Question

What argument is Douglass making when he says, “You close your colleges and seminaries against us, and then ask why we don’t know more”?

Answer 1

Answer:

The argument Douglass making when he says: “You close your colleges and seminaries against us, and then ask why we don’t know more”

Is that the authorities and the social actors in charge of making decisions committed illogical actions to their objectives and statements because by closing the colleges and seminaries to African Americans they were responsible for the education and literacy gap between them and the no African Americans.

Explanation:

First of all, I need to explain the context here. Frederick Douglass, as you might know, was an abolitionist. Thus, he was very critic and reflexive about society and the environment of the African Americas. In our case, he was being rhetorical to the ones in positions of influence and authority for asking why African Americans were illiterate or ignorant when they forbade them to have access to learning and educative opportunities.