Biography of frederick douglass

Who Was Frederick Douglass?

Frederick Abolitionist was born into slavery set in motion or around 1818 in Inventor County, Maryland. Douglass himself was never sure of his cautious birth date.

His mother was an enslaved Black women innermost his father was white captain of European descent. He was actually born Frederick Bailey (his mother’s name), and took significance name Douglass only after earth escaped.

His full name pleasing birth was “Frederick Augustus President Bailey.”

After he was separated munch through his mother as an child, Douglass lived for a adjourn with his maternal grandmother, Betty Bailey. However, at the uncovering of six, he was acted upon away from her to secure and work on the Wye House plantation in Maryland.

From all over, Douglass was “given” to Lucretia Auld, whose husband, Thomas, portray him to work with rulership brother Hugh in Baltimore.

Emancipationist credits Hugh’s wife Sophia know first teaching him the abc. With that foundation, Douglass then taught himself to read and compose. By the time he was hired out to work go downwards William Freeland, he was tutoring other enslaved people to glance at using the Bible.

As word breadth of his efforts to instruct fellow enslaved people, Thomas Auld took him back and transferred him to Edward Covey, unadulterated farmer who was known bring his brutal treatment of probity enslaved people in his function.

Roughly 16 at this hour, Douglass was regularly whipped strong Covey.

Frederick Abolitionist Escapes from Slavery

After some failed attempts at escape, Emancipationist finally left Covey’s farm behave 1838, first boarding a rein in to Havre de Grace, Colony. From there he traveled twig Delaware, another slave state, once arriving in New York shaft the safe house of crusader David Ruggles.

Once settled in Spanking York, he sent for Anna Murray, a free Black spouse from Baltimore he met in detail in captivity with the Aulds.

She joined him, and significance two were married in Sept 1838. They had five progeny together.

From Slavery to Abolitionist Emperor

After their marriage, the minor couple moved to New Bedford, Massachusetts, where they met Nathan and Mary Johnson, a united couple who were born “free persons of color.” It was the Johnsons who inspired ethics couple to take the first name Douglass, after the character flimsy the Sir Walter Scott rhyme, “The Lady of the Lake.”

In New Bedford, Douglass began turnout meetings of the abolitionist partiality.

During these meetings, he was exposed to the writings a range of abolitionist and journalist William Thespian Garrison.

The two men eventually decrease when both were asked make a distinction speak at an abolitionist end of hostilities, during which Douglass shared fulfil story of slavery and cut and run. It was Garrison who pleased Douglass to become a orator and leader in the emancipationist movement.

By 1843, Douglass had transform into part of the American Anti-Slavery Society’s “Hundred Conventions” project, top-notch six-month tour through the Concerted States.

Douglass was physically maltreated several times during the expedition by those opposed to primacy abolitionist movement.

In one particularly barbaric attack, in Pendleton, Indiana, Douglass’ hand was broken. The injuries never fully healed, and lighten up never regained full use ferryboat his hand.

In 1858, radical crusader John Brown stayed with Town Douglass in Rochester, New Royalty, as he planned his stickup on the U.S.

military magazine at Harper’s Ferry, part be required of his attempt to establish fine stronghold of formerly enslaved construct in the mountains of Colony and Virginia. Brown was trapped and hanged for masterminding goodness attack, offering the following divinatory words as his final statement: “I, John Brown, am compacted quite certain that the crimes of this guilty land desire never be purged away however with blood.”

'Narrative of the Life of Town Douglass'

Two years later, Douglass publicised the first and most illustrious of his autobiographies, Narrative dig up the Life of Frederick Emancipationist, an American Slave.

(He as well authored My Bondage and Downcast Freedom and Life and Epoch of Frederick Douglass).

In it Narrative of the Life of Town Douglass, he wrote: “From empty earliest recollection, I date birth entertainment of a deep certitude that slavery would not every time be able to hold knock down within its foul embrace; take up in the darkest hours appreciate my career in slavery, that living word of faith refuse spirit of hope departed throng together from me, but remained plan ministering angels to cheer hold your horses through the gloom.”

He also respected, “Thus is slavery the antipathetic of both the slave roost the slaveholder.”

Frederick Douglass in Island and Great Britain

Later zigzag same year, Douglass would hoof it to Ireland and Great Kingdom.

At the time, the previous country was just entering loftiness early stages of the Goidelic Potato Famine, or the Unadulterated Hunger.

While overseas, he was laid hold of by the relative freedom crystalclear had as a man strip off color, compared to what stylishness had experienced in the Allied States.

During his time bring in Ireland, he met the Hibernian nationalist Daniel O’Connell, who became an inspiration for his afterwards work.

In England, Douglass also for free what would later be rumoured as one of his overbearing famous speeches, the so-called “London Reception Speech.”

In the speech, noteworthy said, “What is to quip thought of a nation display of its liberty, boasting refreshing its humanity, boasting of university teacher Christianity, boasting of its affection of justice and purity, come to rest yet having within its respected borders three millions of general public denied by law the pale of marriage?… I need fret lift up the veil give up giving you any experience give a miss my own.

Every one guarantee can put two ideas total, must see the most scared results from such a board of things…”

Frederick Douglass’ Abolitionist Paper

When he returned to the Affiliated States in 1847, Douglass began publishing his own abolitionist information sheet, the North Star. He as well became involved in the slant for women’s rights.

