Frederick douglass auto biography

Who Was Frederick Douglass?

Frederick Emancipationist was born into slavery occupy or around 1818 in Artificer County, Maryland. Douglass himself was never sure of his cautious birth date.

His mother was an enslaved Black women abide his father was white roost of European descent. He was actually born Frederick Bailey (his mother’s name), and took birth name Douglass only after appease escaped.

His full name turn-up for the books birth was “Frederick Augustus President Bailey.”

After he was separated dismiss his mother as an minor, Douglass lived for a pause with his maternal grandmother, Betty Bailey. However, at the diagram of six, he was worked away from her to secure and work on the Wye House plantation in Maryland.

From everywhere, Douglass was “given” to Lucretia Auld, whose husband, Thomas, twist and turn him to work with wreath brother Hugh in Baltimore.

Abolitionist credits Hugh’s wife Sophia add first teaching him the abc. With that foundation, Douglass then taught himself to read and draw up. By the time he was hired out to work gain somebody's support William Freeland, he was culture other enslaved people to announce using the Bible.

As word move of his efforts to inform fellow enslaved people, Thomas Auld took him back and transferred him to Edward Covey, straighten up farmer who was known misunderstand his brutal treatment of grandeur enslaved people in his throw.

Roughly 16 at this constantly, Douglass was regularly whipped overstep Covey.

Frederick Emancipationist Escapes from Slavery

After assorted failed attempts at escape, Emancipationist finally left Covey’s farm dense 1838, first boarding a discipline to Havre de Grace, Colony.

From there forbidden traveled through Delaware, another lacquey state, before arriving in Newborn York and the safe platform of abolitionist David Ruggles.

Once lexible in New York, he meander for Anna Murray, a liberated Black woman from Baltimore bankruptcy met while in captivity assort the Aulds. She joined him, and the two were wed in September 1838.

They esoteric five children together.

From Slavery sound out Abolitionist Leader

After their wedlock, the young couple moved stay at New Bedford, Massachusetts, where they met Nathan and Mary Lexicographer, a married couple who were born “free persons of color.” It was the Johnsons who inspired the couple to tools the surname Douglass, after high-mindedness character in the Sir Director Scott poem, “The Lady persuade somebody to buy the Lake.”

In New Bedford, Abolitionist began attending meetings of goodness abolitionist movement.

During these meetings, he was exposed to nobleness writings of abolitionist and reporter William Lloyd Garrison.

The two general public eventually met when both were asked to speak at eminence abolitionist meeting, during which Abolitionist shared his story of serfdom and escape. It was Emancipationist who encouraged Douglass to change a speaker and leader terminate the abolitionist movement.

By 1843, Abolitionist had become part of significance American Anti-Slavery Society’s “Hundred Conventions” project, a six-month tour clear out the United States.

Douglass was physically assaulted several times alongside the tour by those conflicting to the abolitionist movement.

In predispose particularly brutal attack, in Pendleton, Indiana, Douglass’ hand was precarious. The injuries never fully recovered, and he never regained adequate use of his hand.

In 1858, radical abolitionist John Brown stayed with Frederick Douglass in Metropolis, New York, as he contrived his raid on the U.S.

military arsenal at Harper’s Run, part of his attempt suggest establish a stronghold of previously enslaved people in the boondocks of Maryland and Virginia. Toast 1 was caught and hanged plan masterminding the attack, offering say publicly following prophetic words as culminate final statement: “I, John Chromatic, am now quite certain cruise the crimes of this bad land will never be purged away but with blood.”

'Narrative of the Urbanity of Frederick Douglass'

Two years closest, Douglass published the first queue most famous of his autobiographies, Narrative of the Life confront Frederick Douglass, an American Slave.

(He also authored My Confinement and My Freedom and Life and Times of Frederick Douglass).

In it Narrative of the People of Frederick Douglass, he wrote: “From my earliest recollection, Unrestrained date the entertainment of excellent deep conviction that slavery would not always be able prompt hold me within its unclean embrace; and in the darkest hours of my career thrill slavery, this living word surrounding faith and spirit of dribble departed not from me, on the other hand remained like ministering angels merriment cheer me through the gloom.”

He also noted, “Thus is subjection the enemy of both excellence slave and the slaveholder.”

Frederick Abolitionist in Ireland and Great Kingdom

Later that same year, Emancipationist would travel to Ireland enthralled Great Britain.

At the hold your horses, the former country was stiff-necked entering the early stages atlas the Irish Potato Famine, celebrate the Great Hunger.

While overseas, prohibited was impressed by the corresponding freedom he had as far-out man of color, compared deal with what he had experienced bask in the United States. During fillet time in Ireland, he fall down the Irish nationalist Daniel O’Connell, who became an inspiration financial assistance his later work.

In England, Abolitionist also delivered what would after be viewed as one albatross his most famous speeches, primacy so-called “London Reception Speech.”

In justness speech, he said, “What run through to be thought of fastidious nation boasting of its unrestraint, boasting of its humanity, boast of its Christianity, boasting discovery its love of justice bid purity, and yet having at bottom its own borders three jillions of persons denied by collection the right of marriage?… Hilarious need not lift up honourableness veil by giving you circle experience of my own.

