the literature related to this problem. The

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entire research will be based on the secondary sources that will include research papers, journals,
websites, publications, and books containing the information about the various groups of people
who suffered from the worst form of slavery like the African Americans. Also, the level of
education that they desired and the level which they actually got (or did not get) will be
discussed in the paper.
The research will give an insight to the public and the other researchers about the slavery that the
people faced in the past and the way in which it was related to their education. They should
know about how the people in the past have suffered from this serious problem and they will also
be able to determine the compatibility between Slavery and Education. The research can also be
applied to the present scenario where many people are the slaves and they are still living in worst
of the conditions with lack of even the basic things of life.

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Reference:
Douglass, F., 2000. Narrative of the life of Frederick Douglass, an American slave. Random
House Digital, Inc..