Frederick-Douglass

FrederickDouglassFrederickAugustusWashingtonBaileywasbornintoslaveryinTalbotCounty,Maryland,(onthestate'sEasternShoreoftheChesapeakeBay),andwasnamedbyhismother,HarrietBailey.TheplantationwaslocatedbetweenHillsboroandCordova.Hisbirthplacewaslikelyhisgrandmother'sshackeastofTappersCornerandwestofTuckahoeCreek.Yearslater,afterescapingtotheNorth,hetookthesurnameDouglass,havingalreadydroppeduseofhistwomiddlenames.TheexactdateofDouglass'sbirthisunknown.HelaterchosetocelebrateitonFebruary14.[3]Theexactyearisalsounknown(onthefirstpageofNarrativeoftheLifeofFrederickDouglass,anAmericanSlave,hestated:Ihavenoaccurateknowledgeofmyage,neverhavingseenanyauthenticrecordcontainingit.)[10][13]Hewasofmixedrace,whichlikelyincludedNativeAmericanonhismother'ssideaswellasAfricanandEuropean.Hespokeofhisearliesttimeswithhismother:Theopinionwas...whisperedthatmymasterwasmyfather;butofthecorrectnessofthisopinionIknownothing....MymotherandIwereseparatedwhenIwasbutaninfant....It[was]commoncustom,inthepartofMarylandfromwhichIranaway,topartchildrenfromtheirmothersataveryearlyage.Idonotrecollecteverseeingmymotherbythelightofday....Shewouldliedownwithme,andgetmetosleep,butlongbeforeIwakedshewasgone.Afterthisearlyseparationfromhismother,youngFredericklivedwithhismaternalgrandmother,BettyBailey.Meanwhile,attheageofseven,hewasseparatedfromhisgrandmotherandmovedtotheWyeHouseplantation,whereAaronAnthonyworkedasoverseer.[15]Douglass'smotherdiedwhenhewasaboutten.AfterAnthonydied,theboywasgiventoLucretiaAuld,wifeofThomasAuld,whosenthimtoserveThomas'brotherHughAuldinBaltimore.WhenDouglasswasabouttwelveyearsold,HughAuld'swifeSophiastartedteachinghimthealphabet,althoughMarylandstatelawprohibitedteachingslavestoread.Douglassdescribedherasakindandtender-heartedwoman,whotreatedtheboythewayonehumanbeingoughttotreatanother.WhenHughAulddiscoveredheractivity,hestronglydisapproved,sayingthatifaslavelearnedtoread,hewouldbecomedissatisfiedwithhisconditionanddesirefreedom.Douglasslaterreferredtothisasthefirstdecidedlyantislaverylecturehehadeverheard.[16]Inhisautobiography,Douglassrelatedhowhelearnedtoreadfromwhitechildrenintheneighborhoodandbyobservingthewritingsofmenwithwhomheworked.OnedayMrs.AuldsawDouglassreadinganewspaper;sheranoverandsnatcheditfromhim,withherfaceshowingthateducationandslaverywereincompatiblewitheachother.Douglasscontinued,secretly,toteachhimselfhowtoreadandwrite.Helateroftensaid,Knowledgeisthepathwayfromslaverytofreedom.[17]AsDouglassbegantoreadnewspapers,pamphlets,politicalmaterials,andbooksofeverydescription,thisnewrealmofthoughtledhimtoquestionandcondemntheinstitutionofslavery.Inlateryears,DouglasscreditedTheColumbianOrator,ananthologywhichhediscoveredataboutagetwelve,withclarifyinganddefininghisviewsonfreedomandhumanrights.Thebook,firstpublishedin1797,isaclassroomreader,containingessays,speechesanddialogues,toassiststudentsinlearningreadingandgrammar.WhenDouglasswashiredouttoWilliamFreeland,hetaughtotherslavesontheplantationtoreadtheNewTestamentataweeklySundayschool.Aswordspread,theinterestamongslavesinlearningtoreadwassogreatthatinanyweek,morethan40slaveswouldattendlessons.Foraboutsixmonths,theirstudywentrelativelyunnoticed.WhileFreelandremainedcomplacentabouttheiractivities,otherplantationownersbecameincensedabouttheirslavesbeingeducated.OneSundaytheyburstinonthegathering,armedwithclubsandstones,todispersethecongregationpermanently.In1833,ThomasAuldtookDouglassbackfromHugh([a]sameansofpunishingHugh,Douglasslaterwrote).ThomasAuldsentDouglasstoworkforEdwardCovey,apoorfarmerwhohadareputationasaslave-breaker.HewhippedDouglassregularlyandnearlybrokehimpsychologically.Thesixteen-year-oldDouglassfinallyrebelledagainstthebeatingsandfoughtback.AfterDouglasswonaphysicalconfrontation,Coveynevertriedtobeathimagain.FromslaverytofreedomDouglassfirsttriedtoescapefromFreeland,whohadhiredhimoutfromhisownerColonelLloyd,butwasunsuccessful.In1836,hetriedtoescapefromhisnewmasterCovey,butfailedagain.In1837,DouglassmetandfellinlovewithAnnaMurray,afreeblackwomaninBaltimoreaboutfiveyearsolderthanhe.Herfreestatusstrengthenedhisbeliefinthepossibilityofgaininghisownfreedom.OnSeptember3,1838,DouglasssuccessfullyescapedbyboardingaPhiladelphia,Wilmington&BaltimoreRailroadtrain(thelinewasnewlymerged)tothegreatNortherncities.HejumpedaboardthetrainashortdistanceeastoftheprevioustemporaryP.W.&B.traindepotinthejust-developedindustrial,commercialandresidentialneighborhoodofCantonatPresidentandFleetStreets,eastofTheBasinoftheBaltimoreharborontheNorthwestBranchofthePatapscoRiver.(ThisdepotwasreplacedbythehistoricPresidentStreetStation,constructed1849-1850;itwasnotedasasiteofotherslaveescapesalongoneofmanyroutesofthefamousUndergroundRailroadandduringtheCivilWar.)YoungDouglassreachedHavredeGrace,Maryland,inHarfordCounty,inthenortheastcornerofthestate,alongthesouthwestshoreoftheSusquehannaRiver,whichflowedintotheChesapeakeBay.Thoughthisplacedhimsome20milesfromthefreestateofPennsylvania,itwaseasiertotravelthroughDelaware,anotherslavestate.Dressedinasailor'suniformprovidedtohi