Frederick Douglass was an African American -- an eminent leader of the Abolitionist movement who worked inexhaustibly to end slavery.
Frederick Augustus Washington Bailey was born in February 1818. The exact date of his birth is not known, although he celebrated his birthday as Feb. 14th, since his mother called him, her “Little Valentine”. He was an American social reformer, abolitionist, orator, writer and statesman. He was a firm believer in the equality of all people. He was a leader in the abolitionist movement, which hoped to end slavery.
Frederick Douglass was born into slavery on the eastern shore of the Chesapeake Bay in Maryland. He was of mixed race -- his father being almost certainly White and his mother Native American and African. At the age of six, he moved to the Wye House Plantation, where he worked for Aaron Anthony. After Anthony died in 1826, he was given to Thomas Auld, who sent him to his brother, Hugh Auld. Hugh’s wife Sophia had a fondness for him and fed, clothed and educated him. But, Hugh thought that if slaves were educated, they would want to be free. This discouraged his wife’s education plans for Douglass. In 1833, Thomas took him back from Hugh. He was a mean man. Recalling his treatment in his autobiography, Douglass notes "A great many times have we poor creatures been nearly perishing with hunger, when food in abundance lay mouldering in the safe and smoke-house, and our pious mistress was aware of the fact; and yet that mistress and her husband would kneel every morning, and pray that God would bless them in basket and store!” He sent Douglass for a year to Edward Covey's house to be "broken". Edward had a reputation as an “slave-breaker” and whipped Douglass regularly, often once every week. The sixteen year-old Douglass finally rebelled against his master and the beatings and fought back. This historic incident is described in Douglass’s autobiography where he says, “you shall see how a slave was made a man.” On January 1, 1834 he was hired to work for William Freeland. In the plantation, he read the New Testament and started teaching other slaves to read and write, but they were soon discovered and the congregation broken up. He tried to escape from William Freeland’s farm several times, but failed.
In 1837, Douglass met Anna Murray, and fell in love with her. She helped him escape by giving him some of her money, dressed and with papers as a sailor. He traveled on the Baltimore-Delaware railroad, crossed the Susquehanna River eventually reaching New York City to freedom.
Douglass married Anna Murray, a free black woman and they moved to New Bedford, MA. He began attending meetings of the abolitionist movement there and was introduced to the writings of abolitionist and journalist, William Lloyd Garrison. In an abolitionist meeting at Nantucket, Douglass shared his story of slavery with extreme elegance and eloquence. Following this incident, Garrison encouraged Douglass to be a leader in the Abolitionist movement and he traveled the next fifteen years of his life talking about slavery and the need for abolition.
Not only did Douglass fight to end slavery, he also fought to give women equal rights, specifically the right to vote (suffrage). He supported Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Susan B. Anthony. Douglass was present and supported the launch of the American feminist movement in 1848 at Seneca Falls, in the presence of Elizabeth Cady Stanton.
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| A sculpture of Frederick Douglass and Susan B Anthony entitled "Let's Have Tea" at Susan B Anthony Square in Rochester, NY |
In 1845, Douglass published a book called “Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave” written as an abolitionist horror story. It played an important role in fueling the American Abolitionist movement of the 19th century. Douglass published two more autobiographies “My Bondage and My Freedom” in 1855, and “Life and Times of Frederick Douglass” in 1881 which contain more details about the initial publication and talk about his transition from bondage to liberty. His works were important in spreading the anti-slavery sentiment. He also established an anti-slavery newspaper called the North Star. It developed into one of the most influential African American anti-slavery publication of the time and circulated until 1860.
In his new biography, “Frederick Douglass: Prophet of Freedom”, David W. Blight discusses the life of this great American. His protest against the whippings of Edward Covey and a miraculous escape to freedom makes him “a model of “manhood,” of self-assertion in defiance of death” [1]. His work for the abolitionist movement and support of women's suffrage makes him a crusader and intellectual. He will be remembered by Americans as a prophet of freedom.
References
https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2018/10/15/the-prophetic-pragmatism-of-frederick-douglass
https://www.sparknotes.com/lit/narrative/full-text/chapter-ix/
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