Frederick Douglass: Lack Of Knowledge

New York was a completely free state at the time. While in New York he was reacquainted with a woman from Baltimore by the name of Anne Murray. Due to nature of how Douglass got to New York he had to change his name from Bailey to Douglass to throw off the trial of any pursuers.

Frederick Douglass was born into slavery on a Maryland shore plantation in February 1818, as Frederick Augustus Washington Bailey, He died of a heart attack in 1895. His mother Harriet Bailey named him a distinguished name hoping his life would be more than hers as a hand in the field. Douglass was never able to track his paternity, he stated in his Narrative that his master Aaron Anthony was his father. His grandmother Betsy Bailey cared for him growing up. In 1826 he was selected to go to Baltimore where he spent five years as a servant in the home of Hugh. Sophia, Hugh wife treated him kind and gave him reading lessons until her husband forbidden them from doing so. In 1833, he was sent back to St. Michaels, Maryland. Later after uneasy labor and repeated beatings he fought back and tried to escape at sixteen years old. Another thing mentioned in the Narrative, was that

The autobiography commences with the narrator explaining his place of birth: Tuckahoe, near Hillsborough, Talbot County, Maryland. One of his first inner struggles with which Douglass carried along throughout his life was the fact that had no knowledge of his birthday. The best estimate had been roughly 1818. Furthermore, he neither knew his father’s identity nor saw his mother as often as he would wish. Although he was separated from his mother at a tender age, Douglass narrates how she would sometimes sneak from a nearby plantation at night to sleep with him. His mother, Harriet Bailey, soon died but due to the lack of connection, her death did not have an emotional impact on him. On the other hand, it was widely speculated that his father was a white man and his captain’s first helper.

The narrative begins with Douglass being oblivious to the identity of his father. This theme of Frederick Douglass being young and naïve is continued throughout the beginning. The idea of slaves being young and naïve is seen in almost all slave narratives. One of the ways slave owners kept slaves captive is through keeping the slaves ignorant. It is nearly impossible for a slave to escape slavery if they cannot read and write. Slave owners knew how impossible this was so they kept them ignorant, they kept them from learning. Since ignorance is what seems to hold slaves captive, one could easily conclude that knowledge is the key to freedom. Douglass figured this out at a young age. He starts learning from Mrs. Auld but eventually ends up

Frederick Douglass autobiography learning to read and write was written in 1845 and is a story of his struggle to learn to read and write. The story talks about how he was self-taught because back when he was a kid, a slave in Maryland, it was not allowed for a slave to learn to read and write. Douglass had to sneak and trick people into teaching him how to read and write. He never went to school, never had a teacher to guide him or supportive parents like had while I struggled through school.

Frederick Douglass’s Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, provides insight into those who suppressed him due to ignorance which includes his owners and overseers. Although they each played an important part in shaping Douglass and his mindset, Edward Covey was the harshest because he broke Douglass down not only physically but mentally as well. Covey was a slave breaker that was used to correct the behavior of defiant slaves. “My natural elasticity was crushed, my intellect languished, the disposition to read departed, the cheerful spark that lingered about my eye died; the dark night of slavery closed in upon me; and behold a man transformed into a brute!” (pg. 38)

Frederick Douglass was one of the staples in African American history and was a well-educated anti-slavery activist that was passionate in African American’s freedom. At a young age, Douglass was thrust into the world of slavery but, nevertheless, was able to escape enslavement and become a powerful, anti-slavery and civil rights activist. Born Frederick Augustus Washington Bailey, the abolitionist who was able to finally become a free man at the age of 20, was a prominent figure in African American history. After escaping to freedom, Frederick Bailey changed his name to what became the revered, intelligent lecturer and public speaker, Frederick Douglass. He composed several literary works, including A Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave and The Heroic Slave. He also delivered an address called, “What to the Slave Is the Fourth of July?” in Rochester, New York on July 5th, 1852. Aiding former President Abraham Lincoln after the Emancipation Proclamation, he also helped to recruit Black troops into the Union Army (“Notable Visitors: Frederick Douglass,” 2002-2015). He married Anna Murray in 1838 after they gained freedom, thus going on to have five children together (“Frequently Asked Questions,” 2015). They remained married until her death in 1882 (“Frequently Asked Questions,” 2015). Though there were many occurrences where Douglass could have given up on the wants for freedom, he never completely lost hope, nor

Frederick Douglass did not know his age because at this time, no accurate records were kept, and slaves were usually deprived of information about their lives. His mother was Harriet Bailey who was a very dark-skinned woman who worked approximately 12 miles away on a neighboring plantation. Because of this distance Douglass had only met a few times throughout his entire

Frederick Augustus Washington Bailey born into slavery in February 1818 in Talbot County, Maryland. The exact date of his birthday is unknown, although according to his book Narrative of the Life of an American Slave he chose to take February 14th being his birthday because his mother, whom died when he was about 10, referred to him as her “little valentine”. "I have no accurate knowledge of my age, never having seen any authentic record containing it." (Douglass) Douglass was the son of a slave mother and possibly his owner. (Foner pg 390) “The opinion was ... whispered that my master was my father; but of the correctness of this opinion I know nothing.” (Douglass) At a young age he was selected to live

Douglass focuses on not having any knowledge about his age or the day he was born. Based on the reading Douglass seems to really care about the lack of knowledge. I think it stops him from doing things. For example, defending himself from his master of other people.Based on the autobiography it states that,''slaves know as little of their ages as horses know of theirs,and it is the wish of most masters within knowledge to keep their slaves thus.''Slave keepers also keep their slaves thus for their own advantage. In my opinion, it left his a big impact and hardships not having enough knowledge.

Frederick Douglass was born as a slave early in 1818, in Talbot County, Maryland, and was sent to Baltimore when he was about ten, to live with the Aulds and help take care of their son, Thomas. While he was in Baltimore, his mistress, Mrs. Auld, began to teach him the ABC’s, and how to spell simple words. Her husband found out what was going on,

Throughout this excerpt from his autobiography, Frederick Douglass constantly refers to the importance of Education and Literacy. He continuously details not only that education represented power, but also that an educated and literate slave would be dangerous in the eyes of the slave-loving southerners. Education all throughout time has represented knowledge, and knowledge is seen as power, both of which could easily corrupt someone, hence why slave owners chose to keep slaves in the dark in regards to education. Douglass argued that education was seen as the key to success and free thoughts, however, both were luxuries unknown to a slave unless they took matters into their own hands.

Throughout the book Douglass characterizes himself using the events that have happened in his life and around it. First of all he quotes a abolitionist with a similar viewpoint “Gone, gone, sold and gone To the rice swamp dank and lone, Where the slave-whip ceaseless swings, Where the noisome insect stings, Where the fever-demon strews Poison with the falling dews, Where the sickly sunbeams glare Through the hot and misty air:— Gone, gone, sold and gone To the rice swamp dank and lone, From Virginia hills and waters— Woe is me, my stolen daughters!”(61) This quote shows how a white poet and abolitionist has the same point of view as Douglass causing his credibility to go up and for the reader believe Douglass point of view and message more.

Frederick Douglass was born in Talbot county, Maryland. Douglass explains that he does not know his age, as many other slaves also do not know their

“He became a licensed preacher of the African Methodist episcopal Zion church in 1839.” m.huffpost.com Frederick and his wife had 5 children, three sons and two daughters. One of their daughters written a book called “My Mother as I Recall Her”. It was about her mother in the 1900’s. He had a 28 year affair with a journalist named Ottilie