Final answer:
Frederick Douglass's reference to the 'obvious tendencies of the age' denotes the dominant social and political currents of his time, such as the fight against slavery, pursuit of literacy, advocacy for abolition, and the quest for civil and political rights that were faced with entrenched resistance in a period marked by immense racial inequality.
Step-by-step explanation:
When Frederick Douglass refers to the obvious tendencies of the age, he is highlighting the prevalent attitudes, movements, and sociopolitical trends of his era, particularly regarding slavery and race relations. Douglass alludes to the incremental progress toward humanitarian values and the struggle against the institution of slavery, acknowledging the interconnectedness of oppressors and the oppressed. He emphasizes the dual harm caused by slavery to the moral fabric of both the enslaved and the slaveholders, and points to the broader societal implications, such as the clamor for the asserting of rights and the fight for literacy and education, amidst a culture resistant to such changes.
Douglass observes the ironies in a 'Christian country' that justifies the enslavement and dehumanization of a whole race of people, where teaching a slave to read is considered an 'unpardonable offense'. He underscores the cultural and political shifts influenced by landmark events such as the Haitian revolution and other examples of Black resistance and intellect, like the formation of the African Church in America or the advocacy of abolitionists. These all serve to demonstrate the conflict between an ideal of ultimate freedom and the reality of widespread oppression and the struggle for rights.