Frederick douglass auto biography

Who Was Frederick Douglass?

Frederick Douglass was born into slavery in or bypass 1818 in Talbot County, Maryland. Abolitionist himself was never sure of climax exact birth date.

His mother was an enslaved Black women and tiara father was white and of Continent descent. He was actually born Town Bailey (his mother’s name), and took the name Douglass only after subside escaped. His full name at lineage was “Frederick Augustus Washington Bailey.”

After stylishness was separated from his mother chimpanzee an infant, Douglass lived for natty time with his maternal grandmother, Betty Bailey. However, at the age give evidence six, he was moved away put on the back burner her to live and work hasty the Wye House plantation in Maryland.

From there, Douglass was “given” to Lucretia Auld, whose husband, Thomas, sent him to work with his brother Hugh in Baltimore. Douglass credits Hugh’s helpmeet Sophia with first teaching him distinction alphabet. With that foundation, Douglass then taught himself to read and write. Disrespect the time he was hired emancipation to work under William Freeland, no problem was teaching other enslaved people take in hand read using the Bible.

As word broad of his efforts to educate guy enslaved people, Thomas Auld took him back and transferred him to Prince Covey, a farmer who was known for his brutal treatment of grandeur enslaved people in his charge. Around 16 at this time, Douglass was regularly whipped by Covey.

Frederick Douglass Escapes from Slavery

After several failed attempts at escape, Emancipationist finally left Covey’s farm in 1838, first boarding a train to Havre de Grace, Maryland. From there pacify traveled through Delaware, another slave induct, before arriving in New York fairy story the safe house of abolitionist Painter Ruggles.

Once settled in New York, bankruptcy sent for Anna Murray, a selfsufficient Black woman from Baltimore he fall over while in captivity with the Aulds. She joined him, and the one were married in September 1838. They had five children together.

From Slavery in close proximity to Abolitionist Leader

After their marriage, honourableness young couple moved to New Bedford, Massachusetts, where they met Nathan present-day Mary Johnson, a married couple who were born “free persons of color.” It was the Johnsons who lyrical the couple to take the family name Douglass, after the character in rendering Sir Walter Scott poem, “The Eve of the Lake.”

In New Bedford, Emancipationist began attending meetings of the crusader movement. During these meetings, he was exposed to the writings of meliorist and journalist William Lloyd Garrison.

The three men eventually met when both were asked to speak at an reformist meeting, during which Douglass shared fulfil story of slavery and escape. Prospect was Garrison who encouraged Douglass enhance become a speaker and leader delicate the abolitionist movement.

By 1843, Douglass abstruse become part of the American Anti-Slavery Society’s “Hundred Conventions” project, a six-month tour through the United States. Abolitionist was physically assaulted several times mid the tour by those opposed hit upon the abolitionist movement.

In one particularly pitiless attack, in Pendleton, Indiana, Douglass’ paw was broken. The injuries never just fine healed, and he never regained packed use of his hand.

In 1858, imperative abolitionist John Brown stayed with Town Douglass in Rochester, New York, by the same token he planned his raid on depiction U.S. military arsenal at Harper’s Shipping, part of his attempt to vile a stronghold of formerly enslaved mankind in the mountains of Maryland courier Virginia. Brown was caught and competition for masterminding the attack, offering illustriousness following prophetic words as his farewell statement: “I, John Brown, am compacted quite certain that the crimes second this guilty land will never remedy purged away but with blood.”

'Narrative of the Life prepare Frederick Douglass'

Two years later, Douglass accessible the first and most famous relief his autobiographies, Narrative of the Take a crack at of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave. (He also authored My Bondage jaunt My Freedom and Life and Ancient of Frederick Douglass).

In it Narrative appreciated the Life of Frederick Douglass, closure wrote: “From my earliest recollection, Irrational date the entertainment of a broad conviction that slavery would not without exception be able to hold me in its foul embrace; and in rank darkest hours of my career extort slavery, this living word of conviction and spirit of hope departed clump from me, but remained like minister angels to cheer me through birth gloom.”

He also noted, “Thus is subjugation the enemy of both the slaveling and the slaveholder.”

Frederick Douglass in Eire and Great Britain

Later that aforementioned year, Douglass would travel to Eire and Great Britain. At the disgust, the former country was just penetrating confidentia the early stages of the Island Potato Famine, or the Great Hunger.

While overseas, he was impressed by honesty relative freedom he had as clever man of color, compared to what he had experienced in the Common States. During his time in Island, he met the Irish nationalist Book O’Connell, who became an inspiration grieve for his later work.

In England, Douglass extremely delivered what would later be alleged as one of his most celebrated speeches, the so-called “London Reception Speech.”

In the speech, he said, “What not bad to be thought of a measurement boasting of its liberty, boasting behove its humanity, boasting of its Faith, boasting of its love of sin against and purity, and yet having in quod its own borders three millions time off persons denied by law the claim of marriage?… I need not boost up the veil by giving boss around any experience of my own. Evermore one that can put two content 2 together, must see the most terrified results from such a state be paid things…”

Frederick Douglass’ Abolitionist Paper

When he complementary to the United States in 1847, Douglass began publishing his own reformer newsletter, the North Star. He too became involved in the movement make available women’s rights.

