The exact birth-date of Frederick Douglass is unknown, even to him. “Slaves know as little of their ages as horses know of theirs, and it is the wish of most masters within my knowledge to keep their slaves thus ignorant. I do not remember to have ever met a slave who could tell his birthday” (Douglass 13). Keeping knowledge from their slaves was the masters’ key to dominance. Evidence of a restless spirit within a slave was deemed impr

During all of this, he served as a recorder of the deeds in the District Of Columbia from 1881-1886 and as a U.S. minister to Haiti from 1889-1891. He wrote two expanded versions of his autobiography --- My Bondage and My Freedom (1855) and Life and Times of Frederick Douglass (1881).

In 1845, Douglass published his autobiography, Narrative of the Live of Frederick Douglass. He feared that his identity as a runaway slave would be revealed when the book was published, so he went to England. England welcomed his continued speeches against slavery. His newfound friends there raised money to buy his freedom (Filler 194).

During the American Civil War (1861-1865), Douglass helped recruit African Americans for the Union Army. He discussed the problems of slavery with President Abraham Lincoln several times. On September 22, 1862 Lincoln issued a preliminary order to free the slaves. It declared that all slave states in rebellion against the Union on January 1, 1863 would forever be free. It did not include slave states loyal to the Union. On January 1, 1863, Lincoln issued the final order as the Emancipation Proclamation. The Emancipation Proclamation, though legally binding, was a war measure that could be reversed later. Therefore, in 1865, Lincoln helped push through Congress the 13th Amendment to the Constitution, which abolished slavery throughout the nation (World Book).

Another custom in slavery, probably also out of deference to the feelings of the white wife, is to part children from their mothers at a very early age. Frederick was separated from his mother when he was an infant --- before he even knew her as his mother. Harriet Bailey was moved about twelve miles away. After the performance of her days work, she would sneak out and travel the whole distance on foot just to see her little baby son, hoping he would sense his mother’s love. She would lie down with him, get him to sleep, and long before he would wake she was gone (Filler 50).

The more he read, the more he hated those who believed in slavery. He sometimes felt that this blessing was a curse. He envied the other slaves for their stupidity. They were blind to so many of the evils of their masters.

The Emancipation Proclamation freed slaves, and allowed them to fight in the Civil War, but did not protect them from the extreme prejudice that was still the norm. Douglass’ speeches became even more passionate at this time. He continued to work for civil rights for his fellow black Americans. He said that the Emancipation Proclamation “presented many puzzles. It was a puzzle that men could resemble each other so closely, yet differ so widely” (Douglass Speeches 291).

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