Narrative of the Life of Fredrick Douglas: An American Slave Written By Himself
Fredrick Douglas was born a slave around 1817 (no specific date known) on the Eastern Shore of Maryland. He spent much of his childhood and young adulthood working in Baltimore and Talbot County. He worked in various venues including a small farm, a larger plantation, and a shipyard. Douglas learned the alphabet from his mistress Mrs. Hugh in the mid-1830s and taught himself how to read and write while living in Baltimore. In 1838, he escaped from slavery to Massachusetts by “borrowing a Negro sailor’s ‘protection’ papers and impersonating him.” In 1841, Douglas got involved in the antislavery movement and began touring and speaking at various events around the country and abroad. He published Narrative of the Life of Fredrick Douglas in 1845.
The Narrative sold 5,000 copies in the first four month after publication. Another 8.000 were sold in the first year of publication. It was also republished in the British Isles and by 1850 more than 30,000 copies were published in the United States and the British Isles.
On February 25, 1895, Fredrick Douglas died of a heart attack in Washington DC.
(Information taken from introduction of Narrative by Benjamin Quarles and Chronology of Douglas’ life – edition edited by B. Quarles for The Belknap Press of Harvard University Press, pg. vii – xxvi) * * *
We will be reading sections of the Narrative over the next couple of days to get a first-hand perspective of life as an American slave. You will have three reading assignments and the following day there will be a brief reading quiz before we begin class discussion. As you will not be reading the entire narrative, there will be some gaps in the timeline and some names you will not recognize. I have attempted to put together a good reference sheet for you, but I would like you to focus less on individuals and more on the events experienced by Douglas. With that being said, however, you should at least be able to recognize names and places so you can perform well on the reading quizzes and foster effective discussion during class. * * * Assignments Tuesday, January 11: Chapters 1 and 2 (Group 1 – discuss on Wed.) Wednesday, January 12: Chapters 6 and 7 (Group 2 – discussion on Thurs.) Thursday, January 13: Chapter 8 and 11 (don’t get bogged down in 11 – just want you to know what happens at the end) (Group 3 – discussion on Fri.)
Chapter 1: background information on Douglas and what he knows about his family, life as a child slave, describes the whipping of Aunt Hester Captain Anthony: first master, clerk and superintendent of Colonel Edward Lloyd Mr. Plummer: Anthony’s overseer (took care of farm and slaves, usually when master was an absente owner) Chapter 2: life as a plantation slave Colonel Edward Lloyd: large plantation (and slave) owner, father-in-law of Mr. Thomas Auld Mr. Severe: Lloyd’s overseer M. Hopkins: replaces Severe as overseer after Severe’s death
**Moves from Colonel Lloyd’s plantation to Baltimore. Douglas works for Mr. Hugh Auld (brother of Thomas Auld, Lloyd’s son-in-law) and Mistress Mrs. Sophia Auld, Chapter 6: importance of education to a slave, life of a city slave vs. life of a rural slave Mrs. Sophia Auld: mistress, teaches Douglas ABC’s Chapter 7: Douglas learns to read and write and the impact it has on him, understanding the term “abolition,” thinks about the possibility of running away Master Thomas Auld: son of Hugh and Sophia Auld, Douglas’ new master and mistress Chapter 8: Douglas returns to Lloyd plantation (Mrs. Lucretia Auld new mistress), description of a “valuation,” Douglas then returns to Baltimore, death of grandmother Master Thomas Auld and Mistress Rowena Hamilton: Thomas is Captain Lloyd’s son-in-law, remarried to Rowena)
Douglas attempted to escape from Master Thomas but fails – sent to a “nigger breaker” (Mr. Covey) to cure Douglas of his obstinance.
Chapter 11: successful escape to Massachusetts and what life is like as a free black man in the North
Written By Himself
Fredrick Douglas was born a slave around 1817 (no specific date known) on the Eastern Shore of Maryland. He spent much of his childhood and young adulthood working in Baltimore and Talbot County. He worked in various venues including a small farm, a larger plantation, and a shipyard. Douglas learned the alphabet from his mistress Mrs. Hugh in the mid-1830s and taught himself how to read and write while living in Baltimore. In 1838, he escaped from slavery to Massachusetts by “borrowing a Negro sailor’s ‘protection’ papers and impersonating him.” In 1841, Douglas got involved in the antislavery movement and began touring and speaking at various events around the country and abroad. He published Narrative of the Life of Fredrick Douglas in 1845.
The Narrative sold 5,000 copies in the first four month after publication. Another 8.000 were sold in the first year of publication. It was also republished in the British Isles and by 1850 more than 30,000 copies were published in the United States and the British Isles.
On February 25, 1895, Fredrick Douglas died of a heart attack in Washington DC.
(Information taken from introduction of Narrative by Benjamin Quarles and Chronology of Douglas’ life – edition edited by B. Quarles for The Belknap Press of Harvard University Press, pg. vii – xxvi)
* * *
We will be reading sections of the Narrative over the next couple of days to get a first-hand perspective of life as an American slave. You will have three reading assignments and the following day there will be a brief reading quiz before we begin class discussion. As you will not be reading the entire narrative, there will be some gaps in the timeline and some names you will not recognize. I have attempted to put together a good reference sheet for you, but I would like you to focus less on individuals and more on the events experienced by Douglas. With that being said, however, you should at least be able to recognize names and places so you can perform well on the reading quizzes and foster effective discussion during class.
* * *
Assignments
Tuesday, January 11: Chapters 1 and 2 (Group 1 – discuss on Wed.)
Wednesday, January 12: Chapters 6 and 7 (Group 2 – discussion on Thurs.)
Thursday, January 13: Chapter 8 and 11 (don’t get bogged down in 11 – just want you to know what happens at the end) (Group 3 – discussion on Fri.)
Chapter 1: background information on Douglas and what he knows about his family, life as a child slave, describes the whipping of Aunt Hester
Captain Anthony: first master, clerk and superintendent of Colonel Edward Lloyd
Mr. Plummer: Anthony’s overseer (took care of farm and slaves, usually when master was an absente owner)
Chapter 2: life as a plantation slave
Colonel Edward Lloyd: large plantation (and slave) owner, father-in-law of Mr. Thomas Auld
Mr. Severe: Lloyd’s overseer
M. Hopkins: replaces Severe as overseer after Severe’s death
**Moves from Colonel Lloyd’s plantation to Baltimore. Douglas works for Mr. Hugh Auld (brother of Thomas Auld, Lloyd’s son-in-law) and Mistress Mrs. Sophia Auld,
Chapter 6: importance of education to a slave, life of a city slave vs. life of a rural slave
Mrs. Sophia Auld: mistress, teaches Douglas ABC’s
Chapter 7: Douglas learns to read and write and the impact it has on him, understanding the term “abolition,” thinks about the possibility of running away
Master Thomas Auld: son of Hugh and Sophia Auld, Douglas’ new master and mistress
Chapter 8: Douglas returns to Lloyd plantation (Mrs. Lucretia Auld new mistress), description of a “valuation,” Douglas then returns to Baltimore, death of grandmother
Master Thomas Auld and Mistress Rowena Hamilton: Thomas is Captain Lloyd’s son-in-law, remarried to Rowena)
- Douglas attempted to escape from Master Thomas but fails – sent to a “nigger breaker” (Mr. Covey) to cure Douglas of his obstinance.
Chapter 11: successful escape to Massachusetts and what life is like as a free black man in the North