F4-Biography

Frederick Douglass was born in a slave cabin, in February, 1818, near the town of Easton, on the Eastern Shore of Maryland. Separated from his mother when only a few weeks old he was raised by his grandparents. At about the age of six, his grandmother took him to the plantation of his master and left him there. Not being told by her that she was going to leave him, Douglass never recovered from the betrayal of the abandonment. When he was about eight he was sent to Baltimore to live as a houseboy with Hugh and Sophia Auld, relatives of his master. It was shortly after his arrival that his new mistress taught him the alphabet. When her husband forbade her to continue her instruction, because it was unlawful to teach slaves how to read, Frederick took it upon himself to learn. Returning to the Eastern Shore, at approximately the age of fifteen, Douglass became a field hand, and experienced most of the horrifying conditions that plagued slaves during the 270 years of legalized slavery in. But it was during this time that he had an encounter with the slavebreaker Edward Covey. Their fight ended in a draw, but the victory was Douglass', as his challenge to the slavebreaker restored his sense of self-worth.

Some people really look up to him. I think he was a person that wanted the best for the people. He was a very determined person. He overcame obstacles and took risks. When he was small his mother left him. His grandmother took him to the master's home and left him there. He took a risk when he tried to escape from slavery. He was making plans to escape. Then he was discovered making those plans. He was severely punished for that.

He should be remembered for being a kind person and for not giving up while he was a slave. People can learn a lot of things from this person. For example not giving up when things look bad and to keep trying so you can achieve what you believe in. I think that if Frederick Douglass was still alive things would be better today.