Frederick Douglass Worksheets
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Summary
- Early Life
- Escape from Slavery
- Abolitionist Years
- Douglass During the Civil War
- Later Life and Legacy
Key Facts And Information
Let’s find out more about Frederick Douglass!
Frederick Douglass, a prominent civil rights hero, escaped from slavery and dedicated his life to social justice advocacy. Douglass recognised the outcomes of his efforts with the 13th Amendment; however, he was acutely aware of the protracted challenges that African-Americans would encounter in the ensuing years. He was the preeminent leader of the 19th-century campaign for African-American civil rights. Following escaping slavery in Maryland in 1838, Douglass emerged as a prominent national leader of the abolitionist movement in Massachusetts and New York, achieving renown for his eloquent speeches and penetrating antislavery literature. Consequently, abolitionists of his era characterised him as a tangible refutation of assertions made by proponents of slavery, who contended that enslaved individuals were devoid of the intellectual capability to operate as autonomous American citizens.
Frederick Douglass
EARLY LIFE
- Frederick Augustus Washington Bailey was born into servitude on the Chesapeake Bay's Eastern Shore in Talbot County, Maryland. The estate was between Hillsboro and Cordova; it was assumed that he was born at his grandmother’s cabin, east of Tappers Corner and west of Tuckahoe Creek. Historian Dickson J. Preston cited that Frederick was born in February 1818 based on his former enslaver’s record, Aaron Anthony. Although the precise date of his birth remains uncertain, he opted to commemorate 14 February 1818 as his birthday, recalling that his mother referred to him as her “Little Valentine.”
- Frederick experienced a challenging familial environment. He had minimal memories of his mother, who resided on a separate plantation and passed away when he was very young. Frederick never knew his father. Frederick initially resided with his maternal grandmother, Betty Bailey. In his teenage years, Douglass was chosen to reside in the household of the plantation owners, one of whom might have been his father. At six years old, he was estranged from his grandmother and dispatched to Wye House Plantation in Maryland. At the age of eight, his enslaver, Aaron Anthony, who was believed to be his father, contracted him to serve as a body servant in Baltimore.
- Following Anthony’s death in 1826, Frederick was left to Lucretia Auld, who subsequently sent him to serve her brother-in-law, Hugh Auld, and his wife, Sophia Auld, in Baltimore. Sophia ensured that Frederick was adequately nourished and dressed appropriately upon his arrival.
- Frederick regarded her as a compassionate and benevolent woman who treated him humanely. Frederick believed he was fortunate to be in the city, where he asserted that enslaved individuals were nearly free, in contrast to those on farms.
- At the age of twelve, Frederick started to learn the alphabet from Sophia. Hugh Auld opposed the instruction, believing literacy would incite enslaved individuals to seek freedom. In his autobiography, Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave, Frederick asserted that under her husband's influence, Sophia became convinced that education and slavery were irreconcilable, ultimately seizing a newspaper from Frederick.
- Despite what Sophia did, Frederick didn’t stop learning. He taught himself how to read and, later, write.
- In 1833, Lucretia’s husband, Thomas Auld reclaimed Frederick from Hugh. Thomas assigned Douglass to labour for Edward Covey, an impoverished farmer renowned for his reputation as a brutal enslaver. He lashed Frederick so often that his injuries had less opportunity to recuperate. Frederick subsequently stated that the incessant beatings shattered his whole being.
ESCAPE FROM SLAVERY
- Frederick made two attempts to escape slavery before ultimately succeeding in 1838. Following his second attempt, he was apprehended and dispatched to Baltimore by his enslaver to labour in the city’s shipyards. Frederick resolved to attain New York and, ultimately, liberation. Utilising the expertise acquired from two years of employment at the shipyard, Frederick successfully disguised himself as a free Black sailor. Equipped with a uniform and a sailor’s protection card that replaced free papers, Frederick boarded a train in motion, destined north from the Baltimore and Ohio railway station.
- Notwithstanding his numerous challenges, Douglass reached New York safely about 24 hours after departing from Baltimore. Abolitionist and anti-slavery advocate David Ruggles provided refuge for Douglass until Anna Murray, Douglass’s future wife, encountered him in Baltimore.
- Murray was a free Black housekeeper that Douglas encountered when enslaved by the Aulds. The couple got married on 15 September 1838. Initially, they assumed Johnson as their marital surname to deflect scrutiny.
- Frederick and Murray relocated to New Bedford, Massachusetts shortly after their marriage. Initially, they assumed Johnson as their marital surname to deflect scrutiny. The couple encountered Nathan and Mary Johnson, a liberated married pair. The Johnsons motivated the couple to assume the surname Douglass, derived from a character in Sir Walter Scott’s work, The Lady of the Lake.
ABOLITIONIST YEARS OF FREDERICK DOUGLASS
- Douglass contemplated attending a white Methodist Church but was disheartened to discover its segregation from the outset. Subsequently, he became affiliated with the African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church (AME), an autonomous black religion initially founded in New York City, which included notable members such as Sojourner Truth and Harriet Tubman. He obtained his preaching licence in 1839, which facilitated the refinement of his oratorical abilities. He occupied multiple roles, including steward, Sunday school administrator, and sexton.
- In 1840, Douglass delivered a speech in Elmira, New York, a station on the Underground Railroad, where a black congregation would subsequently become the largest church in the region by 1940. Douglass engaged in the abolitionist cause while residing in New Bedford. He participated in anti-slavery gatherings that linked him to several prominent abolitionists, including William Lloyd Garrison. After learning about Douglass’ experience of enslavement, Garrison urged him to disseminate his narrative among the community.
