Life and times of Frederick Douglass

Author’s place of birth--Description of country--Its inhabitants--Genealogical trees--Method of counting time in slave districts--Date of author’s birth--Names of grandparents--...

Author’s early home--Its charms--Author’s ignorance of “old master”--His gradual perception of the truth concerning him-- His relations to Col. Edward Lloyd--Author’s removal to...

Col. Lloyd’s plantation--Aunt Katy--Her cruelty and ill-nature-- Capt. Anthony’s partiality to Aunt Katy--Allowance of food-- Author’s hunger--Unexpected rescue by his mother--T...

Home plantation of Colonel Lloyd--Its isolation--Its industries-- The slave rule--Power of overseers--Author finds some enjoyment--Natural scenery--Sloop “Sally Lloyd”--Wind mil...

Increasing acquaintance with old master--Evils of unresisted passion--Apparent tenderness--A man of trouble--Custom of muttering to himself--Brutal outrage--A drunken overseer--...

The author’s early reflections on slavery--Aunt Jennie and Uncle Noah--Presentiment of one day becoming a freeman--Conflict between an overseer and a slave woman--Advantage of r...

Austin Gore--Sketch of his character--Overseers as a class-- Their peculiar characteristics--The marked individuality of Austin Gore--His sense of duty--Murder of poor Denby-- S...

Miss Lucretia--Her kindness--How it was manifested--“Ike”-- A battle with him--Miss Lucretia’s balsam--Bread--How it was obtained--Gleams of sunset amidst the general darkness--...

City annoyances--Plantation regrets--My mistress--Her history-- Her kindness--My master--His sourness--My comforts--Increased sensitiveness--My occupation--Learning to read--Ban...

My mistress--Her slaveholding duties--Their effects on her originally noble nature--The conflict in her mind--She opposes my learning to read--Too late--She had given me the “in...

Abolitionists spoken of--Eagerness to know the meaning of the word--Consults the dictionary--Incendiary information--The enigma solved--“Nat Turner” insurrection--Cholera--Relig...

Death of old Master’s son Richard, speedily followed by that of old Master--Valuation and division of all the property, including the slaves--Sent for to come to Hillsborough to...

St. Michaels and its inhabitants--Capt. Auld--His new wife-- Sufferings from hunger--Forced to steal--Argument in vindication thereof--Southern camp-meeting--What Capt. Auld did...

Journey to Covey’s--Meditations by the way--Covey’s house-- Family--Awkwardness as a field hand--A cruel beating--Why given--Description of Covey--First attempt at driving oxen-...

Experience at Covey’s summed up--First six months severer than the remaining six--Preliminaries to the change--Reasons for narrating the circumstances--Scene in the treading-yar...

A sleepless night--Return to Covey’s--Punished by him--The chase defeated--Vengeance postponed--Musings in the woods-- The alternative--Deplorable spectacle--Night in the woods-...

Change of masters--Benefits derived by change--Fame of the fight with Covey--Reckless unconcern--Author’s abhorence of slavery-- Ability to read a cause of prejudice--The holida...

New Year’s thoughts and meditations--Again hired by Freeland-- Kindness no compensation for slavery--Incipient steps toward escape--Considerations leading thereto--Hostility to...

Nothing lost in my attempt to run away--Comrades at home--Reasons for sending me away--Return to Baltimore--Tommy changed-- Caulking in Gardiner’s ship yard--Desperate fight--It...

Closing incidents in my “Life as a Slave”--Discontent-- Suspicions--Master’s generosity--Difficulties in the way of escape--Plan to obtain money--Allowed to hire my time--A glea...

Reasons for not having revealed the manner of escape--Nothing of romance in the method--Danger--Free Papers--Unjust tax-- Protection papers--“Free trade and sailors’ rights”--Am...

Loneliness and insecurity--“Allender’s Jake”--Succored by a sailor--David Ruggles--Marriage--Steamer J. W. Richmond-- Stage to New Bedford--Arrival there--Driver’s detention of...

Danger to be averted--A refuge sought abroad--Voyage on the steamship Cambria--Refusal of first-class passage--Attractions of the forecastle-deck--Hutchinson family--Invited to...

