Title: Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass
An American Slave
Author: Frederick Douglass
Genre: History, Autobiography
Published: 1845
Format: E-Book
Pages: 140

A dramatic autobiography and powerful firsthand account of slavery, written with pathos, wit, fluency of language, and strength of reasoning by America’s most famous abolitionist Frederick Douglass.  This is the first of his three autobiographies.

This book is important because it is a firsthand original source document, unfiltered by a modern historian or written from a modern moral point of view.   There is also some economic insight, though probably unintended by Douglass.

This book includes two prefaces by American Anti-Slavery Society abolitionists William Lloyd Garrison and Wendell Phillips, Esq.  Garrison gives a glowing testimony of Douglass, calling him “an ornament of society and a blessing to his race”.

Douglass was born in 1817 or 1818 in Maryland to a white father and a slave mother darker than Frederick.  The bulk of the narrative is Douglass’ observations of his life as a slave from boyhood until his escape to New York as a young man in 1838. He walks the reader through each of his masters by name and circumstance.  Describing the everyday horrors inflicted on the slaves as well as the strength and courage needed to survive.  Also sharing the relative hopes like being assigned to the great house as opposed to the fields, not being shipped to the deep south where conditions were thought to be much harsher, or being leased to a master in the city.  It is was also interesting the hierarchy of respect among slaves that to be a poor man’s slave was doubly disgraceful.

At 7- or 8-years old Douglass was filled with joy when he left the plantation for Baltimore.  It was here he received instruction in the alphabet.  Then his first books and teaching himself to read.  He read the classic “The Columbian Orator” every chance he got.  He found from Sheridan’s 84 selections speeches in behalf of Catholic emancipation a bold denunciation of slavery and a powerful vindication of human rights.  The more Douglass read, the more he detested his en-slavers.  His knowledge came to torment his soul.  Sometimes he envied his fellow slaves for their stupidity.

Throughout the narrative Douglass references god and Christianity.  He describes the “Christian” religion of the south as a mere covering of horrid crimes.  Pointing out their hypocrisy.  In fact, due to so much criticism of their religion in the narrative Douglass adds an appendix to make clear he loves the pure, peaceable, and impartial Christianity of Christ.

Douglass is careful not to publicize the details of his escape.  This may jeopardize others escaping or their helpers.  He does not approve of the public manner of some of his western friends conducting the Underground Railroad.  He refers to it as the Upper Ground Railroad.  He also was of the opinion that thousands more would escape if it were not for the strong binds to family and friends.

Economic observations.  As slave it appeared to him that all non-slave owners were desperately poor.  When he was leased out to a Baltimore family he sometimes shared food with his poor white, kid friends.  Later when he was free in Massachusetts he saw much more prosperity for everybody.  Even the poorest people had as much as the small slave holders.  Prior to his escape in Baltimore Douglass learned the trade of a ship caulker.  He was able to command the highest wages given to the most experienced caulkers.  He paid $6 to $9 a week to his master.  He kept the rest of his $1.50 a day wage.

Read this book for its history, its eloquence, its honesty.  Very few people write this well today.  But know you will find many passages disturbing.  Quoting Garrison upon hearing Douglass for the first time declared “that Patrick Henry never made a speech more eloquent in the cause of liberty”.