Frederick_Douglass

Frederick Douglass OUTLINE I. Frederick Douglass in Context of Period A. Child Slave 1. Sired by White Man 2. Separated from family at early age 3. Witnessed beatings a. Was beaten 4. Exhibited natural “flair with words” B. Servant for the Auld Family 1. Learned to read and write 2. Mrs. Auld admonished for reading lessons C. Consequences of “literate Slave” 1. More grave than murder 2. Slave who reads poses danger to system II Escape from Servitude A. Identification 1. description: slave’s likeness to free slave 2. Soliciting aid from free slave B. Train station 1. Disguised as sailor 2. Confrontation with conductor a. Douglass’ gift to gab handy here 3. Hiding face from others who can identify him 4. Unexpected “help” from white man a. White man remains quiet C. Transfer in Delaware 1. Arrival in Philadelphia 2. Arrival in NYC a. Free man Frederick Douglass, an ex-slave, was one of the foremost leaders of the movements to abolish slavery in the United States in the decades prior to the Civil War. By birth a black man, but presumed to be sired by his mother’s owner, Douglass grew up to show a natural gift of silver-tongued oratory (Douglass 1846). Douglass became recognized when his autobiography was publicized in 1845. Two years later he began publishing an antislavery paper called the North Star, in Rochester, New York (Douglass douglass, slave, 1881, frederick, auld, read, free, one, escape, papers, very, train, state, slavery, maryland, himself, 1846, write, told, sophia, man, learned, hugh, colored, white, trying, time, slaves, paper, new, master, life, freedom, children, car, called, baltimore, york, upon, son, said, reading, reached, provided, plantation, philadelphia, persons, people, owner, natural