Frederick Douglass
Life as a slave
Douglass around 29 years of age.
Frederick Augustus Washington Bailey, who later became known as Frederick Douglass, was born a slave in Talbot County, Maryland, between Hillsboro[10] and Cordova, probably in his grandmother's shack east of Tappers Corner (38.8845°N 75.958°W) and west of Tuckahoe Creek.[11] The exact date of Douglass' birth is unknown. He chose to celebrate it on February 14.[3] The exact year is also unknown (on the first page of Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave, he stated: "I have no accurate knowledge of my age, never having seen any authentic record containing it.")[10][12] He spoke of his earliest times with his mother:
"The opinion was ... whispered that my master was my father; but of the correctness of this opinion I know nothing.... My mother and I were separated when I was but an infant.... It [was] common custom, in the part of Maryland from which I ran away, to part children from their mothers at a very early age.
"I do not recollect ever seeing my mother by the light of day. ... She would lie down with me, and get me to sleep, but long before I waked she was gone."[13]
After this separation, he lived with his maternal grandmother, Betty Bailey. His mother died when Douglass was about ten. At age seven, Douglass was separated from his grandmother and moved to the Wye House plantation, where Aaron Anthony worked as overseer.[14] When Anthony died, Douglass was given to Lucretia Auld, wife of Thomas Auld. She sent Douglass to serve Thomas' brother Hugh Auld in Baltimore. Slavery | Contemporary | Africa Bangladesh China Europe Haiti India Mali Mauritania Niger North Korea Pakistan Sudan United States | Types | Bride-buying Child labour Debt bondage Human trafficking Impressment Peonage Penal labour Sexual slavery Wage slavery | Historic | History Antiquity Aztec Ancient Greece Ancient Rome Medieval Europe Thrall Kholop Serfdom Slave ship Slave
Douglass around 29 years of age.
Frederick Augustus Washington Bailey, who later became known as Frederick Douglass, was born a slave in Talbot County, Maryland, between Hillsboro[10] and Cordova, probably in his grandmother's shack east of Tappers Corner (38.8845°N 75.958°W) and west of Tuckahoe Creek.[11] The exact date of Douglass' birth is unknown. He chose to celebrate it on February 14.[3] The exact year is also unknown (on the first page of Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave, he stated: "I have no accurate knowledge of my age, never having seen any authentic record containing it.")[10][12] He spoke of his earliest times with his mother:
"The opinion was ... whispered that my master was my father; but of the correctness of this opinion I know nothing.... My mother and I were separated when I was but an infant.... It [was] common custom, in the part of Maryland from which I ran away, to part children from their mothers at a very early age.
"I do not recollect ever seeing my mother by the light of day. ... She would lie down with me, and get me to sleep, but long before I waked she was gone."[13]
After this separation, he lived with his maternal grandmother, Betty Bailey. His mother died when Douglass was about ten. At age seven, Douglass was separated from his grandmother and moved to the Wye House plantation, where Aaron Anthony worked as overseer.[14] When Anthony died, Douglass was given to Lucretia Auld, wife of Thomas Auld. She sent Douglass to serve Thomas' brother Hugh Auld in Baltimore. Slavery | Contemporary | Africa Bangladesh China Europe Haiti India Mali Mauritania Niger North Korea Pakistan Sudan United States | Types | Bride-buying Child labour Debt bondage Human trafficking Impressment Peonage Penal labour Sexual slavery Wage slavery | Historic | History Antiquity Aztec Ancient Greece Ancient Rome Medieval Europe Thrall Kholop Serfdom Slave ship Slave