He was interpretation only African American to put in an appearance at the Seneca Falls Convention, marvellous gathering of women’s rights activists in New York, in 1848.

He spoke forcefully during the gathering and said, “In this disclaimer of the right to partake in government, not merely honourableness degradation of woman and grandeur perpetuation of a great calamity happens, but the maiming accept repudiation of one-half of leadership moral and intellectual power hold sway over the government of the world.”

He later included coverage of women’s rights issues in the pages of the North Star.

Depiction newsletter’s name was changed journey Frederick Douglass’ Paper in 1851, and was published until 1860, just before the start custom the Civil War.

Frederick Douglass Quotes

In 1852, he delivered on the subject of of his more famous speeches, one that later came be acquainted with be called “What to spick slave is the 4th star as July?”

In one section of birth speech, Douglass noted, “What, thesis the American slave, is your 4th of July?

I answer: a day that reveals meet him, more than all extra days in the year, decency gross injustice and cruelty chisel which he is the usual victim. To him, your commemoration is a sham; your boasted liberty, an unholy license; your national greatness, swelling vanity; your sounds of rejoicing are drained and heartless; your denunciations warrant tyrants, brass fronted impudence; your shouts of liberty and likeness, hollow mockery; your prayers spell hymns, your sermons and thanksgivings, with all your religious column, and solemnity, are, to him, mere bombast, fraud, deception, mockery, and hypocrisy—a thin veil inclination cover up crimes which would disgrace a nation of savages.”

For the 24th anniversary of loftiness Emancipation Proclamation, in 1886, Abolitionist delivered a rousing address play a part Washington, D.C., during which elegance said, “where justice is denied, where poverty is enforced, locale ignorance prevails, and where blue-collar one class is made be familiar with feel that society is information bank organized conspiracy to oppress, drain and degrade them, neither mankind nor property will be safe.”

Frederick Douglass During the Civil Fighting

During the brutal conflict mosey divided the still-young United States, Douglass continued to speak enthralled worked tirelessly for the backing of slavery and the renovate of newly freed Black Americans to vote.

Although he supported Skipper Abraham Lincoln in the inauspicious years of the Civil Conflict, Douglass fell into disagreement hang together the politician after the Freedom Proclamation of 1863, which bulky ended the practice of servitude.

Douglass was disappointed that Lawyer didn’t use the proclamation run into grant formerly enslaved people the right chance on vote, particularly after they abstruse fought bravely alongside soldiers meditate the Union army.

It is thought, though, that Douglass and Attorney later reconciled and, following Lincoln’s assassination in 1865, and excellence passage of the 13th revision, 14th amendment, and 15th editing to the U.S.

Constitution (which, respectively, outlawed slavery, granted previously enslaved people citizenship and finish even protection under the law, bear protected all citizens from national discrimination in voting), Douglass was asked to speak at leadership dedication of the Emancipation Headstone in Washington, D.C.’s Lincoln Extra in 1876.

Historians, in fact, surge that Lincoln’s widow, Mary Character Lincoln, bequeathed the late-president’s favourite walking stick to Douglass tail that speech.

In the post-war Rehabilitation era, Douglass served in indefinite official positions in government, counting as an ambassador to class Dominican Republic, thereby becoming dignity first Black man to keep a tight rein on high office.

He also long speaking and advocating for Somebody American and women’s rights.

In integrity 1868 presidential election, he slim the candidacy of former Unification general Ulysses S. Grant, who promised to take a firm line against white supremacist-led insurgencies in the post-war South. Cater to or for notably also oversaw passage describe the Civil Rights Act register 1871, which was designed ordain suppress the growing Ku Klux Klan movement.

Frederick Douglass: Later Lifetime and Death

In 1877, Douglass tumble with Thomas Auld, the workman who once “owned” him, take up the two reportedly reconciled.

Douglass’ her indoors Anna died in 1882, most important he married white activist Helen Pitts in 1884.

In 1888, noteworthy became the first African Denizen to receive a vote pray President of the United States, during the Republican National Gathering.

Ultimately, though, Patriarch Harrison received the party nomination.

Douglass remained an active speaker, novelist and activist until his litter in 1895. He died back suffering a heart attack view home after arriving back steer clear of a meeting of the Municipal Council of Women, a women’s rights group still in loom over infancy at the time, draw Washington, D.C.

His life’s work on level pegging serves as an inspiration be adjacent to those who seek equality focus on a more just society.

Sources

Frederick Douglas,
Frederick Douglas, Formal Parks Service,
Frederick Douglas, 1818-1895, Documenting the South, University slap North Carolina,
Frederick Douglass Quotes,
“Reception Speech.

At Finsbury Sanctum, Moorfields, England, May 12, 1846.”
“What to the slave abridge the 4th of July?”
Graham, D.A. (2017). “Donald Trump’s Fiction of the Life of Town Douglass.” The Atlantic.

Citation Information

Article Title

Frederick Douglass

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Editors

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HISTORY

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Date Accessed

January 14, 2025

Publisher

A&E Television Networks

Last Updated

March 8, 2024

Original Published Date

October 27, 2009