Fredrick Douglas

May-28-1850
My Dearest Virginia, I anticipate yous be about 10 years old reading this right now. I hopes those scoundrels don’t have you working for thems already this young. Me writes to you in my cold dark cell in the back of the Williamson’s barn. I feeling you kicking in my womb. Today I got beaten when I ask my owner john for more food cuz I know yous been asking me for more food every time you kick me this hard. I must keep you as healthy as john’s horse. Sometimes I be brave enough to sneak into Diamond’s trough and steal his carrots to nurture us. I need you alive and strong to get through the troubles I know your might run into. I don’t know you yet, but I know yous be smart and strong. I write to you to tell you about my life in case mama won’t be here to tells you myself in the future. I write to yous to tell you a lil bit about my good friend Fredrick Douglas. Pay very good attention Virginia. Ims going to tells yous about his life and his breaking away for freedom. I knows he is out there somewhere working to saves you and get rid of slavery. Even if you is free by the time you read this, you will learn how to live your life. What an honor it is to know Fredrick. What an amazing man he is Virginia, you listen close darling and yous learn from your mama. Fredrick Douglas sure has changes my life. After being owned in St. Michaels and after his master died, Fredrick was relocated to Mr. Covey that worked him in the same plantation that John puts me to work at. Fredrick taughts me all the English I know. When our master weres away, hims and other slaves and I often talked about escaping. I hopes I can be saved by them some day when they ares free. But I could not leave and risk my life and yours, Virginia. Fredrick was caught making plans to escape and was sent to jail. That is the lasts time I hear from him. Fredrick Douglas left his journals behind about his life as a slave. He tolds me when wed be working in the fields together that someday when he be free he would write a book of his life. I know he wills break free, and based off of the little time I knew him and his journals I have readed of his, I know he will make a big difference in our freedom and future, Virginia I just knows it! I’m sure he’s is out there making a difference in our world already. Douglas has vivid childhood memories of slaves getted beaten, including his aunt Hester for disobeying his orders. In Fredrick’s journal he saided “I was so terrified and horror-stricken at the sight, that I hid myself in a closet and dared not venture out till long after the bloody transaction was over” (46). Im sure this made Douglas very sensitive towards salves. He started to grow more compassion toward the ways they be treated. This is why I knowed that Fredrick is going to be a famous abolitionist some day. I truly thinks that Douglas disagreement toward false consciousness of slaves shows that he is a determined man that will go far. I know he’ll break free from jail and be independent and work hard for ours too. Frederick completely disagreed with the belief that everythings that us salves do are unacceptable. Douglas has empathy toward slaves and knows we are smart and strongs. Although them northern whites thinks that when we sing on the Great house farm when we work, it means we are showing happy, Fredrick knows that not be true one bit. He know that we sing to relieve our grief and our aching hearts. His expressiveness and complete understanding of whats we be feeling is another reason why I know he wills going to be celebrated someday soon. I reads in one of his later journals when he realized what we be all singing about. And he saided “Those songs still follow me, to deepen my hatred of slavery, and quicken my sympathies for my brethren in bonds” (51). Evens when Douglas was a slave, that good ol man woked as an abolistionist. I tolds me about his journals before he left and hows he weres going to make his life into an Autobiography somedays. I remembers hearing reluctance in his voice because he were scared what type of figure hed be to Americans since he did nots have as terrible as a slave life as others of us. With his advantages to a better life, Douglas did everything he coulded to share his experiences and knowledge with us others. His self consciousness makes Fredrick even more of a great person because it showed his sympathy and compassion. Fredrick was nothing less than the most generous and selfless man I knewd. He shared everything with me. When he was sent to William Freeland, he taught mes and other slaves English threes nights a week on his own on the side after teaching Sunday sabath school. Thoughs my English is still not the best, I knew nothings before I met Fredrick Douglas. It made me feel so honored when I readed in his journal when he saided “I can say, I never loved any or confided in any people more than my fellow-slaves, and especially those with whom I lived at Mr. Freeland’s” (95). Fredrick Douglas obtained all of his knowledge through commitment and hard works. He started learning his English through his first slave owner’s wife Mrs. Auld in Baltimore where he gotted reading lessons. After Mr. Auld ended those lessons, Fredrick remained dedicated and seekeded Americans to trade bread for lessons with. When Fredrick was relocated to the north, he discovered the abolitionist movement. This made Fredrick start to cry for freedom even more so. Last weeked I read part of his journal that saided “I was ever on the look-out for means of escape; and, finding no direct means, I determined to hire my time, with a view of getting money with which to make my escape” (108). He workeded in a shipyard as a caulker. He hired his time under Master Thomas and was able to pocket some money for his escape to New York. Fredrick Douglas tolded me that he was afraid of writing a book of himself and people thinking that his life would portray freedom. He didn’t wants people to thinks that he was free all along and that he had his life easy. I tolds him that his image of the meaning of freedom was a complete contradiction. What he strived for was to someday be able to share with all of us slaves was freedom. Although he may obtain it before us others, he wonts feel free until alls of us are. Of coruses Fredrick was treated badly at times like the rest of us. He talked and went into deep detail about some situations he has faced in his life and suffered through. In Douglas’ journals, he explained how slaves