Frederick Douglass Outline

Frederick Augustus Washington Bailey, known as Frederick Douglass, was a black man born into slavery. The events Douglass encountered as a slave played a crucial role in the way he perceived society. Many individuals favored Douglass’s views which eventually led him to be a notable author, anti-slavery activist, and orator of his time period.
Douglass was born in Tuckahoe, Talbot County, Maryland. Accurate knowledge of his exact age or birthday does not exist, but it is believed Douglass was born 1818. (McGill 1) In Douglass’s later years, he chose for his birthday to be celebrated on February 14. Frederick Douglass was the son of Harriet Bailey and an anonymous white male. Douglass’s biological father is unknown, but there is a suspicion

Frederick Douglass was able to see his mother only four or five times throughout his lifetime. Harriet Bailey died when Douglass was ten years old. Douglass was not allowed to be present during his mother’s illness or death. Since Douglass had never been able to spend a considerable amount of time with his mother, her death gave him similar emotions as to if a stranger was to pass away.
After the death of Harriet Bailey, Douglass lived with his grandmother, Betsy Bailey, as he had done previously. His grandmother’s house was on the outskirts of the planation, about twelve miles from the fields. Here, Douglass was sheltered from the hardships of slavery. (Lutz 6) Frederick Douglass had many happy days spent with his grandmother, but they came to a quick end. Bailey took all the children on the twelve mile trek to the plantation and dropped all of the children off at Captain Anthony’s house. This was the last time Douglass would ever see any members of his family

While overseas Douglass and his newfound friends of England had raised enough money for him to start a newspaper in America. Many opposed the paper fearing it was not needed and would not succeed. Most felt Douglass was a better lecturer. Douglass persisted in the making of The North Star. (Douglass Bondage 389) The paper was dedicated to fighting the issue of slavery. The paper later became known as Frederick Douglass Paper. The publication remained in production until the 1860s but ended so Douglass could devote the majority of his time to the war efforts. (McGill 1)
Throughout the four years of the Civil War, Douglass was a public figure for the blacks. Frederick Douglas traveled around the nation giving speeches and continued his writing career. Frederick Douglass was focused on two main themes: the war being fought to end slavery and the blacks needing to join militaries in the north. Douglass’s efforts were successful in the end. On January 1, 1863, Abraham Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation. (Lutz