Frederick Douglas Chapters, Questions And Answers

Santiago Griffin

HIST 1301

Dr. Brazzel

November 8, 2014

Chapter 1 Frederick Douglass was born in Tuckahoe, Maryland. In this chapter he acknowledges the fact that he does not know his age, and has never met a slave who knew their own. Frederick comes to conclusion that he was “between twenty-seven and twenty-eight years of age (1).” His mother Harriet Bailey was colored and had very dark skin, he was separated from his mother near birth. He rarely saw his mother, only when she walked twelve miles to see him at night and lay with him. His mother died when he was around the age of seven, and Frederick was not very devastated by the event. Frederick later explains that he knew his father was a white man, though others told him his master was

Colonel Lloyd was a wealthy man and had a very beautiful garden which would be visited from all around Maryland. He also had stables and carriages; he was so wealthy he did not know hundreds of his own slaves. Colonel Lloyd once asked a slave on the road who his owner was and if he was treated well. The slave responded that his owner was Colonel Lloyd and he was not treated well, he was shipped to Georgia weeks later. Slaves who spoke the truth would be punished and/or shipped to another owner. Slaves would have to say that they were grateful of their owners but only out of fear.

Chapter 4 Chapter four focuses on one man named Mr. Gore, which was Captain Anthony’s new overseer. Mr. Gore was cruel and punished many slaves; he was a very serious man. A slave named Demby is whipped by Mr. Gore and then runs to a creek to help the pain. Mr. Gore calls for him, but when Demby didn’t respond to his call, Mr. Gore shot him. When he was questioned he said that Demby had set a bad example to the other slaves, he faced no punishment for his action. Douglass later explains that many owners in Maryland have killed slaves and did not face any justice.

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Auld. He felt the need to learn how to read, and so he would give bread to the poor boys in return for reading lessons. Douglass feels the need to mention these boys’ names as he writes but it was still a crime to educate a slave. When he was about twelve he discovered a book called the Columbian Orator, which gave a slaveholders opinion on slavery and then a slave’s opinion. He realized Mr. Auld was right, and that knowledge of the unfairness made slaves unhappy and unmanageable. Yet, Douglass never sought to escape or leave; he entered a period of suicidal thoughts. Douglass began to overhear the world abolishment; he later finds out that it means antislavery. Very slowly but surely Douglass learned how to write, with the help of the poor boys and practicing on whatever surface he could find. He even watched boat carpenters write letters on lumber to help him