In the annals of American history, slavery was a dark time. Although many abhorred the practice of slavery, few had the courage to proclaim its depravity. In the autobiography of Frederick Douglass (1845/1995), Account of the Life of Frederick Douglass, the author addresses the horrors of slavery and clearly exposes the condition of his fellow slaves. Frederick Douglass wrote his account of the mistreatment of slaves in order to expose the fallacy of the economic argument for slavery and to condemn the hypocrisy of Southern Christian slave owners. Douglass's work revealed how slaves were treated as if they had no value or rights. as human beings. Many times during his life, Douglass witnessed the cruel beatings of his fellow slaves. One such example is when Douglass' aunt Hester was whipped and beaten until she bled profusely (Douglass, 1845/1995, p. 4-5). The cruelty displayed during this event was not uncommon in the slave world. Although it seemed inhumane, Southern slave owners placed no value on the lives of their many slaves. While it is not possible to know the real feelings of these men, it is possible to speculate about the motivation behind their actions. What Southern plantation owners knew was that their profitability and income depended entirely on the productivity of their slaves. Therefore, strict guidelines and severe penalties for non-compliance were imperative to ensure the success of their operations. What slave owners failed to consider, however, was the well-being and feelings of the workers. This greed for money was most likely what kept them from believing that their slaves had real feelings and needs. Therefore, some of...... middle of paper ......Southern Christian slave owners. He exposed how Christianity was only a disguise to hide the sin and corruption of their true character and how it was used to justify their actions. Although he was uncertain of Douglass's religious beliefs, it is evident that he was adamantly opposed to the error of religion in the South. Even in the face of great opposition, Frederick Douglass worked faithfully for the abolitionist cause. He worked to shine a light on the oppression of his brothers and sisters in slavery in an effort to reveal the misunderstood financial benefits of slavery and to expose the deceptive Christianity of Southern slave owners. Douglass's work provided insight into the misunderstood lives of slaves and the ambiguous lives of Christian slave owners in the South and helped provide positive momentum for the abolitionist movement..