Life Of Frederick Douglas

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Life Of Frederick Douglas

Frederick Douglass was a truly exceptional African American man. Not only was he an American abolitionist but also an editor, orator, author, statesman and reformer. Known as the The Lion of Anacostia, Mr. Douglass was a devout believer in the equality of all people, no matter what ethnicity. One of his most famous quotes is, "I would unite with anybody to do right and with nobody to do wrong."
Born a slave in Talbot County, Maryland, Douglass succeeded in learning to read from white children in the neighborhood in which he lived, and by observing the writings of the men with whom he worked. As he continued to learn, Douglass began to read newspapers, political materials, and sundry books. He became exposed to a new realm of thought and experience that directed him to question and then condemn the institution of slavery itself.
Douglass also taught slaves how to read the New Testament at a Sabbath school. As word spread, the interest among the slaves in the local community was vast enough that on any given week, over forty slaves would attend lessons. Eventually, Douglass was sent to work for Edward Covey, a poor farmer with the reputation as a "slave-breaker." Douglass was whipped regularly amd thus was nearly broken psychologically by his ordeal under Covey. However, he finally rebelled against the beatings and fought back. Covey lost in a confrontation with Douglass and never again tried to beat him.
After escaping slavery on September 3, 1838, Douglass attended abolitionist meetings regularly. He subscribed to William Lloyd Garrison's weekly journal, The Liberator. After hearing Garrison speak at a meeting of the Bristol Anti-Slavery Society in 1841, he was unexpectedly asked to speak at one of the meetings, where he told his story and was encouraged to become an anti-slavery lecturer. He also participated in the Seneca Falls Convention and was a signer of its Declaration of Sentiments.
Just two years later, Frederick Douglass published his...

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