Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass: Life of an American Slave

Frederick Douglass was born into slavery in the state of Maryland. He was separated from his mother at an early age, and although she lived a mere 12 miles, he only met her a few times before her death when Douglass was seven years old. In his teenage years he taught himself to read, and started teaching his fellow slaves how to read the New Testament of the Bible.This was not looked well upon by the slave owning class. The beatings that followed nearly broke his spirit. However, he instead he resolved upon escape. After a number of unsuccessful attempts Douglass escaped to the northern states in 1838. His journey of escape from slavery in Maryland to New York City was assisted by members of the underground railroad, and took less than twenty-four hours to complete.He quickly became a public figure in the abolitionist movement. A Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass is the first book Douglass wrote on his life and the subject of slavery. This work documents Douglass's early life, his escape to the north, and his early career in the abolitionist cause. Lately the work has had renewed public interest due to the state of race relations in the United States, and the Black Lives Matter movement.