Reed1

Frederick Douglass

Have you ever imagined growing up as a slave and then being free? Well that’s exactly what happened to me, Frederick Douglass, an American slave. Dandy opening! I was born February 14, 1818 in Maryland, but my birth name was Frederick Bailey. The reason why my parents adopted my birthday on Valentine’s Day is because then they could call me “their little valentine.” I was taken away from my parents, though, as a baby because my mom died, so I lived with my grandparents. When I was 7 I was separated from my grandparents and moved to the Wye House Plantation where I was worked really hard. I was taught the alphabet at age 12 from my owner’s wife, Sophia. She broke the law for teaching an African American, but she never got caught. I tried to escape 3 times but failed each time. The 1st & 2nd time I got whipped 100 times, which was extremely painful, but the 3rd time I got put in jail. Luckily I escaped and caught a trip on a train which led me to New York where I was free. First I needed to change my name, so ever since then I’ve been known as Frederick Douglass. After I was free I joined the East Baltimore Mental Improved Society, which is a club for free black people. There I met a wonderful woman named Anna Murray and a year later we got married. We had 5 children but my youngest one died of sickness. My 2 oldest ones helped me build a newspaper business and helped run the company. In fact, building a newspaper company was a big accomplishment in my life. I once wrote about the Northern Star in my newspapers becuase it is a star at night that slaves followed to get to freedom. When I helped with women’s rights, that is one thing in my life that made me famous. I was invited to the first women’s rights convention. There I gave an amazing speech for woman rights where I was known for equal rights until my death. What does that mean????? Give one of your speeches! I moved to many houses but my last house ended up in Washington D.C. Our house started out with only 14 rooms but we built in 21 rooms!!!!! A few months after we moved in my wife, Anna, died in 1882. Then I married Helen Pitts in 1884. She was 20 years younger than me and she was white. On February 20, 1895, when I was 75 years old, I was at a meeting and was chosen to speak at the meeting. I was a wonderful speaker! In fact, that was an important thing in my life. I made a speech about church; I made a speech about prejudice (if someone thinks wrong about someone with a different race than you); I made a speech about the economy and war. Here is a little bit of my speech called church and prejudice. At the south, I was a member of the Methodist Church. When I came north, I thought 1 Sunday I would attend communion, at one of the churches in my denomination, in the town I was staying. The white people gathered round the Alter, the blacks clustered by the door. After the good minister had served out the bread and wine out to 1 portion of those near him, he said, “these may withdraw, and others come forward”. Thus he proceeded until all white members had been served. Then he took a long breath, and looking out towards the door, “come up, colored friends, come up! For you know god is no respecter of persons!” I haven’t been there to see the sacraments taken since. Shortly after the meeting where I had my speech I had a massive heart attack or stroke that was so big that it killed me. My boss thought I was such a great man he put me down on his top 10 African Americans list. By reed

​ Accomplishments? What did he do that made him famous or noteworthy?

Speeches: examples of topics he wrote about and actual speeches he made.

Frederick Douglass

Have you ever imagined growing up as a slave and then being free? Well that’s exactly what happened to me, Frederick Douglass, an American slave. Dandy opening! I was born February 14, 1818 in Maryland, but my birth name was Frederick Bailey. The reason why my parents adopted my birthday on Valentine’s Day is because then they could call me “their little valentine.” I was taken away from my parents, though, as a baby because my mom died, so I lived with my grandparents. When I was 7 I was separated from my grandparents and moved to the Wye House Plantation where I was worked really hard. I was taught the alphabet at age 12 from my owner’s wife, Sophia. She broke the law for teaching an African American but she never got caught. I tried to escape 3 times but failed each time. The 1st & 2nd time I got whipped 100 times, which was extremely painful, but the 3rd time I got put in jail. Luckily I escaped and caught a trip on a train which led me to New York where I was free. First I needed to change my name, so ever since then I’ve been known as Frederick Douglass. After I was free I joined the East Baltimore Mental Improved Society, which is a club for free black people. There I met a wonderful woman named Anna Murray and a year later we got married. We had 5 children but my youngest one died of sickness. My 2 oldest ones helped me build a newspaper business and helped run the company. In fact, building a newspaper company was a big accomplishment in my life. I once wrote about the northern star in my newspapers because it is a star at night. Slaves who followed the star were led to freedom. Another accomplishment in my life was when I helped with women’s rights. That is one thing in my life that made me famous. I was invited to the first women’s rights convention. There I gave an amazing speech for woman rights where I was known for equal rights until my death. Here is part of my speech. “A woman should have every honorable motive to exertion which is enjoyed by man, to the full extent of her capacities and endowments. The case is too plain for argument. Nature has given women the same powers, and subjected her to the same earth, breathes the same air, subsists on the same food, physical, moral, mental and spiritual. She has, therefore, an equal right with man; in all efforts to obtain and maintain a perfect existence.” I wrote this because I think all woman deserve the same rights as men.