New Experiences--Painful Disagreement of Opinion with old Friends--Final Decision to Publish my Paper in Rochester--Its Fortunes and its Friends--Change in my own Views Regardin...

Proclamation of emancipation--Its reception in Boston--Objections brought against it--Its effect on the country--Interview with President Lincoln--New York riots--Re-election of...

Satisfaction and anxiety, new fields of labor opening--Lyceums and colleges soliciting addresses--Literary attractions--Pecuniary gain--Still pleading for human rights--Presiden...

The Santo Domingo controversy--Decoration day at Arlington, 1871--Speech delivered there--National colored convention at New Orleans, 1872--Elector at large for the State of New...

Return to the “old master”--A last interview--Capt. Auld’s admission “had I been in your place, I should have done as you did”--Speech at Easton--The old jail there--Invited to...

Hon. Gerrit Smith and Mr. E. C. Delevan--Experiences at Hotels and on Steamboats and other modes of travel--Hon. Edward Marshall-- Grace Greenwood--Hon. Moses Norris--Rob’t J. I...

Just what this country has in store to benefit or to startle the world in the future, no tongue can tell. We know full well the wonderful things which have occurred or have been...

Author’s place of birth--Description of country--Its Inhabitants-- Genealogical trees--Method of counting time in slave districts-- Date of author’s birth--Names of grandparents...

Author’s early home--Its charms--Author’s ignorance of “old master”-- His gradual perception of the truth concerning him--His relations to Col. Edward Lloyd--Author’s removal to...

Col. Lloyd’s plantation--Aunt Katy--Her cruelty and ill-nature-- Capt. Anthony’s partiality to Aunt Katy--Allowance of food-- Author’s hunger--Unexpected rescue by his mother--T...

Home Plantation of Colonel Lloyd--Its Isolation--Its Industries-- The Slave Rule--Power of Overseers--Author finds some Enjoyment-- Natural Scenery--Sloop “Sally Lloyd”--Wind Mi...

Increasing acquaintance with old Master--Evils of unresisted passion-- Apparent tenderness--A man of trouble--Custom of muttering to himself--Brutal outrage--A drunken overseer-...

The author’s early reflections on Slavery--Aunt Jennie and Uncle Noah--Presentiment of one day becoming a freeman--Conflict between an overseer and a slave woman--Advantage of r...

The close-fisted stinginess that fed the poor slave on coarse corn-meal and tainted meat, that clothed him in crashy tow-linen and hurried him on to toil through the field in al...

Austin Gore--Sketch of his character--Overseers as a class--Their peculiar characteristics--The marked individuality of Austin Gore-- His sense of duty--Murder of poor Denby--Se...

Miss Lucretia--Her kindness--How it was manifested--“Ike”--A battle with him--Miss Lucretia’s balsam--Bread--How it was obtained--Gleams of sunlight amidst the general darkness-...

City annoyances--Plantation regrets--My mistress--Her history-- Her kindness--My master--His sourness--My comforts--Increased sensitiveness--My occupation--Learning to read--Ban...

My mistress--Her slaveholding duties--Their effects on her originally noble nature--The conflict in her mind--She opposes my learning to read--Too late--She had given me the “in...

Abolitionists spoken of--Eagerness to know the meaning of word-- Consults the dictionary--Incendiary information--The enigma solved--“Nat Turner” insurrection--Cholera--Religion...

Death of old Master’s son Richard, speedily followed by that of old Master--Valuation and division of all the property, including the slaves--Sent for to come to Hillsborough to...

St. Michaels and its inhabitants--Capt. Auld--His new wife-- Suffering from hunger--Forced to steal--Argument in vindication thereof--Southern camp-meeting--What Capt. Auld did...

Journey to Covey’s--Meditations by the way--Covey’s house--Family-- Awkwardness as a field hand--A cruel beating--Why given-- Description of Covey--First attempt at driving oxen...

Experience at Covey’s summed up--First six months severer than the remaining six--Preliminaries to the change--Reasons for narrating the circumstances--Scene in the treading-yar...

