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Why Did Frederick Douglass Escape Slavery

675 Words3 Pages

Kaitlin Wold
Mrs. Solem
Frederick Douglass Essay

Frederick Douglass: Breaking the Grip of Slavery Frederick Douglass, an African American slave, went through many obstacles to become a free man. Frederick Douglass not only kept his head held high through all of the troubles he faced, he also was fearless, defiant, and determined. All of these qualities are what helped him escape slavery in the long run. Frederick Douglass was fearless in many ways. For instance, in the beginning of chapter 10, Douglass is sent away from his master, Master Thomas, to live with Mr. Covey. Mr. Covey was known for breaking slaves, but Frederick was not worried what would happen because he did not think he could be broken. This shows how fearless he truly was. Also in chapter 10, Douglass was overworked and could not stand to finish his work any longer. He fell which caused the work to stop, sending Mr. Covey out to the treading-yard. Mr. Covey beat Frederick until he was almost dead. …show more content…

While Douglass was living with Mr. Freeland, he had taught some of the other slaves who lived there with him to read. Teaching any slave to read came with some very harsh consequences but Douglass wanted to help other slaves learn to read so that when they became free they are able to acquire a job and are also able to “fit into” society once they escape or are set free from the hold of slavery. Also while living with Mr. Freeland, Frederick decided enough was enough and he needed to get out of slavery. Frederick and four other slaves stole Mr. Hamilton’s canoe and attempted to paddle up the Chesapeake Bay. Frederick knew how dangerous this trip could be if they were spotted and sent back to their master but being he had a very defiant spirit, he decided that it would be worth it to try. Frederick Douglass was defiant while on the other hand he was also very determined which had a great affect on his want to

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