narrative if the life of frederick douglass

He speculated that his father was the plantation master, but he never had any proof.įred Bailey, as everyone called him, was about seven years old when his mother died, and soon after that he was given to Lucretia Auld, who sent him to serve her brother-in-law, Hugh Auld in Baltimore and his wife, Sophia, who was the first to teach him to start to read and write, until her husband forbade her.Īfter seven years of relative good treatment as a domestic slave in Baltimore, Bailey was sent to a plantation to work in the fields and subjected to brutal treatment. ( Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, chapter X) Brief bioįrederick Douglass was born Frederick Augustus Washington Bailey to Harriet Bailey, a slave woman, and an unknown white father, probably in February 1818. He must be able to detect no inconsistencies in slavery he must be made to feel that slavery is right and he can be brought to that only when he ceases to be a man. It is necessary to darken his moral and mental vision, and, as far as possible, to annihilate the power of reason.

For the rest of his life, Douglass continued to speak out against slavery, becoming famous for his impassioned speeches and incredible life story.I have found that, to make a contented slave, it is necessary to make a thoughtless one.

Douglass initially fled the country, but returned when his supporters raised the funds to secure his status as a free man. Ten years later, that daring escape was almost for naught when the release of his book brought him attention that could have led to his recapture. Once he was sold to a slaveholder known for his cruelty, Douglass risked his life to escape north, disguised as a free Black sailor. His autobiography, published in 1845, maps out his life story in vivid, often heartbreaking detail.Īfter learning the alphabet from a slaveholder’s wife, Douglass covertly learned to read with the help of some white children in town. Frederick Douglass, an enslaved man, went on to become one of the most celebrated freedom fighters in U.S. The 19th century’s most photographed man. Award-winning actor Jeffrey Wright narrates the autobiography of one of the most famous abolitionists in U.S.

Narrative if the life of frederick douglass