Frederick Douglass played a significant role as a leader in the human rights movement against slavery. Born in Maryland around 1818, Douglass was a slave who lost his mother at the age of ten. He was later selected to work and reside in the home of plantation owners after living with his maternal grandmother.
In this era, it was strictly forbidden to educate slaves. However, Douglass defied the rules and actively sought knowledge. He managed to receive lessons from Sophia, the wife of a slaveholder, who taught him the alphabet and how to read and write. Eventually, when Sophia’s husband, Hugh Auld, ordered her to stop teaching him, Douglass found a way to continue his education by learning from the white children in the nearby area.
Freedom was always on Douglass’ mind, but his master Auld was displeased with him and frequently found him uncooperative. As a result, Auld sent him to Covey, a notorious slave master known as the “slave breaker.” Covey was a landowner who took slaves and disciplined them while they worked his land. Working for Covey was a mentally taxing experience for Douglass, who was frequently beaten with sticks or cow skins. Covey’s constant abuse caused Douglass, who was only 16 at the time, to completely break down.
One day, Douglass had finally reached his breaking point and decided he couldn’t endure the physical abuse any longer. He stood up to Covey and fought back, which resulted in him never being beaten again. This experience gave him a newfound sense of bravery and determination to fight for his freedom from slavery. Despite previous unsuccessful attempts to escape with his friends, Douglass remained persistent in his efforts to gain his freedom.
Douglass managed to escape on September 3, 1838, by disguising himself as a free black sailor and boarding a train at the Baltimore and Ohio railroad station. Anna Murray, his future wife, played a crucial role in his escape by providing him with a sailor’s uniform and some money she had saved. To further support his claim of freedom, Douglass carried a borrowed sailor’s pass from a free black seaman, serving as evidence that he was not enslaved.
Douglass arrived in New York within a day and sought refuge at the home of David Ruggles, an abolitionist. He stayed there for safety before marrying Murray and taking on the name “Johnson” to hide their slave status. Eventually, they settled in a thriving Black community in Massachusetts and resumed using the name “Douglass” as a married couple.
Douglass’ life was forever changed on September 3rd, a day he considered to be the start of his journey towards freedom. He commemorated this day as his birthday for the rest of his life.
