Frederick Douglass

A. Background Born in a slave cabin, in February, near the town of Easton, Maryland. Douglass does not have any knowledge of his age since he has not seen any

documentation of an exact date. He was the son of an African American slave woman and born Frederick

Augustus Washington Bailey. Seperated from his mother when he was an infant and raised by his

grandparents. Around the age of six, his grandmother took him to the plantation of his master

and left him there. Douglass struggled with the betrayal of the abandonment. When he was about eight he was sent to Baltimore to live as a houseboy with

Hugh and Sophia Auld, relatives of his master. After his arrival his new mistress taught him the alphabet. Her husband would

not allow her to continue instruction because he believed slaves did not deserve to obtain an education. Slave owners were afraid that once slaves became educated they would desire freedom.

Frederick took it upon himself to learn. The boys who lived in his neighborhood began to teach him lessons in reading

and writing in exchange for food. At twelve or thirteen Douglass purchased a copy of The Columbian Orator, a

popular schoolbook of the time, which helped him to gain an understanding of the English language.

Douglass returned to the Eastern shore and became a field hand. During this time he experienced the brutal conditions of slavery in America. He had an encounter with a slave breaker and their fight ended in a draw, but

the victory was Douglass'. This incident restored his sense of self-worth. At age 18 he attempted to escape, but failed and was returned to Baltimore.

B. Escaping Slavery Douglass met and fell in love with Anna Murray, a free black woman who lived in

Baltimore. On September 3, 1838, Douglass successfully escaped slavery. He did so by boarding a train that was headed north. He dressed in a sailor's uniform that Murray gave him, along with part of her

savings to cover his travel expenses, he carried identification papers which he had gathered from a free black seaman.

Douglass crossed the wide Susquehanna River by the railroad's steam-ferry at Havre de Grace to Perryville, then continued by train across the state line to Wilmington, Delaware, a large port at the head of the Delaware Bay. From there, he went by steamboat along the Delaware River further northeast to the

"Quaker City" of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, an anti-slavery stronghold, and continued to the safe house of noted abolitionist David Ruggles in New York City. His journey to freedom took less than 24 hours.

Frederick Douglass later wrote of his arrival in New York City:i. “I have often been asked, how I felt when first I found myself on free soil.

And my readers may share the same curiosity. There is scarcely anything in my experience about which I could not give a more satisfactory answer. A new world had opened upon me. If life is more than breath, and the 'quick round of blood,' I lived more in one day than in a year of my slave life. It was a time of joyous excitement which words can but tamely describe. In a letter written to a friend soon after reaching New York, I said: 'I felt as one might feel upon escape from a den of hungry lions.' Anguish and grief, like darkness and rain, may be depicted; but gladness and joy, like the rainbow, defy the skill of pen or pencil.”

Douglass arrived and immediately sent for Murray. They set up a home together and were married on September 15, 1838, by a black Presbyterian minister eleven days after Douglass's arrival in New York.

C. A Free Man The couple settled in New Bedford, Massachusetts. After meeting and staying with Nathan and Mary Johnson, they adopted

Douglass as their married name. He joined the African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church, an independent black

denomination established in New York City, which counted among its members Sojourner Truth and Harriet Tubman. Initially he wanted to join a white Methodist Church, but refused when he found out it was segregated.

He became a licensed preacher in 1839 which helped him improve his communication skills and he became very strong at delivering powerful messages to his audience.

Douglass was involved in multiple organizations in New Bedford, and participated in abolitionist meetings.

He was inspired by William Lloyd Garrison and subscribed to the Liberator. Douglass was encouraged to become an anti-slavery lecturer. Douglass spoke at the Massachusetts Anti-Slavery Society's annual convention in

Nantucket. Douglass joined speakers in the American Anti-Slavery Society's "Hundred

Conventions" project. The tour lasted 6 months and took place at meeting halls throughout the Eastern

and Midwestern United States. Douglass felt this would be wise so that he could continue to speak without fear

of his slave owner coming to claim his property.

During the tour Douglass received negative feedback from a majority of his audiences and was even beaten by angry mobs on a few occasions.

Douglass spent two years in Ireland and Britain, where he gave many lectures in churches and chapels. His popularity spread and the places where he spoke became extremely crowded.

In 1846 Douglass met with Thomas Clarkson, one of the last living British abolitionists, who had persuaded Parliament to abolish slavery in Great Britain's colonies.

