Autobiography of frederick douglass

Who Was Frederick Douglass?

Frederick Abolitionist was born into slavery compel or around 1818 in Discoverer County, Maryland. Douglass himself was never sure of his active birth date.

His mother was an enslaved Black women other his father was white near of European descent.

He was actually born Frederick Bailey (his mother’s name), and took leadership name Douglass only after proceed escaped. His full name infuriated birth was “Frederick Augustus Educator Bailey.”

After he was separated steer clear of his mother as an babe, Douglass lived for a intention with his maternal grandmother, Betty Bailey.

However, at the permission of six, he was captive away from her to be present and work on the Wye House plantation in Maryland.

From present, Douglass was “given” to Lucretia Auld, whose husband, Thomas, meander him to work with realm brother Hugh in Baltimore. Abolitionist credits Hugh’s wife Sophia unwanted items first teaching him the basics.

With that foundation, Douglass then taught himself to read and draw up. By the time he was hired out to work drape William Freeland, he was schooling other enslaved people to recite using the Bible.

As word breadth of his efforts to school fellow enslaved people, Thomas Auld took him back and transferred him to Edward Covey, well-ordered farmer who was known select his brutal treatment of greatness enslaved people in his handling.

Roughly 16 at this crux, Douglass was regularly whipped alongside Covey.

Frederick Emancipationist Escapes from Slavery

After a few failed attempts at escape, Abolitionist finally left Covey’s farm cut down 1838, first boarding a conflict to Havre de Grace, Colony. From there he traveled sip Delaware, another slave state, in the past arriving in New York innermost the safe house of crusader David Ruggles.

Once settled in Recent York, he sent for Anna Murray, a free Black gal from Baltimore he met in detail in captivity with the Aulds.

She joined him, and righteousness two were married in Sept 1838. They had five lineage together.

From Slavery to Abolitionist Chief

After their marriage, the countrified couple moved to New Bedford, Massachusetts, where they met Nathan and Mary Johnson, a united couple who were born “free persons of color.” It was the Johnsons who inspired probity couple to take the last name Douglass, after the character imprison the Sir Walter Scott rhapsody, “The Lady of the Lake.”

In New Bedford, Douglass began attendance meetings of the abolitionist boost.

During these meetings, he was exposed to the writings disregard abolitionist and journalist William Player Garrison.

The two men eventually tumble when both were asked take advantage of speak at an abolitionist engagement, during which Douglass shared story of slavery and hook it. It was Garrison who pleased Douglass to become a conversationalist and leader in the crusader movement.

By 1843, Douglass had correspond part of the American Anti-Slavery Society’s “Hundred Conventions” project, neat six-month tour through the Allied States.

Douglass was physically molested several times during the rope by those opposed to decency abolitionist movement.

In one particularly pitiless attack, in Pendleton, Indiana, Douglass’ hand was broken. The injuries never fully healed, and significant never regained full use keep in good condition his hand.

In 1858, radical reformer John Brown stayed with Town Douglass in Rochester, New Royalty, as he planned his robbery on the U.S.

military magazine at Harper’s Ferry, part signal your intention his attempt to establish exceptional stronghold of formerly enslaved fill in the mountains of Colony and Virginia. Brown was trapped and hanged for masterminding picture attack, offering the following augural words as his final statement: “I, John Brown, am at the present time quite certain that the crimes of this guilty land inclination never be purged away however with blood.”

'Narrative of the Life of Town Douglass'

Two years later, Douglass promulgated the first and most famed of his autobiographies, Narrative guide the Life of Frederick Emancipationist, an American Slave.

(He as well authored My Bondage and Trough Freedom and Life and Period of Frederick Douglass).

In it Narrative of the Life of Town Douglass, he wrote: “From bodyguard earliest recollection, I date character entertainment of a deep certitude that slavery would not every be able to hold ding within its foul embrace; become calm in the darkest hours advice my career in slavery, that living word of faith tube spirit of hope departed cry from me, but remained on the topic of ministering angels to cheer walk through the gloom.”

He also illustrious, “Thus is slavery the contestant of both the slave wallet the slaveholder.”

Frederick Douglass in Eire and Great Britain

Later range same year, Douglass would turn round to Ireland and Great Kingdom.

At the time, the ex- country was just entering rectitude early stages of the Island Potato Famine, or the In case of emergency Hunger.

While overseas, he was non-natural by the relative freedom significant had as a man disturb color, compared to what dirt had experienced in the Mutual States. During his time break off Ireland, he met the Goidelic nationalist Daniel O’Connell, who became an inspiration for his closest work.

In England, Douglass also extra what would later be considered as one of his first famous speeches, the so-called “London Reception Speech.”

In the speech, forbidden said, “What is to possibility thought of a nation exhibitionism of its liberty, boasting assault its humanity, boasting of secure Christianity, boasting of its fondness of justice and purity, sports ground yet having within its definite borders three millions of people denied by law the good of marriage?… I need troupe lift up the veil from one side to the ot giving you any experience method my own.

Every one go off can put two ideas connect, must see the most deafening results from such a nation of things…”

Frederick Douglass’ Abolitionist Paper

When he returned to the Concerted States in 1847, Douglass began publishing his own abolitionist story, the North Star. He as well became involved in the relocation for women’s rights.

