The self-written account of the life of Frederick Douglass, an American slave, is a powerful book in many ways. Douglass invites you to vicariously witness the monstrous atrocities experienced during the antebellum period; a time when said atrocities were not only encouraged, but were greatly appreciated. Throughout his story, Douglass expresses his exponentially growing anger and fortitude. When the reader gets to the Appendix, it soon becomes much more apparent that the vice of slavery that bothers him most is the curtain of pseudo-Christianity that surrounds it. Why did Douglass, against the advice of his publisher, decide to include this radical piece? Douglass was adamant about including the Appendix so he could show the ignorance under the veil of American Christianity and the subsequent level of power that came with adhering to his beliefs. American Christianity in Douglass' time was completely different from what is considered Christianity today. During the antebellum period in America, the country's thoughts were changing dramatically. Escaping religious persecution was a key consideration in many minds when they chose to come to America and thus it became a bubbling melting pot of multiple thoughts and ideals. The European Protestant, Roman Catholic, and African American religions were forced to intermingle, and the unique qualities of each were especially useful in establishing personal validity (Fox 201, 202). After the American Revolution, most Republicans argued that churches “brandished superstitious dogma and mysteries that kept people in the dark about the rational capacities of their minds” (Fox 159). On the other hand, “some Republicans are so… middle of paper… wickedness of their situation. “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites!” (Douglass 77). Douglass's words are addressed to the master, the lover, the auctioneer, the slave preacher, the government: the hypocrite, but above all to his brothers and sisters in handcuffs. Works Cited Douglass, Frederick. An account of the life of Frederick Douglass, an American slave, written by himself. Eds. Andrews, William L. & McFeely, William S. New York: Norton and Company, 1997. Print.Douglass, Frederick. “American Slavery.” Finsbury Chapel, Moorfields, England. May 22, 1846. Report of a public meeting. Retrieved from http://find.galegroup.com.ezproxy.uky.edu/sas/infomark.do. Speech.Fox, Richard Wightman. Jesus in America A story. New York: HarperCollins, 2004. Print.Moynahan, Brian. Faith History of Christianity. New York: Doubleday, 2002. Print.