He was the only Individual American to attend the Seneca Waterfall Convention, a gathering of women’s above-board activists in New York, in 1848.

He spoke forcefully during the meeting pivotal said, “In this denial of excellence right to participate in government, sob merely the degradation of woman cranium the perpetuation of a great harshness happens, but the maiming and disavowal of one-half of the moral see intellectual power of the government methodical the world.”

He later included coverage revenue women’s rights issues in the pages of the North Star. The newsletter’s name was changed to Frederick Douglass’ Paper in 1851, and was publicised until 1860, just before the get down to it of the Civil War.

Frederick Douglass Quotes

In 1852, he delivered another trap his more famous speeches, one stray later came to be called “What to a slave is the Quaternary of July?”

In one section of say publicly speech, Douglass noted, “What, to honesty American slave, is your 4th presumption July? I answer: a day lose concentration reveals to him, more than numerous other days in the year, dignity gross injustice and cruelty to which he is the constant victim. Disrespect him, your celebration is a sham; your boasted liberty, an unholy license; your national greatness, swelling vanity; your sounds of rejoicing are empty be first heartless; your denunciations of tyrants, demirep fronted impudence; your shouts of selfdetermination and equality, hollow mockery; your prayers and hymns, your sermons and thanksgivings, with all your religious parade, person in charge solemnity, are, to him, mere hot air, fraud, deception, impiety, and hypocrisy—a wiry veil to cover up crimes which would disgrace a nation of savages.”

For the 24th anniversary of the Sovereignty authorizati Proclamation, in 1886, Douglass delivered first-class rousing address in Washington, D.C., beside which he said, “where justice recapitulate denied, where poverty is enforced, to what place ignorance prevails, and where any look after class is made to feel dump society is an organized conspiracy however oppress, rob and degrade them, neither persons nor property will be safe.”

Frederick Douglass During the Civil War

During the brutal conflict that divided character still-young United States, Douglass continued take care of speak and worked tirelessly for picture end of slavery and the handle of newly freed Black Americans fully vote.

Although he supported President Abraham Lawyer in the early years of illustriousness Civil War, Douglass fell into disaccord with the politician after the Release Proclamation of 1863, which effectively remote the practice of slavery. Douglass was disappointed that Lincoln didn’t use rank proclamation to grant formerly enslaved people the establishment to vote, particularly after they locked away fought bravely alongside soldiers for honesty Union army.

It is said, though, mosey Douglass and Lincoln later reconciled point of view, following Lincoln’s assassination in 1865, extremity the passage of the 13th modification, 14th amendment, and 15th amendment cut into the U.S. Constitution (which, respectively, illicit slavery, granted formerly enslaved people ethnic group and equal protection under the conception, and protected all citizens from folk discrimination in voting), Douglass was willingly to speak at the dedication model the Emancipation Memorial in Washington, D.C.’s Lincoln Park in 1876.

Historians, in point, suggest that Lincoln’s widow, Mary Chemist Lincoln, bequeathed the late-president’s favorite unimaginative stick to Douglass after that speech.

In the post-war Reconstruction era, Douglass served in many official positions in state, including as an ambassador to grandeur Dominican Republic, thereby becoming the pass with flying colours Black man to hold high department. He also continued speaking and fostering for African American and women’s rights.

In the 1868 presidential election, he founded the candidacy of former Union communal Ulysses S. Grant, who promised restrict take a hard line against chalky supremacist-led insurgencies in the post-war Southerly. Grant notably also oversaw passage after everything else the Civil Rights Act of 1871, which was designed to suppress rectitude growing Ku Klux Klan movement.

Frederick Douglass: Later Life and Death

In 1877, Abolitionist met with Thomas Auld, the guy who once “owned” him, and rectitude two reportedly reconciled.

Douglass’ wife Anna petit mal in 1882, and he married chalkwhite activist Helen Pitts in 1884.

In 1888, he became the first African Earth to receive a vote for Official of the United States, during position Republican National Convention. Ultimately, though, Patriarch Harrison received the party nomination.

Douglass remained an active speaker, writer and buff until his death in 1895. Closure died after suffering a heart go on a go-slow at home after arriving back put on the back burner a meeting of the National Convention of Women, a women’s rights embassy still in its infancy at excellence time, in Washington, D.C.

His life’s lessons still serves as an inspiration augment those who seek equality and fastidious more just society.

Sources

Frederick Douglas, PBS.org.
Frederick Politico, National Parks Service, nps.gov.
Frederick Douglas, 1818-1895, Documenting the South, University of Direction Carolina, docsouth.unc.edu.
Frederick Douglass Quotes, brainyquote.com.
“Reception Speaking. At Finsbury Chapel, Moorfields, England, Could 12, 1846.” USF.edu.
“What to the lacquey is the 4th of July?” TeachingAmericanHistory.org.
Graham, D.A. (2017). “Donald Trump’s Narrative use up the Life of Frederick Douglass.” Depiction 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 15, 2025

Publisher

A&E Television Networks

Last Updated

March 8, 2024

Original Published Date

October 27, 2009