Reading: The Life Story of Frederick Douglass, Text, Comprehension Questions, and Short Writing Activity

The Life Story of Frederick Douglass

(1818 to 1895)

Early Life

Frederick Douglass was born on a plantation in Talbot County, Maryland. His mother was an enslaved person. When Frederick was born, he became a slave, too, because the children of enslaved women were not born as free people. His birth name was Frederick Bailey. He did not know who his father was or the exact date of his birth. He later picked February 14 to celebrate as his birthday and estimated that he was born in 1818.

Life in Slavery

Slavery often separated Black families from each other. Husbands were separated from wives, children from their parents, brothers from sisters. At the young age of seven Frederick was sent to live at the Wye House plantation. He infrequently saw his mother, who died when he was ten years old. A few years later, he was sent to serve the Auld family in Baltimore.

Learning to Read

Around the age of twelve, Douglass' master's wife, Sophia Auld, began to teach Frederick the alphabet. It was against the law at that time to teach an enslaved to read. When Mr. Auld found out, he stopped his wife from continuing to teach Douglass. However, Frederick was an intelligent boy and wanted to learn to read. Over time, he secretly taught himself strategies to read and write by observing others and convincing  white schoolchildren to share their materials.

Once Douglass had learned to read, he read newspapers and other articles about slavery. He began to form views on human rights and how people should be treated. He also taught other slaves how to read, but this eventually got him into trouble. He was moved to another farm where he was beaten by the slave owner in an effort to break his spirit. However, this only strengthened Douglass' desire to gain his freedom.

Escape to Freedom

In 1838, Douglass carefully planned his escape. He disguised himself as a sailor and carried papers that showed he was a free black worker. On September 3, 1838 he boarded a train to the north. After 24 hours of travel, Douglass arrived in New York a free man. It was at this point that he married his first wife, Anna Murray, and took the last name Douglass. Douglass and Anna settled down in New Bedford, Massachusetts.

Abolitionist

In Massachusetts, Douglass met with people who were against slavery. These people were called abolitionists because they wanted to "abolish" or end slavery. Frederick began to speak at meetings about his experiences as a slave. He was a skilled and powerful speaker and he moved people with his story. He became famous, but this also put him in danger of being captured by his former slave owners. To avoid being captured, Douglass traveled to Ireland and Britain where he continued to speak to people about slavery. He finally purchased his freedom in 1848.

Douglass wrote down his story of slavery in an autobiography called Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass.  An autobiography is a book that a person writes about his or her own life. The book became a bestseller. Later, he would write two more stories of his life including My Bondage and My Freedom and Life and Times of Frederick Douglass.

Women's Rights

In addition to speaking out for the freedom of slaves, Douglass believed in the equal rights of all people. He was outspoken in his support for women's right to vote. He worked with women's rights activists such as  Elizabeth Cady Stanton. He attended the first ever women's rights convention that was held at Seneca Falls, New York in 1848.

Civil War

During the Civil War, Douglass fought for the rights of Black soldiers. When the South announced that they would kill or enslave any captured Black soldiers, Douglass insisted that President Lincoln respond. Eventually, Lincoln warned the Confederacy that for every Union prisoner killed, he would execute a rebel soldier. Douglass also visited with the U.S. Congress and President Lincoln to insist on equal pay and treatment of Black soldiers fighting in the war.

Death and Legacy

Douglass died on February 20, 1895 from either a heart attack or a stroke. His legacy lives on, however, in his writings and many monuments such as the Frederick Douglass Memorial Bridge and the Frederick Douglass National Historic Site.

Article adapted from https://www.ducksters.com/history/civil_rights/frederick_douglass.php

Reading Response: Comprehension Questions and 5 Perfect Sentences

Instructions

5 Perfect Sentences is an activity to practice writing a clear and grammatical sentence. Answer the question by writing 5 perfect sentences. Each sentence does not  really have to be %100 perfect: you will write your sentence, and then the teacher will correct each sentence so you can see what you  need to improve. Below is the question and an example.

Question: During his life, how did Frederick Douglass fight for freedom, opportunity, and equality for himself, for Blacks, and for women? 

Example: "Douglass taught he learned how to read and write, because he enjoyed new knoledge"

Correction: "Douglas learned how to read and write because he enjoyed  new knowledge."

Go to the next page to answer the comprehension questions and write your 5 perfect sentences!