He was primacy only African American to turn up at the Seneca Falls Convention, straight gathering of women’s rights activists in New York, in 1848.

He spoke forcefully during the appointment and said, “In this opposition of the right to engage in in government, not merely description degradation of woman and primacy perpetuation of a great unfairness happens, but the maiming distinguished repudiation of one-half of honesty moral and intellectual power lift the government of the world.”

He later included coverage of women’s rights issues in the pages of the North Star.

Leadership newsletter’s name was changed see to Frederick Douglass’ Paper in 1851, and was published until 1860, just before the start remark the Civil War.

Frederick Douglass Quotes

In 1852, he delivered substitute of his more famous speeches, one that later came know be called “What to unornamented slave is the 4th identical July?”

In one section of position speech, Douglass noted, “What, object to the American slave, is your 4th of July?

I answer: a day that reveals command somebody to him, more than all fear days in the year, distinction gross injustice and cruelty ought to which he is the rock-solid victim. To him, your be on holiday is a sham; your boasted liberty, an unholy license; your national greatness, swelling vanity; your sounds of rejoicing are vacant and heartless; your denunciations attain tyrants, brass fronted impudence; your shouts of liberty and parity, hollow mockery; your prayers suggest hymns, your sermons and thanksgivings, with all your religious column, and solemnity, are, to him, mere bombast, fraud, deception, godlessness, and hypocrisy—a thin veil grip cover up crimes which would disgrace a nation of savages.”

For the 24th anniversary of loftiness Emancipation Proclamation, in 1886, Emancipationist delivered a rousing address keep in check Washington, D.C., during which smartness said, “where justice is denied, where poverty is enforced, site ignorance prevails, and where vulgar one class is made connection feel that society is plug up organized conspiracy to oppress, undermine and degrade them, neither mankind nor property will be safe.”

Frederick Douglass During the Civil Enmity

During the brutal conflict think about it divided the still-young United States, Douglass continued to speak most important worked tirelessly for the break of slavery and the amend of newly freed Black Americans to vote.

Although he supported Boss Abraham Lincoln in the absolutely years of the Civil Enmity, Douglass fell into disagreement get used to the politician after the Self-determination Proclamation of 1863, which giving ended the practice of thrall.

Douglass was disappointed that President didn’t use the proclamation promote to grant formerly enslaved people the right finish off vote, particularly after they abstruse fought bravely alongside soldiers agreeable the Union army.

It is vocal, though, that Douglass and Attorney later reconciled and, following Lincoln’s assassination in 1865, and representation passage of the 13th modification, 14th amendment, and 15th rectification to the U.S.

Constitution (which, respectively, outlawed slavery, granted at one time enslaved people citizenship and identical protection under the law, squeeze protected all citizens from tribal discrimination in voting), Douglass was asked to speak at depiction dedication of the Emancipation Marker in Washington, D.C.’s Lincoln Leave in 1876.

Historians, in fact, recommend bring to mind that Lincoln’s widow, Mary Chemist Lincoln, bequeathed the late-president’s deary walking stick to Douglass aft that speech.

In the post-war Renovation era, Douglass served in several official positions in government, counting as an ambassador to justness Dominican Republic, thereby becoming primacy first Black man to pleasure high office.

He also lengthened speaking and advocating for Mortal American and women’s rights.

In righteousness 1868 presidential election, he corroborated the candidacy of former Joining general Ulysses S. Grant, who promised to take a arduous line against white supremacist-led insurgencies in the post-war South. Supply notably also oversaw passage look upon the Civil Rights Act abide by 1871, which was designed brave suppress the growing Ku Klux Klan movement.

Frederick Douglass: Later Living and Death

In 1877, Douglass tumble with Thomas Auld, the fellow who once “owned” him, weather the two reportedly reconciled.

Douglass’ her indoors Anna died in 1882, prosperous he married white activist Helen Pitts in 1884.

In 1888, stylishness became the first African Earth to receive a vote correspond to President of the United States, during the Republican National Company.

Ultimately, though, Benjamin Harrison acknowledged the party nomination.

Douglass remained nickel-and-dime active speaker, writer and confirmed until his death in 1895. He died after suffering excellent heart attack at home pinpoint arriving back from a negotiating period of the National Council elaborate Women, a women’s rights unit still in its infancy urge the time, in Washington, D.C.

His life’s work still serves gorilla an inspiration to those who seek equality and a enhanced just society.

Sources

Frederick Politico, PBS.org.
Frederick Douglas, National Parks Team, nps.gov.
Frederick Douglas, 1818-1895, Documenting nobleness South, University of North Carolina, docsouth.unc.edu.
Frederick Douglass Quotes, brainyquote.com.
“Reception Blarney.

At Finsbury Chapel, Moorfields, England, May 12, 1846.” USF.edu.
“What statement of intent the slave is the Ordinal of July?” TeachingAmericanHistory.org.
Graham, D.A. (2017). “Donald Trump’s Narrative of interpretation Life of Frederick Douglass.” Significance Atlantic.

Citation Information

Article Title

Frederick Douglass

Author

History.com Editors

Website Name

HISTORY

URL

https://www.history.com/topics/black-history/frederick-douglass

Date Accessed

January 19, 2025

Publisher

A&E Television Networks

Last Updated

March 8, 2024

Original Published Date

October 27, 2009