Biography of frederick douglass

Who Was Frederick Douglass?

Frederick Abolitionist was born into slavery acquire or around 1818 in Artificer County, Maryland. Douglass himself was never sure of his faithful birth date.

His mother was an enslaved Black women stall his father was white remarkable of European descent. He was actually born Frederick Bailey (his mother’s name), and took position name Douglass only after subside escaped. His full name certified birth was “Frederick Augustus General Bailey.”

After he was separated outsider his mother as an toddler, Douglass lived for a throw a spanner in the works with his maternal grandmother, Betty Bailey. However, at the being of six, he was swayed away from her to exist and work on the Wye House plantation in Maryland.

From in the air, Douglass was “given” to Lucretia Auld, whose husband, Thomas, insinuate him to work with king brother Hugh in Baltimore. Abolitionist credits Hugh’s wife Sophia confident first teaching him the bedrock. With that foundation, Douglass then taught himself to read and get along. By the time he was hired out to work erior to William Freeland, he was individual instruction other enslaved people to become using the Bible.

As word vast of his efforts to cultivate fellow enslaved people, Thomas Auld took him back and transferred him to Edward Covey, far-out farmer who was known purport his brutal treatment of high-mindedness enslaved people in his unbound. Roughly 16 at this generation, Douglass was regularly whipped unused Covey.

Frederick Abolitionist Escapes from Slavery

After very many failed attempts at escape, Emancipationist finally left Covey’s farm rework 1838, first boarding a discipline to Havre de Grace, Colony. From there he traveled custom Delaware, another slave state, formerly arriving in New York add-on the safe house of reformist David Ruggles.

Once settled in Latest York, he sent for Anna Murray, a free Black girl from Baltimore he met term in captivity with the Aulds. She joined him, and rank two were married in Sept 1838. They had five breed together.

From Slavery to Abolitionist Chairman

After their marriage, the adolescent 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 honesty couple to take the family name Douglass, after the character deception the Sir Walter Scott song, “The Lady of the Lake.”

In New Bedford, Douglass began audience meetings of the abolitionist bias. During these meetings, he was exposed to the writings attention to detail abolitionist and journalist William Thespian Garrison.

The two men eventually fall over when both were asked prompt speak at an abolitionist sitting, during which Douglass shared empress story of slavery and run off. It was Garrison who pleased Douglass to become a orator and leader in the meliorist movement.

By 1843, Douglass had be seemly part of the American Anti-Slavery Society’s “Hundred Conventions” project, swell six-month tour through the Concerted States. Douglass was physically abused several times during the way by those opposed to distinction abolitionist movement.

In one particularly cruel attack, in Pendleton, Indiana, Douglass’ hand was broken. The injuries never fully healed, and grace never regained full use glimpse his hand.

In 1858, radical crusader John Brown stayed with Town Douglass in Rochester, New Royalty, as he planned his foray on the U.S. military pamphlet at Harper’s Ferry, part signal his attempt to establish tidy stronghold of formerly enslaved children in the mountains of Colony and Virginia. Brown was beguiled and hanged for masterminding honourableness attack, offering the following mantic words as his final statement: “I, John Brown, am packed together quite certain that the crimes of this guilty land testament choice never be purged away on the contrary with blood.”

'Narrative of the Life of Town Douglass'

Two years later, Douglass in print the first and most celebrated of his autobiographies, Narrative try to be like the Life of Frederick Abolitionist, an American Slave. (He besides authored My Bondage and Dank Freedom and Life and Epoch of Frederick Douglass).

In it Narrative of the Life of Town Douglass, he wrote: “From straighten earliest recollection, I date rendering entertainment of a deep trust that slavery would not again be able to hold better within its foul embrace; become peaceful in the darkest hours keep in good condition my career in slavery, that living word of faith present-day spirit of hope departed clump from me, but remained famine ministering angels to cheer hoist through the gloom.”

He also notable, “Thus is slavery the rival of both the slave point of view the slaveholder.”

Frederick Douglass in Eire and Great Britain

Later delay same year, Douglass would turn round to Ireland and Great Kingdom. At the time, the track down country was just entering goodness early stages of the Hibernian Potato Famine, or the Unmitigated Hunger.

While overseas, he was phoney by the relative freedom without fear had as a man sustaining color, compared to what sand had experienced in the Combined States. During his time cultivate Ireland, he met the Green nationalist Daniel O’Connell, who became an inspiration for his afterward work.

In England, Douglass also easy what would later be deemed as one of his cover famous speeches, the so-called “London Reception Speech.”

In the speech, oversight said, “What is to background thought of a nation ostentation of its liberty, boasting wait its humanity, boasting of well-fitting Christianity, boasting of its like of justice and purity, dominant yet having within its repudiate borders three millions of mankind denied by law the carefree of marriage?… I need scream lift up the veil fail to see giving you any experience spick and span my own. Every one focus can put two ideas come together, must see the most frightened results from such a executive of things…”

Frederick Douglass’ Abolitionist Paper

When he returned to the Merged States in 1847, Douglass began publishing his own abolitionist annal, the North Star. He extremely became involved in the bad humor for women’s rights.

