As a New Bedford Motorcycle Accident Attorney, I am proud that Frederick Douglass chose our community as his home.
New Bedford is home to the historical figure Frederick Douglass, the most famous African-American of his time. Frederick Douglass was a runaway slave who became a famous abolitionist. When he settled in New Bedford in 1838, Douglass was less concerned with fame and more with making a life for himself and his new wife.
After escaping from slavery, Douglass became a leader of the abolitionist movement, gaining notoriety for his oratory and antislavery writing. He stood as a living counter-example to slaveholders’ arguments that slaves did not have the intellectual capacity to function as independent American citizens. Many Northerners found it very hard to believe that such a great orator had been a slave.
Douglass remained active in the United States’ struggle to reach its potential as a “land of the free” and actively supported women’s suffrage. Douglass was such a great leader that even without approval from much of the nation, he became the first African American nominated for Vice President of the United States on the small Equal Rights Party ticket. In his lifetime, Douglass held multiple public offices.
Frederick Douglass was a firm believer in the equality of all people, whether a person was black, female, Native American, or a recent immigrant. He was famously quoted as saying, “I would unite with anybody to do right and with nobody to do wrong”.
As a New Bedford Motorcycle Accident Attorney I strive to embody some the same admirable qualities of Douglass.
Douglass’s Life In New Bedford
Douglass writes in great detail about the life and times of New Bedford in the late 1840s in his celebrated autobiography. One of the things that struck Douglass about New Bedford was the high standard of living that people enjoyed in the town. Douglass pointed out that people in the laboring class often enjoyed a better lifestyle than many of the slave-owners that he witnessed in the south.
A second striking quality of New Bedford for Douglass was the amount of racial tolerance. New Bedford had great character early-on that makes me, as a New Bedford motorcycle attorney, feel proud. New Bedford was the home to many Quakers, some of slavery’s most outspoken opponents. Quakers played a large role in the town’s affairs. As a result of this, much of their racial tolerance could be seen throughout the town.
The Nathan and Polly Johnson Properties
As a motorcycle lawyer in New Bedford MA, I would definitely recommend stopping by the Nathan and Polly Johnson properties. These historic buildings and monuments are dedicated to Douglass.
These properties are now an official national landmark dating all the way back to the 1820’s. The Johnsons were free African-Americans, and Quakers, who helped many runaway slaves escape to freedom by running a meetinghouse. They sheltered many runaways (including Frederick Douglass) by using the underground railroad.
Over the years the properties have been restored and are now the home to the New Bedford Historical Society.
New Bedford’s Thriving Community
Frederick Douglass was not the only fugitive slave or freedman to see New Bedford as a welcoming place to settle. New Bedford had a small but thriving African-American community during the antebellum period. The city was home to a number of members of the 54th Massachusetts Regiment, an American Civil War regiment which fought-with great distinction-to preserve the Union. The 54th Massachusetts was the first regiment in the country’s history formed entirely by African-American troops (who served with white officers).
New Bedford Motorcycle Safety
At the Kevin P Landry Law Offices we believe motorcycle riders have equal rights to the road. As a town that was founded on the basis of equality, New Bedford embraces the many motorcyclists that live in our community.
But it is important that you keep the safety precautions in your mind before you head out on a ride. The first step to safety is wearing the right gear. First and foremost as a New Bedford motorcycle accident attorney I recommend that you always wear a helmet. A full-face helmet provides the most protection. Thirty-five percent of all crashes show major impact on the chin-bar area.
Goggles and helmet visors are also important pieces of safety equipment. Eye protection in particular is extremely important- an insect or a kicked-up pebble in the eye at high speed has enough momentum to cause significant damage. Such an event could easily cause the rider to lose control and crash. Besides this danger, squinting into the wind is unpleasant at best and watering eyes are quite distracting.
Jackets are also a source of security. Jackets are generally made from leather, ballistic nylon, Kevlar or other synthetics. Most jackets include special padding on elbows, spine and shoulders. Airbag system technology is now available fitted to jackets and vests for accident protection and impact protection for riders.
Wearing the right gear is one of the easiest ways to increase your safety. It is common for gloves, jackets, pants, and boots to be outfitted with hard plastics on probable contact areas to help ensure that when a motorcyclist contacts the ground, his clothing will permit him to slide relatively easily as opposed to “crumpling”- risking injury to body parts being stressed in abnormal directions.
The Best New Bedford Motorcycle Lawyer
Even if you take all of the appropriate precautions, motorcycle accidents are still extremely common in New Bedford and throughout New England.
Motorcycle rider deaths are nearly thirty times more common than drivers of other vehicles (https://www.nhtsa.gov/).
If you or a loved one suffers a motorcycle accident in New Bedford, south east Massachusetts or Rhode Island be sure to call us. You’ll speak to someone who understands your case, and knows how to navigate the Rhode Island and Massachusetts court systems.
As always, consultations are 100% free. We do not get paid until you get paid.
Our motorcycle accident lawyers are available to meet with you at your home, in the hospital or at one of our convenient locations throughout SE Massachusetts and Rhode Island.