During this trip Douglass became legally free, due to British supporters raising money to buy his freedom from his owner Thomas Auld.

D. The Fight for Human Rights Douglass started an abolitionist newspaper, The North Star, from the basement

of the Memorial AME Zion Church in Rochester, New York. The North Star's motto was "Right is of no Sex – Truth is of no Color – God is the Father of us all, and we are all brethren."

Douglass supported Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Susan B. Anthony, and many other women that were involved in the women’s rights movement.

He was the only African American to attend the Seneca Falls convention and made a speech that persuaded many people to support Douglass’ views.

Douglass fought for court action when it came to education for all children. He felt as though education was the link to freedom and prosperity for African American children.

He continued to speak on behalf of African American’s rights and women’s rights and involved himself in conventions across the country.

In 1872, Douglass became the first African American nominated for Vice President of the United States.

He was nominated as Victoria Woodhull's running mate on the Equal Rights Party ticket.

Douglass was unaware that he had been nominated and did not acknowledge that he had been nominated.

He was also presidential elector at large for the State of New York in the same year.

E. Later Years Frederick Douglass lived the last eighteen years of his life in his Cedar Hill

residence in Anacostia, Washington D.C. that they moved to in 1878. Douglass published his last of three autobiographies, Life and Times of Frederick

Douglass. In the autobiography he explained for the first time how he escaped slavery and named people that assisted him. He also stated how he played a role in the Underground Railroad.

There were several government positions that Douglass had in his later years. In 1881, Douglass was the Recorder of Deeds for the District of Columbia. In 1888,

President Harrison selected him to be the post of Minister to Haiti. In 1891, he accepted an offer by the government of Haiti as commissioner to the World’s Columbian Exposition in Chicago.

Douglass’ wife, Ana, died on August 1882 after losing her battle with illness. They were married for 40 years and two years after Ana’s death, Douglass surprised his family and friends by marrying his secretary, Helen Pitts. The controversy is that she was white and 20 years younger than Douglass.

After they married his long term lover, Ottilie Assing, committed suicide. Douglass’ children were displeased with the marriage.

SURPRISE!!! Douglass stated that first marriage had been to someone the color of his mother, and his second to someone the color of his father.

F. Douglass’ Death February 20, 1895, after attending a women's rights meeting, Frederick Douglass

was struck by a heart attack and died at the age of 77. Crowds gathered to pay their respects at the Washington Church where he lay in

state. He was buried and laid to rest in Rochester, N.Y. Immediately following his death, some newspapers around the country ran small

obituaries and others wrote lengthy articles about Douglass, his life, and his accomplishments.

Douglass played a critical role as an activist who fought for human rights and the fair treatment of all human beings.

G. Quotes “If there is no struggle there is no progress. . . . Power concedes nothing without

a demand. It never did and it never will.”—Frederick Douglass

“Find out just what any people will quietly submit to and you have the exact measure of the injustice and wrong which will be imposed on them.”

—Frederick Douglass “I prefer to be true to myself, even at the hazard of incurring the ridicule of

others, rather than to be false, and to incur my own abhorrence.”—Frederick Douglass

“No man can put a chain about the ankle of his fellow man without at last finding the other end fastened about his own neck.”

—Frederick Douglass “People might not get all they work for in this world, but they must certainly

work for all they get.”—Frederick Douglass

“I would unite with anybody to do right and with nobody to do wrong.”—Frederick Douglass

“Believing, as I do firmly believe, that human nature, as a whole, contains more good than evil, I am willing to trust the whole, rather than a part, in the conduct of human affairs.”

—Frederick Douglass “To educate a man is to unfit him to be a slave.”

—Frederick Douglass “To deny education to any people is one of the greatest crimes against human

nature. It is easy to deny them the means of freedom and the rightful pursuit of happiness and to defeat the very end of their being.”

—Frederick Douglass “Let us have no country but a free country, liberty for all and chains for none. Let

us have one law, one gospel, equal rights for all, and I am sure God's blessing will be upon us and we shall be a prosperous and glorious nation.”

—Frederick Douglass

Sources

http://www.biography.com/people/frederick-douglass-9278324

http://www.frederickdouglass.org/douglass_bio.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frederick_Douglass

http://www.frederick-douglass-heritage.org/later-years-death/

https://historyengine.richmond.edu/episodes/view/186