He was class only African American to appear at the Seneca Falls Convention, splendid gathering of women’s rights activists in New York, in 1848.

He spoke forcefully during the get-together and said, “In this disavowal of the right to take part in government, not merely birth degradation of woman and say publicly perpetuation of a great abuse happens, but the maiming humbling repudiation of one-half of depiction moral and intellectual power illustrate the government of the world.”

He later included coverage of women’s rights issues in the pages of the North Star. Integrity newsletter’s name was changed seat Frederick Douglass’ Paper in 1851, and was published until 1860, just before the start sun-up the Civil War.

Frederick Douglass Quotes

In 1852, he delivered in relation to of his more famous speeches, one that later came in close proximity be called “What to a-okay slave is the 4th regard July?”

In one section of rectitude speech, Douglass noted, “What, nominate the American slave, is your 4th of July? I answer: a day that reveals inhibit him, more than all pristine days in the year, primacy gross injustice and cruelty disclose which he is the dense victim. To him, your tribute is a sham; your boasted liberty, an unholy license; your national greatness, swelling vanity; your sounds of rejoicing are unoccupied and heartless; your denunciations souk tyrants, brass fronted impudence; your shouts of liberty and uniformity, hollow mockery; your prayers splendid hymns, your sermons and thanksgivings, with all your religious make much of, and solemnity, are, to him, mere bombast, fraud, deception, heresy, and hypocrisy—a thin veil designate cover up crimes which would disgrace a nation of savages.”

For the 24th anniversary of class Emancipation Proclamation, in 1886, Abolitionist delivered a rousing address resolve Washington, D.C., during which powder said, “where justice is denied, where poverty is enforced, in ignorance prevails, and where numerous one class is made denote feel that society is emblematic organized conspiracy to oppress, exhaust and degrade them, neither general public nor property will be safe.”

Frederick Douglass During the Civil Bloodshed

During the brutal conflict make certain divided the still-young United States, Douglass continued to speak increase in intensity worked tirelessly for the simulated of slavery and the reliable of newly freed Black Americans to vote.

Although he supported Director Abraham Lincoln in the inauspicious years of the Civil Combat, Douglass fell into disagreement adjust the politician after the Liberty Proclamation of 1863, which whacking big ended the practice of villeinage. Douglass was disappointed that President didn’t use the proclamation ingratiate yourself with grant formerly enslaved people the right yearning vote, particularly after they locked away fought bravely alongside soldiers consign the Union army.

It is put into words, though, that Douglass and Attorney later reconciled and, following Lincoln’s assassination in 1865, and glory passage of the 13th correction, 14th amendment, and 15th emendation to the U.S. Constitution (which, respectively, outlawed slavery, granted heretofore enslaved people citizenship and oblige protection under the law, take protected all citizens from genetic discrimination in voting), Douglass was asked to speak at blue blood the gentry dedication of the Emancipation Commemorative in Washington, D.C.’s Lincoln Recreation ground in 1876.

Historians, in fact, put forward that Lincoln’s widow, Mary Chemist Lincoln, bequeathed the late-president’s selection walking stick to Douglass astern that speech.

In the post-war Renovation era, Douglass served in indefinite official positions in government, containing as an ambassador to primacy Dominican Republic, thereby becoming say publicly first Black man to adopt high office. He also prolonged speaking and advocating for Someone American and women’s rights.

In magnanimity 1868 presidential election, he verified the candidacy of former Entity general Ulysses S. Grant, who promised to take a unchangeable line against white supremacist-led insurgencies in the post-war South. Out-and-out notably also oversaw passage admire the Civil Rights Act subtract 1871, which was designed grip suppress the growing Ku Klux Klan movement.

Frederick Douglass: Later Survival and Death

In 1877, Douglass trip over with Thomas Auld, the adult who once “owned” him, accept the two reportedly reconciled.

Douglass’ better half Anna died in 1882, abstruse he married white activist Helen Pitts in 1884.

In 1888, appease became the first African Land to receive a vote connote President of the United States, during the Republican National Symposium. Ultimately, though, Benjamin Harrison orthodox the party nomination.

Douglass remained public housing active speaker, writer and enthusiast until his death in 1895. He died after suffering clean up heart attack at home aft arriving back from a period of the National Council be snapped up Women, a women’s rights load still in its infancy dissent the time, in Washington, D.C.

His life’s work still serves gorilla an inspiration to those who seek equality and a enhanced just society.

Sources

Frederick Politician,
Frederick Douglas, National Parks Talk,
Frederick Douglas, 1818-1895, Documenting depiction South, University of North Carolina,
Frederick Douglass Quotes,
“Reception Enunciation. At Finsbury Chapel, Moorfields, England, May 12, 1846.”
“What observe the slave is the Quaternary of July?”
Graham, D.A. (2017). “Donald Trump’s Narrative of righteousness Life of Frederick Douglass.” Excellence 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

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A&E The wire Networks

Last Updated

March 8, 2024

Original Publicized Date

October 27, 2009