The Legacy of Frederick Douglass

The Legacy of Frederick Douglass

By ReadWorks

FrederickDouglassneverknewhisexactbirthdate.Heneverknewhisfather,either,
thoughwhispersinthehallsofhisslavemastershomepointedtotheMasterhimself.Heonly
sawhismotherfourorfivetimesinhislife;hewasforciblyseparatedfromheratayoungage.
Allofthesethings,heexplains,wereusedasameanstokeeptheslaveignorant,andtokeep
theslavemasterinpower.
HewasbornFrederickAugustusWashingtonBaileyinTalbotCounty,Maryland,in
approximately1818.HedescribeshisearlylifeasonetypicaloftheAmericanslave.He
witnessedviolentbeatingsofallslaves,regardlessoftheirageorsex.Whenhewasjustseven
yearsold,DouglasswassenttoworkforHughAuld,ashipcarpenter,inBaltimore.Livingin
thecity,insteadofattheplantation,awardedDouglasscertainfreedoms.Mostimportantly,
AuldswifetaughtDouglasstoreadandwritedespiteabanonteachingslavestoreadand
write,untilAuldeventuallyforbadeit.
Evenatayoungage,Douglassunderstoodthevalueofeducationandknowledge.Over
thecourseofhistimeinBaltimore,hesucceededinlearningbywhatevermeansnecessary.
Sometimeshepaidhungrywhitechildreninpiecesofbreadforreadinglessons.
Whenhewasfifteen,Douglasswassentbacktotheplantationandreturnedtoalifeof
hardshipandstruggle.Hebegantoresistslaveryinearnest,believingittobetyrannicaland
unjustinnature.Shortlyafterward,hewashiredouttoEdwardCovey,amanwitha
reputationforbreakingdisobedientslaves.Douglassenduredayearofbeatingsandtorture
thatculminatedinafistfightbetweenthetwomen.Coveylostthefightandneverlaidahand
onDouglassagain.Douglasswasthenhiredouttoanotherlandowner,WilliamFreeland.
UnderFreeland,DouglassbegantoteachotherslaveshowtoreadtheNewTestament
ataweeklychurchservice.Througheducation,Douglassbelieved,thesystemofslaverycould
bechangedandeventuallyeradicated.FreelanddidnotinterferewithDouglasssclasses,but
slaveownersatnearbyplantationsdidnotapprove.
Douglassbelievedthathe,andallslaves,shouldbefree,buthealsorealizedthatliberty
couldnotbeattainedsimplybyhopingforit.Heattemptedtoescapefromslaverytwice
beforehesucceeded.Inhisfinal,andsuccessfulattempt,hewasassistedbyafreedblack
womaninBaltimorenamedAnnaMurraywithwhomhehadfalleninlove.
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The Legacy of Frederick Douglass

