Uncertain of his date of birth or the identity of his father, Frederick Douglass came into the world with one surety: he was born a slave, and would die a slave. But as he grew up, Douglass determined that he would teach himself to read and write, and that one day he would be free from slavery. In 1832, Douglass was sent to a plantation in St. Michael's, where he would live and work as a field hand for more than seven years. According to Douglass, this life was so dispiriting and exhausting, that at times thoughts of freedom all but disappeared from his mind. His journey out of bondage was mental, as well as physical. Douglass would go on to be one of the abolition movement's most persuasive speakers, and would eventually become a strong proponent for women's rights. His famous autobiography, the Narrative, reads like the impassioned plea of an abolitionist tract, compelling in its honest and forceful eloquence. Later Douglass would serve as minister to Haiti and would fight against the southern practice of lynching without benefit of trial by jury. After his first wife's death, he would startle his associates and friends by marrying a white woman, one of the most publicized interracial marriages in America. Douglass died in 1895. He was buried in Rochester, New York.
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"I was deeply touched by this book. Mr. Douglass so effectively described his experiences in slavery while also analyzing the slave masters and culture of the day. This should be required reading in all schools."
— Bonnie G (5 out of 5 stars)
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Frederick Douglass (1818–1895), né Frederick Augustus Washington Bailey, was born into slavery in Maryland. Upon successfully escaping slavery—on his third attempt—in 1838, Douglass became one of the key leaders of the abolitionist movement in the United States. An extremely gifted orator, he repeatedly risked his own freedom as an antislavery speaker, writer, and statesman. A firm believer in equality for all people, including Native Americans, women, and immigrants, Douglass was also an activist in the women’s suffrage movement. He died in Washington DC, shortly after he attended a meeting of the National Council of Women, where he had received a standing ovation for his enormous contribution to human rights.
Charles Turner has narrated numerous audiobooks, including titles by #1 New York Times bestselling author James Patterson.