William Lloyd Garrison
- Douglass first encountered Garrison’s lecture in 1841 during a lecture delivered by Garrison at Liberty Hall, New Bedford. Douglass received an unexpected invitation to address the assembly during a subsequent meeting. Following the narration of his account, Douglass was motivated to pursue a career as an anti-slavery lecturer. Several days later, Douglass addressed the annual meeting of the Massachusetts Anti-Slavery Society in Nantucket. At the age of twenty three, Douglass overcame his anxiety and delivered an articulate speech regarding his experiences as an enslaved person.
- Douglass complied, and by 1843, he was among the numerous abolitionists participating in the American Anti-Slavery Society’s “Hundred Conventions” initiative, a six-month tour across the United States. Throughout the tour, Douglass faced persistent assaults from pro-slavery advocates.
- An incident in Pendleton, Indiana resulted in Douglass sustaining a fractured hand; the injury never completely healed and adversely affected the functionality of his hand for the remainder of his life.
- Nonetheless, a resolute Douglass persisted in his travels and disseminated his experiences to others. In 1845, Douglass journeyed to Ireland and Great Britain to address the issue of American slavery. That year, he released the first and most renowned three autobiographies, Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave.
- Within four months of its introduction, around 5,000 copies were sold, and six further editions were issued between 1845 and 1849. Douglass subsequently authored two additional autobiographies, My Bondage and My Freedom (1881) and Life and Times of Frederick Douglass (1892). Upon his return to the United States from England in 1847, Douglass commenced the publication of an abolitionist journal entitled The North Star.
- The North Star, sold for a $2 subscription fee, garnered almost 4,000 readers across the United States, Europe, and the Caribbean before its merger with the Liberty Party Paper in 1851.
- The AME Church and North Star united in the freedmen community’s robust resistance to the predominantly white American Colonisation Society and its initiative to relocate free black individuals to Africa. Douglass also engaged in the Underground Railroad, a systematic network of clandestine passageways and safe havens utilised by individuals seeking freedom to escape to the abolitionist Northern United States and Eastern Canada.
- Alongside his efforts as an anti-slavery champion, Douglass was also a fervent proponent of the women's movement. At the Seneca Falls Convention of 1848, he was among the few men present and the sole African American attendee. Douglass successfully convinced the conference to endorse American writer and activist Elizabeth Cady Stanton’s resolution advocating women’s suffrage.
FREDERICK DOUGLASS DURING THE CIVIL WAR
- By the time of the Civil War, Douglass had become one of the most renowned African American figures in the nation. He was recognised for his speeches regarding the plight of black people and other matters, including women’s rights. His eloquence attracted crowds at every venue. His reception by leaders in England and Ireland enhanced his prominence. Douglass and the abolitionists contended that since the objective of the Civil War was to eradicate slavery, African Americans ought to be permitted to participate in the struggle for their liberation.
- Douglass disseminated this perspective through his newspapers and many speeches. Following Lincoln's decision to permit black troops to enlist in the Union army, Douglass contributed to the recruitment initiatives by printing his renowned broadside Men of Colour to Arms! on March 21, 1863. His eldest son, Charles Douglass, enlisted in the 54th Massachusetts Infantry Regiment but suffered from illness for a significant portion of his service. Lewis Douglass participated in the Battle of Fort Wagner. Frederick Douglass Jr., another son, also functioned as a recruiter.
- With the North no longer mandated to repatriate enslaved individuals to their Southern proprietors, Douglass advocated for equality for his community. In 1863, Douglass consulted with United States (US) President Abraham Lincoln over the treatment of black soldiers and strategies for relocating formerly enslaved people from the South. In the 1864 US Presidential Election, Douglass endorsed John C. Frémont, the nominee of the abolitionist Radical Democracy Party. Douglass was disheartened by President Lincoln’s failure to support suffrage for black freedmen officially. Douglass contended that African American men, having fought for the Union during the American Civil War, merited the right to vote.
LATER LIFE AND LEGACY OF FREDERICK DOUGLASS
- During Reconstruction, Douglass held various posts within the US government, including a tenure as president of the Freedman’s Savings Bank. In 1889, President Harrison named him Minister-Resident and Consul-General to the Republic of Haiti and Chargé d’Affaires for the Dominican Republic. Thus, Douglass became the first Black individual to occupy a high office in the US. In 1882, Anna succumbed to a prolonged illness. Two years later, Douglass wed Helen Pitts, a white suffragist and abolitionist twenty years his junior, who acted as his secretary.
- The contentious couple remained wed for 11 years until his death. Frederick Douglass succumbed to a heart attack on the evening of 20 February 1895, following his attendance at a meeting of the National Council of Women in Washington, D.C. Throughout his life, Douglass was a steadfast activist, advocate, and proponent of human rights. The funeral took place at the Metropolitan African Methodist Episcopal Church. Despite attending other churches in the nation’s capital, Douglass possessed a pew in this church and contributed two standing candelabras when it relocated to a new edifice in 1886.
Frequently Asked Questions About Frederick Douglass
- Who was Frederick Douglass?
Frederick Douglass was a formerly enslaved African American who became a prominent abolitionist, writer, and speaker in the 19th century. He is best known for his powerful speeches and autobiographies that highlighted the injustices of slavery.
- How did Frederick Douglass escape slavery?
Douglass escaped in 1838 by disguising himself as a sailor and using borrowed identification papers. He travelled north and eventually settled in Massachusetts.
- What is Frederick Douglass famous for?
Douglass is famous for his autobiographies, especially Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an enslaved American, and his tireless advocacy against slavery and civil rights.