HehatchedaplantoescapewhenhewashiredouttoworkataBaltimoreshipyardfor
wages.Murrayprovidedhimwithasailorsuniformandsomemoney,andDouglasscarried
identificationpapersobtainedfromafreeblackseaman.HeheadedtoasafehouseinNew
York,andbeganhislifeasafreeman.
DouglassmarriedMurrayandthetwomovedtoNewBedford,Massachusetts.Thearea
hadalargefreedblackcommunity,andDouglassjoinedablackchurchandbegantoget
involvedintheabolitionistmovement.Additionally,hesubscribedtoWilliamLloydGarrisons
abolitionistjournalTheLiberator.Garrisonwasalikemindedindividual,believingnotonlyin
thefreedomofslaves,butadvocatingfortherightsofwomen.
Withencouragementfromotherabolitionists,Douglassbegantosharehisstory,and
eventuallycametospeakatabolitionistmeetings.Garrisonsawhimtalkatameetingand
wroteabouthiminTheLiberator,describinghiscourageandbravery.SoonDouglassbecamea
wellknownspeakeronthetyrannicalsystemofslavery.
GarrisonencouragedDouglasstodocumenthisstrugglesasaslave.Aftermuchurging
fromtheabolitionistcommunity,Douglasspennedhisfirstautobiography,titledNarrativeof
theLifeofFrederickDouglass,anAmericanSlave,in1845.Overthecourseofhislife,Douglass
wouldeditandexpandonhisautobiography,publishingMyBondageandMyFreedomin1855
andLifeandTimesofFrederickDouglassin1881(herevisedthelatterin1892).
FameforanexslaveinabolitionaryAmericawasadangerousthing.Afterthe
publicationofhisfirstautobiography,Douglassfearedretributionandfledthecountrytotour
IrelandandpartsofEurope.UponhisreturntotheStates,Douglassfoundthathisviewshad
divergedfromthoseofGarrison.
Garrisonwasamoreradicalthinkerintheabolitionistmovement.Hebelievedthatthe
dissolutionoftheUnionwasnecessaryfortheintegrationofslavesintosociety,andthatthe
Constitutionwas,byitsverynature,proslavery.Douglass,ontheotherhand,believedthat
thecrumblingoftheUnionwouldisolateandalienateslavesintheSouth.
Inadditiontospeakingagainstslavery,DouglassenrichedthelivesofblackAmericansin
otherways,too.Heencouragededucation,andevencounseledAbrahamLincolnduringthe
CivilWar,recruitingnorthernblacksfortheUnionarmy.
BythetimetheCivilWarbegan,Douglasshadbecomeoneofthemostfamousblack
meninAmerica.DespiteconferringwithLincolnabouttheabolitionofslavery,Douglass
ultimatelysupportedLincolnsopponentinthe1864election,JohnC.Fremont.Although
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The Legacy of Frederick Douglass

LincolnsEmancipationProclamationdeclaredthefreedomofallslavesinConfederate
territory,DouglassdidnotapproveofLincolnsdecisionnottoendorsesuffrage,orvoting
rights,forblackAmericans.
FollowingtheendoftheCivilWar,theabolitionofslaverywiththeratificationofthe
ThirteenthAmendmenttotheConstitution,andLincolnsdeath,Douglasscontinuedto
improvetherightsofbothblacksandAmericanwomen.Hebelievedthatdespitetheabolition
ofslavery,thewrongsofmypeoplewerenotended.
Heheldanumberofsignificantandinfluentialpositionsduringthisperiod.Hewas
appointedtotheDistrictofColumbiascitycouncilandservedasapresidentialdelegatefor
theRepublicanpartyofNewYork.Hebecamethefirstblackpersonnominatedasvice
presidentoftheUnitedStates,asVictoriaWoodhullsrunningmate,in1872.Hewas
nominatedwithouthisknowledgeorconsent.
Douglassbecameoneofthemostinfluentialandsuccessfulblackmenofhistime.His
life,speeches,andwrittenworksspeaktothestrifeassociatedwithbeingablackAmerican
beforeandafterabolition.
Hismessageguidedmanyblackmenandwomenlongafterhisdeath.Heinsistedthat
AfricanAmericansmust"makethebestofbothworldsbuttomakethebestofthisworld
firstbecauseitcomesfirst,andhislegacycontinueseventothisday.

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Questions: The Legacy of Frederick Douglass

Name:

Date: _______________________

1. According to the text, what had Douglass become by the time the Civil War began?
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2. The text describes the sequence of key events in Frederick Douglass's life. When did
Douglass escape slavery?
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3. Douglass understood the value of education and knowledge, even when he was
young.
What evidence from the text supports this statement?
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4. Why was Douglass probably sent to work for Edward Covey, a man who was known
for breaking disobedient slaves?
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Questions: The Legacy of Frederick Douglass

5. What is this text mostly about?

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6. Read the sentences and answer the question.
"Garrison encouraged Douglass to document his struggles as a slave. After much urging
from the abolitionist community, Douglass penned his first autobiography, titled
'Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave,' in 1845."
What does the word document mean as used in the text?
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7. What word or phrase best completes the sentence?
Douglass believed that education was important; ________, he taught other slaves how
to read the New Testament at a weekly church service.
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Questions: The Legacy of Frederick Douglass

8. Identify two ways Douglass fought for the rights of slaves before and during the Civil
War.
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9. Why did Frederick Douglass write his first autobiography?
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10. Even at a young age, Frederick Douglass understood the value of education and
knowledge. How did this understanding impact his life? Use information from the text to
support your answer.
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