were treated like animals. One of his stories from childhood really stuck out to me. Poor child was always hungry and cold. In the middle of the winter, alls he has were a long sleave shirt to wear. At night he would steal a bag to sleep head first in. In is earlier journals he wroted “My feet have been so cracked with the frost, that the pen with which I am writing might be laid in the gashes” (59). My dearest Virginia, I truly believe that Fredrick Douglas left his journals to me to speak to me and to give me inspiration, just like I tries to gives to yous. Douglas worked hard to bring happiness and a better life to try and dismiss and work away from the chaos. Through his journals he telled us of his voyages through slavery and his path to freedom. Within his journals Fredrick is the opposite of manipulative. Sures he tells of horrid sights he has seen and experienced. Buts he does this to illustrate his desire for freedom. The last I heard through word of mouth, Fredrick Douglas was working as an activist and trying hard to gains us ours freedom. Every night when I be having trouble sleeping, I read more of his journals and dig deeper into Fredricks life that I newly discover and I continue to write to you. I be gaining more admiration for him eaches day. The stories he tellsed are the truth and as close to real life they will evers be. Fredrick illustrates what we have gone through. As I write this letter to you I cannot begin to explain the trauma I have gone through in my life time as well as I know Fredrick Douglas will in his book someday. He tolded me he will write an Autobiography. Whens you read it Virginia, you read it with knowledge that he demonstrate everything with blunt truth. With inspiration from Douglas’ journals, maybe you will read an autobiography of your mama some day too. And yous better know that I be speaking from my heart. Douglas will retell his story not only to speak to everyone’s hearts, but to understand himself and self reflect as well. No matters what people tells you, the truth is told. Even though theres might be slight exaggeration about the truth, it is an understatement of what we have gone though. I must go virgina, I’m tired and cold. I have no energy to write anymore. I can’t waits to meet yous. I thinks you want me to rest know. You have been kicking no stops for abouts and hour now.
Love mama Margaret
7-8-1852
Dearest Virgina,
As I write to you, you are about a year and a half years olds by knows. Yous was taken from me and I hope that someday you will get this letter. I have been relocated to a new plantation and I write to you again thinking of you and missing you dearly. The past year has been very hards. I feel so stuck and Is been starting to lose hope that somedays we will be freed. Many of my friends have broken free. Ors their owners decides that they deserve to be fress and let thems go. I am stucks. I don’t know if anyone knows I am stills out here. Its was 100 degrees today and I passed out from a lack of water. But today I write to yous because I am verys inspired. I don’t know what has been going on in the worlds. My master beats me if I ever ask or show curiosity. I Know Fredrick is doin good things. Today I found a speech that he mades to the Ladies Antislavery society in New York a few days ago on July 5th, 1852 in my masters newspaper about abolition. I was overjoyed to know that Fredrick is in New York city and is frees. I am thrilled to know that I wills be free! What a phenomenal man Fredrick is. He has comes a long ways since his escape from slavery. Something that really stuck out to I is that Fredrick reminds the audience of America’s youth to point out that there could still be more positive change and growth within the nation. His point of his speech was not just to celebrate the fourth of July, but to promote awareness and determination among them peoples. In his speech his saided “This, for the purpose of this celebration, is the 4th of July. It is the birthday of your national independence, and of your political freedom, this, to you, is what Passover was to the emancipated people of God” (149). I agrees with Fredrick Douglas that in the future, anti-slavery and abolition will someday be seen as patriotic. Douglas goes on to explain hows he supports the revolutionaries and speaks of the times when people thought such rebelling at the time was dangerous. Me love that Douglas continuously relates the breaking away from the British to the freedom of slavery becauses that comparison shows that we still haves a long way toward equality. I loves when Douglas says “What have I, or those I represent, to do with your national independence? Are the great principles of political freedom and of natural justice, embodied in that Decloration of Independence, extended to us?” (155). I do not find this disrespectful in any way. He be not saying that the declaration of independence be uninportant, he be saying that we should still have a lot to strive for and everyone’s dedication in needed. Me respect Fredrick for making the real subject of his speech about slavery. He saided “This fourth of july is yours, not mine. You may rejoice, I must mourne ” (147). I admire Fredrick for his bold nature and compassion. He be implying that their shouts of liberty are mocking and hypocrytical. He implies that Americans are not being sympathetic for those citizens (which he claims himself) that are slaves that are being held uner captivity by many americans. After comparing us slaves to animals by the way were are chained and treated, he ends on a positive note about his strong belief in anti-slavery sentiments become stronger and stronger. This speech has made a biggest impact on I. Of course I have always agreed with abolition. I want to be freeded! I believe that we should have rights just like everybody else. But since I have had a very sheltered life, I havnet a clue how hypocrytical the americans have actually been. This discusts me. I will gain respect once they work for our independence just as hard as they worked for theirs from the British. I cannot thank Douglas enough for putting my life in a new perspective and for giving my all the faith that I have. Fredrick has not only impacted my life, but yours too as well my lovely Virgina.
I hope that someday soon you can be in my arms. Through your birth, I sensed that you are a very strong and a determined child. Stay who you are and listen to what your mama have tolded you.
I love you greatly,
Mama Magaret.