The Story Behind Frederick Douglass Tells About His Life as a Slave

Frederick Douglass was born into the shackles of slavery on a Maryland plantation around 1818. His story, like many of those born into slavery, is one of indignity, oppression, and cruelty. The story behind Frederick Douglass is a remarkable journey from a slave to a pioneering abolitionist.

Let’s hear from Douglass as he states in his autobiography:

Here, Douglass sets the stage for us, giving us a feel regarding the environment in which he was born. He makes it clear that a slave is considered the master’s property, nullifying any thought or hope of equality between the two. The master, then, has the right to beat his slave, sell him, or hire him out. If he were to kill his slave, he would not be held for murder or manslaughter. It would not be considered a crime. The story behind Frederick Douglass continues to bespeak hardship and tragedy.

Douglass' aunt,  Aunt Hester, also lived on the plantation with him. She disobeyed their master, who told her not to go out one evening. However, she went out one night to meet a young man. The master discovered that Aunt Hester was missing and, when she returned, took her into the kitchen. There, he made her strip from neck to waist, tied her hands with a rope, made her stand on a stool, and placed the rope on a large hook on a joist.

Douglass relates that the master started to whip her with a heavy cow skin until the blood from her back dripped onto the floor. He continues by stating that “The louder she screamed, the harder he whipped; and where the blood ran fastest, there he whipped longest. He would whip her to make her scream, and whip her to make her hush; and not until overcome by fatigue, would he cease to swing the blood-clotted cowskin.” (16)

The Story Behind Frederick Douglass
Tells of His Parents

Most of us know our parents and are loved by them. We can relate fond memories with them, whether going on fun vacations or spending holidays with relatives and grandparents. We can talk about the many games we played with peers and the laughter that wafted skyward.

This was not the case with Douglass or other enslaved individuals. Often, bondsmen and bondswomen knew little or nothing of their parents. Douglass says, “My father was a white man . . . The opinion was also whispered that my master was my father; but of the correctness of this opinion, I know nothing; the means of knowing was withheld from me. My mother and I were separated when I was but an infant—before I knew her as my mother.” (14)

Douglass believes it is the practice to separate the child from the mother before the child is one year of age. The child is then put into the care of an older woman who is too old for fieldwork. He speculates this separation is to prevent the child from establishing a strong bond with the mother and destroy the natural affection of the mother for the child as much as possible.

The Story Behind Frederick Douglas 
Shows His Passion for Education

Douglass' passion for education drove him to learn to read by watching and interacting with his master’s children. The master’s wife even taught him the alphabet but stopped when her husband became angry and forbade her to continue teaching a slave. 

However, Douglass was determined to educate himself. By using “bread as payment, he employed little white boys in the city streets to secretly continue his instruction and help him become truly literate (“How Did Frederick Douglass Learn to Read? - ENotes.com”).”

Douglass was convinced that the route from slavery to freedom was through education.

Find out more about How Frederick Douglass learned to read.

The Story Behind Frederick Douglass 
Includes his Escape to Freedom

At the age of 20, Douglass disguised himself as a sailor and traveled from Baltimore, Maryland to New York. There, he was free, and there, he shared his story of slavery with crowds. He gave moving speeches and published his autobiography, Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave. His storytelling of his journey from bondage to freedom was masterful, and his intellect was undeniable. His narrative became a powerful tool against slavery and a classic contribution to American literature. 

Douglass founded the North Star, an abolitionist newspaper. In this paper, he campaigned continuously for equality and the end of slavery. In addition, Douglass became an advocate for the education and integration of African Americans into American society. Beyond his work as an abolitionist, Douglass was a symbol of hope for many causes. He fought for women’s rights, participating in the historic Seneca Falls Convention. 

Although Douglass was committed to the equality of Black Americans, after his first wife died, he married a white woman named Helen Pitts. As could be expected at the time, this sparked significant controversy. However, this part of the story behind Frederick Douglass paints a complex picture of a man who was constantly challenging societal norms.

What is the story behind Frederick Douglass, such an iconic figure? The narrative is about a man’s rise from a devastating childhood. It’s a testament to the power of perseverance and the relentless fight for justice and inclusion. 

The story behind Frederick Douglass is not just one of personal triumph. His narrative today still inspires reform, highlighting that all people deserve freedom and equality. As you understand his journey through his essays and autobiography, we honor a man whose every fiber of his being embraced the spirit of Black America whose voice remains strong enough to inspire generations.

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