The roots of slavery go back more than two thousand years. With such a long history, many debates have arisen regarding the definition of slavery. Frederick Douglass, a former slave in the American South, proposed a definition of the term "slave" at a conference. He declared: “The slave is a human being, deprived of all rights – reduced to the level of a brute… By law, a slave has neither wife, nor children, nor country, nor home…” (“The Nature of slavery). One might wonder how treating a person in this way could be tolerated. In order to successfully convince a society that it is acceptable to enslave a group of innocent people, it needed to justify its legitimacy. Their excuses, however, mean nothing when used to oppress a strong abolitionist leader. In his book Inhuman Bondage, David Brion Davis examines methods of bestialization, dehumanization, and racism as steps toward legitimizing slavery. As Frederick Douglass rose to prominence within the abolitionist movement, he discarded each of these rationalizations. His actions, rebelling against his "master", starting a family and becoming a leader, contradict the justification for slavery. When examining the steps taken by the American people to legitimize the slavery of African Americans, it becomes evident that Frederick Douglass is at odds with their explanations (Davis). Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get an original essay A first step in the legitimization of slavery is the bestialization 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, discussing the value of a tamed animal. This brings us to the discussion of African Americans. He says, “These people are slaves by nature, and it is better that they should be subject to this kind of control” (Davis 33-34). Aristotle literally speaks of these people in terms of agricultural working animals. He goes on to affirm the difference between the body of a slave and that of a free man. Aristotle says: “Nature must therefore have intended to make the bodies of free men and those of slaves different equally; bodies of slaves strong for the services they must render…” (Davis 33-34). Aristotle's words express racism towards people of African descent. He groups cattle, oxen, horses and slaves together, saying 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 as livestock. He writes: “I now saw, in my situation, several points of similarity with that of the oxen. They were property, so was I; they had to be broken, so did I” (Douglass 212). Sometimes 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 entrusted to him. He says, “I remembered my commitment to stand up in my own defense…I was resolved to fight” (Douglass 242). He is not broken because he uses his fury to defend himself; he says, “The madness of combat had taken hold of me, and I found my strong fingers fastened firmly to the throat of my cowardly tormentor” (Douglass 242). While at first he rejects his life as a slave and fights against his oppressors, he encounters many setbacks along the way. His ultimate rise from his life as an animal is accomplished thanks to his education. By learning to read, write and speak, hebreaks with his bestialization and fights the slavery system. The dehumanization of African Americans also contributed to the legitimization of slavery. Indeed, slaves were “deprived of precisely those traits and faculties which are prerequisites for human dignity, respect, and honor” (Davis 29). Many slaves were provided with little clothing and no sanitation facilities; it stole their pride. Even the most basic human relationship, that of mother and child, has been taken away from them. Douglass was taken from his mother after his birth so she could return to work; he was left with his grandmother to be raised alongside his biological siblings. At the beginning of the book, there is often talk of beatings from those close to him. However, as the story progresses, there is no further allusion 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. Perhaps this is the very essence of dehumanization” (Davis 37). Douglass had no past, no history, no permanent group to connect with, no home. However, he overcame this problem. While living in Baltimore, he met a woman; after escaping, he found her. He says, “My future wife, Anna, arrived 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 kept him in power and became the head of his family. Thus, he regained “his human dignity, his respect and his honor” (Douglass). Racism, of course, was another facet of the legitimization of slavery. Due to a strongly racist ideology, slaves were considered part of an inferior human class. Academically, prominent figures have publicly announced their negative views of African Americans. The philosopher Immanuel Kant wrote: “The Negroes of Africa have not received from nature any intelligence that rises above fools” (Kant). Through this quote, it can be inferred that society believed that slaves were mentally inadequate and incapable of rising above it. This is ironic, given that Douglass is recounting Mr. Auld's fear of slaves being educated. As he scolds his wife for teaching Douglass to read, he expresses his fear that the slaves will learn enough to realize they can rebel. It is obvious that they were concerned about the power of slaves and the extent of their abilities. Indeed, Kant's contemporary, David Hume, shared similar racist beliefs. He said: “I am inclined to suspect blacks, and in general all other kinds of men, of being naturally inferior to whites” (Hume). The belief that African Americans were physically and psychologically inferior to whites was a generally accepted belief. As Frederick Douglass attempted to obtain employment after escaping slavery, for example, he was denied work as a calker 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 a fraction of the wages of white men, he did not settle down. He joined the abolitionist movement and wrote in newspapers against slavery. After joining Mr. Garrison, Douglass spent a lot of time..