I moved to many houses but my last house ended up in Washington D.C. Our house started out with only 14 rooms but we built in 21 rooms!!!!! A few months after we moved in, my wife, Anna, died. That was in 1882. Two years later I married Helen Pitts. She was 20 years younger than me and she was white. On February 20, 1895, when I was 75 years old, I was at a meeting and was chosen to speak at the meeting. I was a wonderful speaker! In fact, that was an important thing in my life. I made a speech about church; I made a speech about prejudice (if someone thinks wrong about someone with a different race than you); I made a speech about the economy and war. Here is a little bit of my speech called church and prejudice. “At the south, I was a member of the Methodist Church. When I came north, I thought one Sunday I would attend communion, at one of the churches in my denomination, in the town I was staying. The white people gathered round the Alter, the blacks clustered by the door. After the good minister had served out the bread and wine out to 1 portion of those near him, he said, “these may withdraw, and others come forward”. Thus he proceeded until all white members had been served. Then he took a long breath, and looking out towards the door, “come up, colored friends, come up! For you know god is no respecter of persons!” I haven’t been there to see the sacraments taken since. Shortly after the meeting where I had my speech I had a massive heart attack or stroke that was so big that it killed me. My boss thought I was such a great man he put me down on his top 10 African Americans list. By reed

Have you ever imagined growing up as a slave and then being free? Well that’s exactly what happened to me, Frederick Douglass, an American slave. I was born February 14, 1818 in Maryland, but my birth name was Frederick Bailey. The reason why my parents adopted my birthday on Valentine’s Day is because then they could call me “their little valentine.” I was taken away from my parents, though, as a baby because my mom died, so I lived with my grandparents. When I was 7 I was separated from my grandparents and moved to the Wye House Plantation where I was worked really hard. I was taught the alphabet at age 12 from my owner’s wife, Sophia. She broke the law for teaching an African American but she never got caught. I tried to escape my owner 3 times but failed each time. The 1st & 2nd time I got whipped 100 times, which was extremely painful, but the 3rd time I got put in jail. Luckily I escaped and caught a trip on a train which led me to New York where I was free. First I needed to change my name, so ever since then I’ve been known as Frederick Douglass. After I was free I joined the East Baltimore Mental Improved Society, which is a club for free black people. There I met a wonderful woman named Anna Murray and a year later we got married. We had 5 children but my youngest one died of sickness. My 2 oldest ones helped me build a newspaper business and helped run the company. In fact, building a newspaper company was a big accomplishment in my life. I once wrote about the northern star in my newspapers because it is a star at night. Slaves who followed the star were led to freedom. Another accomplishment in my life was when I helped with women’s rights. That is one thing in my life that made me famous. I was invited to the first women’s rights convention. There I gave an amazing speech for woman rights where I was known for equal rights until my death. Here is part of my speech. “A woman should have every honorable motive to exertion (an action or effort) which is enjoyed by man, to the full extent of her capacities and endowments. The case is too plain for argument. Nature has given women the same powers, and subjected her to the same earth, breathes the same air, subsists (to stay alive) on the same food, physical, moral, mental and spiritual. She has, therefore, an equal right with man; in all efforts to obtain and maintain a perfect existence.” I wrote this because I think all women deserve the same rights as men. I moved to many houses in my life but my last house ended up in Washington D.C. Our house started out with only 14 rooms but we built in 21 rooms!!!!! A few months after we moved in, my wife, Anna, died. That was in 1882. Two years later I married Helen Pitts. She was 20 years younger than me and she was white. On February 20, 1895, when I was 75 years old, I was at a meeting and was chosen to speak at the meeting. I was a wonderful speaker! In fact, that was an important thing in my life. I made a speech about church; I made a speech about prejudice (if someone thinks different about someone with a different race than you); I made a speech about the economy and war. Here is a little bit of my speech called church and prejudice. “At the south, I was a member of the Methodist Church. When I came north, I thought one Sunday I would attend communion, at one of the churches in my denomination, in the town I was staying. The white people gathered round the Alter, the blacks clustered by the door. After the good minister had served out the bread and wine out to 1 portion of those near him, he said, “these may withdraw, and others come forward”. Thus he proceeded until all white members had been served. Then he took a long breath, and looking out towards the door, “come up, colored friends, come up! For you know god is no respecter of persons!” I haven’t been there to see the sacraments taken since. Shortly after the meeting where I had my speech I had a massive heart attack or stroke that was so big that it killed me. My boss thought I was such a great man he put me down on his top 10 African Americans list. Point Of View: Frederick Douglass