A sleepless night--Return to Covey’s--Punished by him--The chase defeated--Vengeance postponed--Musings in the woods--The alternative--Deplorable spectacle--Night in the woods--...

Change of masters--Benefits derived by change--Fame of the fight with Covey--Reckless unconcern--Author’s abhorrence of slavery-- Ability to read a cause of prejudice--The holid...

New Year’s thoughts and meditations--Again hired by Freeland-- Kindness no compensation for slavery--Incipient steps toward escape--Considerations leading thereto--Hostility to...

Nothing lost in my attempt to run away--Comrades at home--Reasons for sending me away--Return to Baltimore--Tommy changed--Caulking in Gardiner’s ship yard--Desperate fight--Its...

Closing incidents in my “Life as a Slave”--Discontent--Suspicions-- Master’s generosity--Difficulties in the way of escape--Plan to obtain money--Allowed to hire my time--A glea...

Reasons for not having revealed the manner of escape--Nothing of romance in the method--Danger--Free Papers--Unjust tax-- Protection papers--“Free trade and sailors’ rights”--Am...

Loneliness and Insecurity--“Allender’s Jake”--Succored by a Sailor-- David Ruggles--Marriage--Steamer J. W. Richmond--Stage to New Bedford--Arrival There--Driver’s Detention of...

In the summer of 1841 a grand anti-slavery convention was held in Nantucket, under the auspices of Mr. Garrison and his friends. I had taken no holiday since establishing myself...

In the State of Rhode Island, under the leadership of Thomas W. Dorr, an effort was made in 1841 to set aside the old colonial charter, under which that State had lived and flou...

The year 1843 was one of remarkable anti-slavery activity. The New England Anti-Slavery Society at its annual meeting, held in the spring of that year, resolved, under the auspi...

Danger to be averted--A refuge sought abroad--Voyage on the steamship Cambria--Refusal of first-class passage--Attractions of the forecastle-deck--Hutchinson family--Invited to...

New Experiences--Painful Disagreement of Opinion with old Friends-- Final Decision to Publish my Paper in Rochester--Its Fortunes and its Friends--Change in my own Views Regardi...

About the time I began my enterprise in Rochester I chanced to spend a night and a day under the roof of a man whose character and conversation, and whose objects and aims in li...

Notwithstanding the natural tendency of the human mind to weary of an old story, and to turn away from chronic abuses for which it sees no remedy, the anti-slavery agitation for...

What was my connection with John Brown, and what I knew of his scheme for the capture of Harper’s Ferry, I may now proceed to state. From the time of my visit to him in Springfi...

The cowardly and disgraceful reaction, from a courageous and manly assertion of right principles, as described in the foregoing pages, continued surprisingly long after secessio...

Proclamation of emancipation--Its reception in Boston--Objections brought against it--Its effect on the country--Interview with President Lincoln--New York riots--Re-election of...

Satisfaction and anxiety--New fields of labor opening--Lyceums and colleges soliciting addresses--Literary attractions--Pecuniary gain--Still pleading for human rights--Presiden...

The adoption of the fourteenth and fifteenth amendments and their incorporation into the Constitution of the United States opened a very tempting field to my ambition, and one t...

The most of my story is now before the reader. Whatever of good or ill the future may have in store for me, the past at least is secure. As I review the last decade up to the pr...

Those who knew of my more than friendly relations with Hon. Charles Sumner, and of his determined opposition to the annexation of Santo Domingo to the United States, were surpri...

Return to the “old master”--A last interview--Capt. Auld’s admission “had I been in your place, I should have done as you did”--Speech at Easton--The old jail there--Invited to...

In escaping from the South, the reader will have observed that I did not escape from its wide-spread influence in the North. That influence met me almost everywhere outside of p...

Gratitude to benefactors is a well recognized virtue, and to express it in some form or other, however imperfectly, is a duty to ourselves as well as to those who have helped us...

On the day of the interment of the late James A. Garfield, at Lake View Cemetery, Cleveland, Ohio, a day of gloom long to be remembered as the closing scene in one of the most t...