Book Review: Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave by Frederick Douglass

Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave by Frederick Douglass

This autobiography tells the story of a man born into slavery in rural Maryland in the late 1810s. The exact date or year of his birth is unrecorded, something that was part of the dehumanizing of the humans brought from Africa, bought by Americans, and beaten into submission. Born Frederick Bailey, he was separated from his mother Harriet and raised by his grandparents until six years old. His father is suspected to be Aaron Anthony, the white owner of Harriet Bailey. Again, no record was kept. In 1824, Frederick was sent to work on the family plantation where he witnessed and endured many brutalities. 

Through circumstances he was sent in 1826 to Baltimore to work for Thomas Auld, a son-in-law of Anthony. Sophia Auld (Thomas's wife) started teaching young Frederick to read and write. Once Thomas found out, he forbade it. But the seed was sown and the stifled intellectual curiosity of Frederick began growing in leaps and bounds. He found ways to learn more on the streets of Baltimore and developed craftsman's skills, eventually becoming a ship's caulker. He went through another round of plantation life where he was hired out for a year to Edward Covey, a man with the reputation as a slave-breaker. He almost succeeded but he and Frederick came to blows one day and Frederick bested Covey. Unable to admit his defeat, Covey let Frederick finish out the year. Frederick moved on to another plantation where he taught his fellow slaves reading and writing on the side. A failed escape attempt saw Frederick nearly beaten to death. He wound up back in Baltimore, where he planned his escape from enslavement.

He fled north in 1838 along the Underground Railroad to New York City, where he changed his name and married Anna Murray, a freed black woman he had met the previous year. He went over to New Bedford where he changed his name to Frederick Douglass and worked as a day laborer. He began speaking at abolitionists' meetings about his experience. At this point, the narrative of this book ends.

The book is a very articulate and compelling chronicle of the horrors of slavery. Douglass does not sensationalize what happened to him and he acknowledges the rumors of much worse treatment further south. Still, the treatment of slaves is unconscionable and is rightly called out in the book.

I skipped the introduction by Robert O'Meally as is my custom with books (no need to get the interpretation before reading the text). I forgot to go back and read it so I can't comment on its value or insights. The book is so well written and so important that I will probably buy it. The narrative reads quickly (it's just over a hundred pages), is engaging and important.

Highly recommended.