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The Birth of Frederick Douglass
Frederick Augustus Washington Bailey was born a slave in Tuckahoe, Talbot County, Maryland.His mother was a slave and he rarely got to see her. His father a white man, rumored to be his master, Aaron Anthony. -
A New Owner
Frederick Douglass is soon sent to Baltimore to live with Hugh Auld and his wife Sophia. His His master, Aaron Anthony, dies late in the year; Frederick becomes the property of Thomas Auld, Anthony's son-in-law, but Thomas Auld sends Frederick back to Hugh Auld. -
Help Him Read
Douglass asks his mistress, Sophia Auld to teach him the basics of how to read. She agrees and begins to teach him until Hugh Auld stops her, believing that if he knew how to read he'll begin to want to escape and become more rebellious. -
Got To Do It Myself
1829-1830
He works in the shipyard as general assistant. Douglass begins to teach himself how to read in secret. He tricks little white kids into showing him their workbooks and other school related things. -
Learning the Truth
He reads a newspaper article on John Quincy Adams's antislavery petitions in Congress and learns about the abolitionist movement. He later then buys a copy of The Columbian Orator, with which he hones his reading and speaking skills. -
Breaking
Auld rents him to a farmer named Edward Covey who has a reputation for breaking young slaves. During the time Douglass lived with Covey he was beaten several times until he fianlly fought back. Covey never beat him after that, but he sadly won and Frederick Douglass was left broken. -
Freedom
Frederick, borrowing papers from a free black sailor, escapes from the horrible slavery and into New York where he changes his name to Frederick Johnson. -
Bride and Groom
On September 15, 1838, Frederick Douglass marries Anna Murray who is a free woman. The ceremony is preformed by minister James W.C. Pennington, who is also an escaped Maryland slave. -
Speaking My Thoughts
In 1841, Frederick Douglass spoke at an antislavery meeting in New Bedford, Massachusetts. He speaks about his life as a slave at an Antislavery Society convention. William Lloyd Garrison follows his remarks with a speech of his own, encouraging Douglass. The Society is impressed by Frederick's speak and Douglass becomes closely allied with Garrison and his abolitionist views. -
Soldiers
Douglass becomes a recruiter for the 54th Massachusetts Infantry, the first regiment of African-American soldiers; his sons Lewis and Charles join the regiment. Soon Frederick Douglass Jr. joins his brothers at war. It is estimated that about 180,000 African Americans served in the Civil War in 1861 on the Union side. -
Sudden Death
Douglass speaks at a meeting of the National Council of Women in Washington D.C, where he suddenly dies of heart faliure while describing the details of the meeting with his wife.
