The Life of Literacy : Frederick Douglass

Frederick Douglass, born as Frederick Augustus Bailey and known as a major abolitionist in the 19th century, was in born in Tuckahoe, Maryland. Frederick wasn't sure how old he was. He was a slave. And, slaves weren't allowed to know their birthdays because their masters didn't let them. But the fact that white children could tell their ages was so unfair, and young Frederick would always question that as a child. 

Frederick was separated from his mother, Harriet Bailey, when he was an infant and it was a common custom for many slaves, especially in Maryland. Ever since then, his mother would walk 12 miles on bare foot every, single night to make visits to see little Frederick. One night she told him when he was seven years old, “Henry this world can be good. This world can change. And if you want to have other children in generations to come to be able to be with their families, then be the change, lead it, and make it happen.” Frederick didn’t really understand what his mother really meant when she said that, so he just put that in the back of his mind and fell asleep moments later.

Life was hard being a slave. For his mother, she needed to be right in the field by sunrise, or else she would be whipped until she cried in agony. 

One day that year, a message came in the town Frederick lived in, and the man said “Your mother has… died.” Frederick was melancholy and felt some sort of a pain in his heart, but it didn’t last long. The tidings of his mother’s dead didn’t affect him as much as he thought it would have, because he really never got to enjoy her presence since she was barely there most of the time.

When he was old enough, Frederick was sent to a plantation as a slave to work for all day, just like his mother had to. His master’s name was Colonel Lloyd, and he was a very cruel man. There, at the plantation, the slaves were under the care of an horrendous, horrible overseer named Mr. Severe. He was a wicked man, who in fact took pleasure and enjoyed whipping slaves, blood flowing from their bodies and crying till they could no longer bear the pain. And, if the slaves didn’t hear the sound of the horn to be summoned to the fields, then Mr. Severe would be ready to whip anyone. 

One day, travelling through the pine woods, he remembered his meal from earlier that day, a small corn meal and a few pieces of pork. Not enough to fill his stomach, and Frederick wished he had more, because he was starting off to the Great House Farm to get his monthly allowance. He was thrilled to have put in the hard miles and have his work pay off. Frederick was also 

looking forward to some new clothes since his old ones were becoming too ragged.

As he approached the Great House Farm, someone stopped him. “Hold up. Where ya think ya goin’, you half-wit?” Mean, old Mr. Severe said, an evil smile planted across his face, ready to “whip n’ hit,” as he would always say. “Uh, sir I’m going to the Great House to get my allowance,” said Frederick, worried about what Mr. Severe would do to him. Punish. Whip. Pain. Mr. Severe was not pleased, and he trumped away. 

Some years later, Frederick departed from Colonel Lloyd’s plantation. He was so happy that he left and claims it to be one of the most interesting events in his life. He, out of many slaves, older, younger, and the same age, was chosen to go to a home in Baltimore. He remembers the moment as if it were yesterday. As the front door opened, Mrs. Auld had said, “Hello Frederick. My name is Mrs. Auld, and this is my husband (your master) Mr. Auld.” At first Douglass was very surprised; someone saying “hello” to him ...?

Days after the moment he stepped into the Auld’s home, he noticed that his new mistress was the opposite of a normal slaveholder. She was a woman with the kindest heart and finest feelings. Her face was filled with “heavenly smiles and tranquil music.” She would never hurt a slave and would much rather seem disturbed if a slave was being so outstandingly obedient. 

Very soon after ….. “Oh, Frederick! Do you want to read a book?” said cheerful Mrs. Auld. Frederick wanted to return that smile too, but he couldn’t. It was because he didn’t know how to read or write. “I can’t. I can’t read.”

“Oh my, that will not do,” Mrs. Auld left the room, this time coming back with a few pieces of empty paper, “Here Frederick, today you will learn the A, B, C’s.” Joy filled Frederick’s heart and he grinned just like the Cheshire cat, excited to learn!

Just at the point of progress where Frederick learned to spell words with three or four letters, Mr. Auld found out what was going on, and at that moment banned Mrs. Auld to teach Frederick anymore, telling her that it was unlawful for a slave to learn to read…. Mr. Auld wanted to keep Frederick enslaved. But he was determined to free himself. Mr. Auld had clearly said that a person who could read would be unfit to be a slave. Frederick knew he wasn’t meant to be a slave. This was it! The pathway from slavery to freedom was clear. No matter what, he would learn to read!

Ever since the day Frederick stopped learning from Mrs. Auld, she had turned into the evil person, torturing him with errands everyday. Then one day, Frederick kept thinking of one question. The question was: how would he learn without a teacher? That day, his route took him down a back alley behind the grocery store. Frederick watched a white boy about his age playing alone. The boy’s schoolbook lay discarded on the cobblestones beside him. He got an idea.

“Hi,” Frederick said nervously. “What are you doing?” “Nothing really. My mama says I’m not to come home until dinner, ” said the white boy. Frederick remembered the bread he had in his pocket. He knew that the poor white children in his neighborhood were often hungry. “Look here, I have some bread,” Frederick said, pulling a roll from his pocket. “You can have it if you’ll show me your book.” “What? This book here?” The boy picked up the forgotten book. Frederick included, “I’d trade you some bread for it.” The boy gave him the book. Frederick opened the book with trembling hands. 

“You know how to read?” asked the little boy, through a mouth full of bread. “No, I don’t.” “What? You don’t know any words?” “Not that one,” Frederick said, pointing to the first page. “Oh, well, that one is easy. Here, let me show you.” And with that, Frederick had his first new teacher. Later, as Frederick returned to the Aulds’ home, he was filled with hope about his new plan. 

But, that hope Frederick had, did not last for long. In January 1833, Frederick went to live with Mr. Covey, who would whip slaves and make them work fully up to their endurance. He would threaten slaves with his words and frequently with his whip, just like any cruel, corrupt slaveholder. But, there was something different about Covey, “Ah, ha! Come, come! Dash on, dash on!” he would say, always surprising them (in a bad way). Frederick and the other slaves would often call Covey “the snake” for that reason. 

All the slaves had to work all day in all weathers (seasons), because stopping a single minute would receive a blow from Mr. Covey. The cruel slaveholder had broken Frederick’s body, soul, and spirit. He wanted to get freedom, but he was mourning over his wretched condition, intimated that the condition would get worse and worse….