Frederick Douglass has gone down in history as being one of America’s most eloquent speakers. His oratory skills are still admired today and it was impossible for many to believe that this man was once a slave. As the son of a black slave woman and a rumored white man, Frederick Douglass was born into slavery in Maryland. Through his many literary works, Douglass explained the slave system and the harsh reality behind it. The atrocities, injustices and sheer cruelty which emanate from the baseness of human nature come to light in his autobiography. After obtaining his freedom, his past as a slave encouraged him to actively begin work on ending slavery, making Douglass a renowned abolitionist as well. His work was carried out not only in the United States, but also in Europe. As a prominent black-rights activist, he was invited to counsel the government on matters pertaining to black Americans. …show more content…
He describes his ignorance of the cruel slave system which was hidden from him when he was still a small boy. Yet, as a victim of slavery since birth he was separated from his mother and sent to live with his grandmother in Tuckahoe, Maryland. He describes those years with his grandmother as pleasant, happy years. When Douglas was of age, he was brought to the ‘old masters’ – Col. Lloyd’s house to work. Still a child, he did not quite understand slavery completely, except that all the children were kept under the care ‘Aunt Katy’ – a highly favored slave woman. She was extremely cold and cruel to the children. Douglass recounts numerous occasions where he was physically abused by her and was punished by starvation most