The noun institution also refers to a long held custom or practice in society. What institution is Douglass referencing in the following quote?

Its sympathy for my brethren in bonds—its scathing denunciations of slaveholders—its faithful exposures of slavery—and its powerful attacks upon the upholders of the institution—sent a thrill of joy through my soul, such as I had never felt before!

Seal can  mean a stamp that may be placed on a document to show that the document is official and authentic. And, if you want to make sure that your document is safe in its envelope, you might need to seal (make tight) the envelope with some tape. What does Douglass mean by seal my fate?

I felt assured that if I failed in this attempt, my case would be a hopeless one—it would seal my fate as a slave forever.

Match the phrases to their likely meaning.

To be seized with means to be paralyzed, overcome, or strongly affected by something. "He became seized with a coughing fit and couldn't speak for a full two minutes."

Unscramble the sentence below where Douglass speaks of feelings that overcame him.

Liable can mean “likely,” usually with something unpleasant: "If you don't brush your teeth, they're liable to fall out." When liable means "likely," it's with "to": "If you build your house on that cliff, it's liable to fall into the river." Unscramble the sentence below where Douglass speaks about what is likely to happen to him

There I was in the midst of thousands, and yet a perfect stranger; without home and without friends, in the midst of thousands of my own brethren—children of a common Father, and yet I dared not to unfold to any one of them my sad condition. I was afraid to speak to any one for fear of speaking to the wrong one, and thereby falling into the hands of money-loving kidnappers, whose business it was to lie in wait for the panting fugitive, as the ferocious beasts of the forest lie in wait for their prey. In the midst of plenty, yet suffering the terrible gnawing of hunger—in the midst of houses, yet having no home—among fellow–men, yet feeling as if in the midst of wild beasts, whose greediness to swallow up the trembling and half famished fugitive is only equaled by that with which the monsters of the deep swallow up the trembling and half-famished fish upon which they subsist [...]

What is the main effect of Douglass’s repeated structure “in the midst of ___, yet ___” in this passage? 

Match the examples to their description.

Babysitting rascally kids for hours can be the ______________ experience.

If you're talking about a punishment, the weather, or how bad your flu is and you want to say how bad it is, you might say...

The tiniest adjustment be described as the...

Douglass might say: The two futures of slavery and freedom were ___________ before me, until I finally made my choice.

Douglass might say: I ________ took up the task of addressing my white audience.

Douglass might say: It is difficult to ________ understand the hardships a slave goes through, unless you experience them yourself.

From that time until now, I have been engaged in pleading the cause of my brethren—with what success, and with what devotion, I leave those acquainted with my labors to decide.

What does Douglass’s statement suggest about how he feels about his achievements? 

Match the adjectives to their meaning.