Frederick Douglass
"If there is no struggle, there is no progress"- Douglass
The Early Life of Frederick Douglass
He was born into slavery in February in 1818. He was born as Frederick Augustus Washington Bailey. He was separated at infancy from is mother, Harriet Baily. She walked 12 miles to see him but only for a few hours at a time at night and then walked back to her "home" 12 miles. His mom died when he was about 7 years old. He escaped slavery at the age of 20. As a kid, he wasn't allowed to have much of a childhood. He never saw or even knew his father. He was forced to work hard (probably to hard for a kid) and suffered extreme and cruel treatment while working on the property of Captain Aaron Anthony. In 1825, Douglass was sold into Biltmore to a man named Hugh Auld and his family. He died at 77 yeas old on February 20, 1895. He was taught how to read by his slave owners wife's, sister-in-law even though it was wrong and illegal. Then he learned how to read by trading his food to poor and homeless white kids (as in a bribe).
Against Slavery
Frederick Douglass was against slavery. Once his owners illegally taught him to read, it was through reading that Douglass’ feelings against slavery began to take shape. He read newspapers all the time, and tried to read books about politics as much as possible. In later years, Douglass said "The Columbian Orator" helped clarify and defining his views on human rights. Douglass shared his knowledge with other enslaved people. Hired out to William Freeland, he taught other slaves on the plantation to read the New Testament at a weekly church services.
"Knowledge makes a man unfit to be a slave" - Frederick Douglass
I Did Not Know I Was a Slave
Douglass moved between working for the Auld family, and was later made to work for Edward Covey, who had a reputation as a "slave-breaker.” Covey’s constant abuse nearly broke down the 16-year-old Douglass psychologically. Eventually, Douglass soon started to fight back, which he wrote about in his autobiography. After losing a fight Douglass, Covey never beat him again
Exposing Slavery for What it Really Was
Frederick Douglass was asked to tell his story at abolitionist meetings, where he became a regular anti-slavery lecturer. William Lloyd Garrison was impressed with Douglass’ strength and ability to speak, and wrote about him in The Liberator. Several days after the story ran, Douglass delivered his first speech at the Massachusetts Anti-Slavery Society's annual convention in Nantucket.
The Importance of Education
At the urging of William Lloyd Garrison, Douglass wrote and published his first autobiography, Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave, in 1845. The book was a bestseller in the United States and was translated into several European languages.
"It is easier to build strong children than to repair broken men" - Frederick Douglass
Major Accomplishments
*Human rights activist;
*Spoke out in favor of many issues, such as women's rights and the anti-slavery movement;
*Author of bestselling books written about his experiences as a slave;
*Producer of newspapers;
*Advised US Presidents about human rights issues taking place in the country
*Politician and US ambassador to other countries;
*First African-American to be selected as a Vice-Presidential candidate
Citations:
http://www.biography.com/people/frederick-douglass-9278324
http://www.math.buffalo.edu/~sww/0history/hwny-douglass-family.html