Frederick Douglass is one of the most famous, influential men in American history. He was born into slavery in February of 1818 in the state of Maryland. When Douglass was seven years old, he was taken from his birthplace to the home of his master, Captain Aaron Anthony. At his new home with Captain Thomas Auld, he realized the true humiliation of slavery. He was whipped, starved, and left outside in the dead of winter with nothing but a potato sack. In the spring of 1825, eight-year-old Frederick Douglass was delighted to learn that he was being sent to Baltimore to live with Hugh Auld. After hearing his new mistress, Sophia Auld, read the Bible, he had a sudden burning desire to learn to read. He began to beg his mistress to teach him how to
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He refused to let that stop him though, and he began turning to schoolboys in the streets and converted them into teachers. With his first fifty cents he ever earned by blacking boots, he bought the popular schoolbook, The Columbian Orator. This book brought several questions to his mind, and the thought of escaping slavery became a constant thought. Two Irishmen tried to convince him to runaway to the North where he would be free, but he was hesitant because he had not conquered the skill writing. However, that soon changed when he started working in the shipyards, which allowed him to master the essentials of writing. Douglass was content with his life in Baltimore, but that quickly changed when Captain Anthony died, and he was forced to live with his son-in-law. When Douglass started teaching Sunday School class for colored children, Master Auld had men armed with sticks and stones invade the school, disrupted the class, and warned the teacher “to watch out.” However, Auld was not satisfied with just a warning, so as a result, he hired him out to Edward Covey, a professional
He refused to let that stop him though, and he began turning to schoolboys in the streets and converted them into teachers. With his first fifty cents he ever earned by blacking boots, he bought the popular schoolbook, The Columbian Orator. This book brought several questions to his mind, and the thought of escaping slavery became a constant thought. Two Irishmen tried to convince him to runaway to the North where he would be free, but he was hesitant because he had not conquered the skill writing. However, that soon changed when he started working in the shipyards, which allowed him to master the essentials of writing. Douglass was content with his life in Baltimore, but that quickly changed when Captain Anthony died, and he was forced to live with his son-in-law. When Douglass started teaching Sunday School class for colored children, Master Auld had men armed with sticks and stones invade the school, disrupted the class, and warned the teacher “to watch out.” However, Auld was not satisfied with just a warning, so as a result, he hired him out to Edward Covey, a professional