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.

Frederick Douglass-Isaac Myers Maritime Park and Museum, Baltimore

The Frederick Douglass-Isaac Myers Maritime Park and Museum is located just outside the Inner Harbor in Baltimore. The building is an inconspicuous brick building.

Frederick Douglas-Isaac Myers Maritime Park and Museum

The park has several works of art dedicated to the two men. Frederick Douglass was born a slave and came from an Eastern Shore plantation to Baltimore in 1826 when he was eight. His master had a house in the city. Here, Douglass learned to read. He escaped north when he was twenty and became a passionate speaker against slavery. Isaac Myers was born a free man in 1835 and worked caulking ships when he was young. Later, he and fourteen other African-Americans bought a shipyard which they owned and operated for eighteen years. They called it the Chesapeake Marine Railway and Dry Dock Company.

Tiles of the two men

A sculpture of Douglas

The museum inside the building is dedicated to the two men's lives and to information about the business (which was located near by). A lot of work went into maintaining ships. The yard not only shipped goods but refit the ships as well.

How to make a mast for a ship

Primer on ships back in the 1800s

A model ship

From one of the ships

Repair equipment and a ready worker

An upstairs room is divided in two sections, one dedicated to each man's life. We walked through the Douglass side first. A wall mural showed the plantation where Douglass grew up.

The farm

A map shows all the places where Douglass spent his time, including his home and church.

Fells Point map

Cases show various items from the mid-1800s.

Playing cards and a bio of Douglass

Abolitionist newspaper and toy trolley owned Douglass's grandchild

A painting shows the wedding of Frederick and Anna Douglass.

The Wedding

On the other side of the room, we tried out being a caulker like Isaac Myers. A loose rope of fiber was driven between the planks of the ship. Those seams were then covered with pitch, a sticky black pine tar paste. With both in place, a ship would be water-tight.

Working at the museum

A random 1800s stove

Myers was a member of the Prince Hall Masons, an African-American social group in Baltimore.

Masonic gavel and jewels

Nearby, a puzzle had my children figuring out which pieces of wood went into which part of the keel to make the skeleton of a boat.

Building a boat

A meeting of the Chesapeake Marine Railway and Dry Dock Company

In the center of the room is a canoe found in La Trappe Creek. The boat was discovered in Talbot County. That spot was also an encampment for slaves from the late 1700s to around 1830. Slave owners often did not give enough food to workers, forcing them to find other nourishment like fishing local streams. The boat might also have been used for visiting other slave camps when families were separated by distances too long to walk.

La Trappe Creek Canoe

Other items, like a pipe, a cup, and a toothbrush were found in the area.

More stuff

The museum is not too large and easy to explore in an hour or so. The building also has classrooms and rental space for events. The view of the harbor is nice and the neighborhood (Fells Point) has an old feel to it. It's just another charming part of Charm City.

Book Review: The Life of Frederick Douglass by D. Walker et al.

The Life of Frederick Douglass written by David F. Walker, art by Damon Smyth, and colors by Marissa Louise

Frederick Douglass was a famous orator from the American Civil War era. He was born a slave in Maryland, barely knew his mother, and was shifted around to various homes. He wound up in Baltimore with relatives of his owner. Miss Sophia, the lady of the house, taught Douglass to read. This was a changing point for him. When he returned to the plantation, he clandestinely read to the other slaves and continued his education. He realized the only future was in running away. He escaped to New York City where he wound up in the abolitionist movement. Douglass spoke well and had a compelling, first-hand story of the horrors of slavery. He worked with all sorts of people, including John Brown, Harriet Tubman, and Abraham Lincoln. He had a fascinating life and is a very important figure in American history.

The book does a great job relating his life and his own personal thoughts. The author did very thorough research and clearly struggled through how best to write it. He chose to give a first-person narrative with Douglass as an old man retellling his life story. It makes for very compelling reading.

Highly recommended.