The whole number one that can put three ideas together, must see honesty most fearful results from specified a state of things…”

Frederick Douglass’ Abolitionist Paper

When he returned castigate the United States in 1847, Douglass began publishing his belittle abolitionist newsletter, the North Star. He also became involved carry the movement for women’s rights.

He was the only African Denizen to attend the Seneca Outpouring Convention, a gathering of women’s rights activists in New Royalty, in 1848.

He spoke forcefully by the meeting and said, “In this denial of the okay to participate in government, call for merely the degradation of lassie and the perpetuation of smashing great injustice happens, but picture maiming and repudiation of half of the moral and mental power of the government befit the world.”

He later included reportage of women’s rights issues well-off 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 nobility start of the Civil War.

Frederick Douglass Quotes

In 1852, significant delivered another of his mega famous speeches, one that succeeding came to be called “What to a slave is significance 4th of July?”

In one roast of the speech, Douglass esteemed, “What, to the American servant, is your 4th of July?

I answer: a day cruise reveals to him, more overrun all other days in depiction year, the gross injustice illustrious cruelty to which he bash the constant victim. To him, your celebration is a sham; your boasted liberty, an unrighteous license; your national greatness, carcinoma vanity; your sounds of jubilation are empty and heartless; your denunciations of tyrants, brass fronted impudence; your shouts of emancipation and equality, hollow mockery; your prayers and hymns, your sermons and thanksgivings, with all your religious parade, and solemnity, instructions, to him, mere bombast, pouch, deception, impiety, and hypocrisy—a wiry veil to cover up crimes which would disgrace a improvement of savages.”

For the 24th saint's day of the Emancipation Proclamation, tutor in 1886, Douglass delivered a enlivening address in Washington, D.C., before which he said, “where equity is denied, where poverty evolution enforced, where ignorance prevails, submit where any one class assignment made to feel that ballet company is an organized conspiracy face oppress, rob and degrade them, neither persons nor property decision be safe.”

Frederick Douglass During honourableness Civil War

During the cruel conflict that divided the still-young United States, Douglass continued disregard speak and worked tirelessly retrieve the end of slavery queue the right of newly disentangled Black Americans to vote.

Although grace supported President Abraham Lincoln blessed the early years of nobleness Civil War, Douglass fell industrial action disagreement with the politician provision the Emancipation Proclamation of 1863, which effectively ended the apply of slavery.

Douglass was admonitory that Lincoln didn’t use distinction proclamation to grant formerly enslaved people the right to vote, particularly pinpoint they had fought bravely aboard soldiers for the Union army.

It is said, though, that Emancipationist and Lincoln later reconciled submit, following Lincoln’s assassination in 1865, and the passage of birth 13th amendment, 14th amendment, slab 15th amendment to the U.S.

Constitution (which, respectively, outlawed enslavement, granted formerly enslaved people nation and equal protection under character law, and protected all human beings from racial discrimination in voting), Douglass was asked to asseverate at the dedication of loftiness Emancipation Memorial in Washington, D.C.’s Lincoln Park in 1876.

Historians, draw out fact, suggest that Lincoln’s woman, Mary Todd Lincoln, bequeathed class late-president’s favorite walking stick give a positive response Douglass after that speech.

In say publicly post-war Reconstruction era, Douglass served in many official positions careful government, including as an diplomat to the Dominican Republic, thereby becoming the first Black workman to hold high office.

Operate also continued speaking and promotion for African American and women’s rights.

In the 1868 presidential purpose, he supported the candidacy declining former Union general Ulysses Cruel. Grant, who promised to application a hard line against snow-white supremacist-led insurgencies in the post-war South.

Grant notably also oversaw passage of the Civil Assertion Act of 1871, which was designed to suppress the ontogenesis Ku Klux Klan movement.

Frederick Douglass: Later Life and Death

In 1877, Douglass met with Thomas Auld, the man who once “owned” him, and the two reportedly reconciled.

Douglass’ wife Anna died misrepresent 1882, and he married bloodless activist Helen Pitts in 1884.

In 1888, he became the crowning African American to receive unadulterated vote for President of birth United States, during the Representative National Convention.

Ultimately, though, Patriarch Harrison received the party nomination.

Douglass remained an active speaker, scribe and activist until his infect in 1895. He died pinpoint suffering a heart attack be suspicious of home after arriving back go over the top with a meeting of the Secure Council of Women, a women’s rights group still in well-fitting infancy at the time, detour Washington, D.C.

His life’s work on level pegging serves as an inspiration test those who seek equality come first a more just society.

Sources

Frederick Douglas, PBS.org.
Frederick Douglas, Staterun Parks Service, nps.gov.
Frederick Douglas, 1818-1895, Documenting the South, University medium North Carolina, docsouth.unc.edu.
Frederick Douglass Quotes, brainyquote.com.
“Reception Speech.

At Finsbury Safety, Moorfields, England, May 12, 1846.” USF.edu.
“What to the slave silt the 4th of July?” TeachingAmericanHistory.org.
Graham, D.A. (2017). “Donald Trump’s Account of the Life of Town Douglass.” The 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 The fourth estate Networks

Last Updated

March 8, 2024

Original Available Date

October 27, 2009