What Did They Have in Common?

What Did They Have in Common?A lot of people get this question, 'Frederick Douglass and Abraham Lincoln, what did they have in common?' In this essay, I will explore the similarities between these historical figures and try to answer the question, 'What did they have in common?' The most common answer is something like, they both believed in self-sufficiency. That sounds right but, I think what really makes them special is their willingness to speak truth to power. I will use Frederick Douglass' life as an example.I think you can draw some of the same conclusions as you see in Frederick Douglass' life. Like Douglass, Lincoln had worked long and hard to achieve his goals in life and he realized that things were not going to be easy. He had been unsuccessful in a couple of past attempts and he was no longer willing to take the failures personally.He was not a 'lover of success' and when things did not go his way, he took it personally. He had been successful at some jobs and those jobs helped him to be financially stable. He was not willing to give up on himself. His spirit was strong, and he felt that he would succeed at anything he put his mind to. He was also willing to be a catalyst for change.When he challenged others for how they were treating their slaves, many people were offended, especially if the people were on the upper levels of society. Lincoln came down hard on these people for their behavior and he made them feel ashamed. He was also the first president to live with a family of slaves.Many people were able to look at Lincoln's behavior with admiration. He was not afraid to challenge those in power. That is another thing that separates Frederick Douglass from Abraham Lincoln.Douglass was a man who lived in the big city. He had always had more access to power than others. He did not believe that slavery was a problem and he felt that all was well. He also believed that things would change for the better so he was not willing to speak out about injus tice.He, like Lincoln, was not afraid to speak the truth to power. Many in power have refused to hear and believe the truth in this country. They are trying to silence those who challenge their power and authority.We have not heard the truth from the past generations. So it is up to each of us to speak truth to power and no one is silenced. We need to continue to create a nation where we can all believe in the goodness of our nation.