Frederick Augustus Washington Bailey was an **** , born in Talbot County, Maryland. He escaped slavery and went to New York, where he changed his name to Frederick Douglass and worked for the emancipation of slaves until his . This lesson is an excerpt from his autobiography and presents a graphic account of the cruel and inhuman suffering of the slaves. The slaves lived a very painful and miserable life in the custody of their masters. No had any accurate knowledge of his age because their ***** masters never maintained an authentic record of the dates of birth of the slaves in their custody because they wanted to keep the slaves ignorant about their age.
Consequently, the slaves were able to only recall a day nearer a season of the year like planting-time, harvest-time, cherry-time, spring-time or fall-time.
Frederick narrates the circumstances of his birth and a few details about his parentage. Frederick was a ** child born to a white father and a mother. His mother was a and his father was his master. As was the common custom in those days, Frederick, the infant, was separated from his mother even when he was an infant, not even twelve months old and was placed under the care of an old woman, too old for field labour. In such instances, the mother was taken away from the child and hired out on some farm a considerable di5tance **.
Frederick says that he does not remember to have seen his mother not more than five times in his life and each of these times was very short in duration and at night. His mother was hired by Mr. Stewart, who lived about twelve miles from his home. She used to go to Frederick’ house in the night travelling on foot, lie down with her child, get him to sleep and would go back to her master’ house before dawn. His mother when he was about seven years old. Frederick was not allowed to be present during her illness and at her * or burial.
Frederick narrates another cruel and barbarous practice. The slaveholders had made a rule that the **** of irrespective of whether they were born to white or ***** fathers, should in all cases follow the condition of their mothers. This gave the slaveholders opportunities to not merely gratify their lustful desires but also make a profit out of it.
Frederick says that ** **, despite being born to white fathers, suffered greater hardships than ** born to parents, because ** ** were a constant source of offence and displeasure to their white mistresses. It was common for the wives of white masters to find fault with ** ****. They would be normally happy to see ** ** lashed especially when they suspected that their husbands were showing special favours to his ** ****. This being the fact, many white masters used to sell their ** slaves only out of sympathy for them so that they would be spared the trouble of whipping their own *** or stand by and watch one white son tie up his brother and lash him with a whip.
Frederick narrates an incident which highlights how inhumane and cruel masters were. Frederick Douglass had two masters - Captain Anthony and his overseer Mr. Plummer whom he describes as a miserable drunkard, a profane swearer and a savage monster. He used to take sadistic pleasure in whipping a Frederick recalls how, once he saw his own aunt, a tied to a joist being whipped on her back till she was literally covered with blood. Thus, Frederick Douglass’ autobiography depicts the painful and harsh experiences of the slaves.
