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Frederick Douglass Childhood

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Frederick Douglass was the first nationally known African American leader in U.S. history. He was born in 1818, on the Eastern Shore of Maryland. He was born into slavery, and separated from his parents at only a few weeks old. He lived a legendary life, as he was a noticeable American abolitionist, author and speaker. Douglass escaped at age 20 and went on to become a world-renowned anti-slavery activist. Douglass wrote numerous autobiographies. Childhood: Fredrick was born to the late Harriet Bailey in 1811 in Maryland, whom he was separated from early on. Unfortunately he never had the opportunity to meet his father. She named her son Frederick Augustus Washington Bailey. IT wasn’t until later on in life that he received the name Douglass. As a slave, Douglass was not allowed to have much of a childhood. He was alienated from his parents, and he was forced to on the property of Captain Aaron Anthony. In 1825 Anthony, where he had to work hard and was treated harshly. Later, Fredrick was sent to Baltimore, Maryland, to live with another slave-owner named Hugh Auld. After the transition to the Auld’s, Fredrick’s life improved for the better. The Auld family didn’t treat their slaves harsh. Mrs. Auld began to teach young Fredrick …show more content…

Upon his return Douglass settled in Rochester, New York, and started a newspaper, North Star, which called for an end to slavery. The paper would continue to be published under various names until 1863. In 1858, as a result of his fame and position as the voice of African Americans, Douglass was sought out by abolitionist John Brown. Brown asked Douglass to help him in an attack on an arsenal in Harpers Ferry, Virginia, which he thought would help the antislavery cause. Douglass, however, could see no benefit from Brown's plan and refused to lend his

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