Frederick Douglass

22 Pages 5595 Words

ts glaring odiousness, that slaveholders have ordained, and by law established, that the children of slave women shall in all cases follow the condition of their mothers; and this is done too obviously to administer to their own lusts, and make a gratification of their wicked desires profitable as well as pleasurable; for by this cunning arrangement, the slaveholder, in cases not a few, sustains to his slaves the double relation of master and father. I know of such cases… The master is frequently compelled to sell this class of his slaves, out of deference to the feelings of his white wife” (Douglass 14).
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).
She died when he was seven years old. He was not allowed to be present during her illness, death, or burial. “She was long gone before I knew anything about it… I received the tidings of her death with much the same emotions I should have probably felt at the death of a stranger” (Douglass 15). Frederick never knew his mother, but her strength, courage, and cunning determination served as inspiration for his own admirable ventures. He was born an inherently independent soul, but the ultimate inspiration for his conquests came when he learned the alphabet.
Frederick had many masters. The Auld’s in Baltimore were the most important. Mistress Sophia Auld taught him the ABC’s, and how to spell certain three and four letter words. Fr...