Transcript Frederick Douglass - Thomas County Schools

Frederick Douglass
Frederick Douglass
• Frederick understood the importance of reading.
• He knew that by reading he could find out about
new ideas.
• When he learned to read it led him to become a
great writer, speaker, and fighter for civil rights.
Frederick Douglass
• Douglass was born in 1818
• He was taught by Sophia Auld who he lived with.
However, her husband stopped the lessons
because Douglass was not a free person.
• In the early 1800’s it was against the law for
enslaved people to learn to read.
Frederick Douglass
• It was against the law because slave owners were
afraid that slaves would learn about freedom if
they read.
• Frederick decided he wanted to read no matter
what. He gave away food to learn what others had
learned at school. He would read the books of
Thomas Auld the child of his owners.
Frederick Douglass
• By the time he was 12 Frederick was a pretty good
reader.
• The more he read the more he hated being enslaved.
His knowledge through books gave him a dream about
liberty.
• Since he read so much he was a great speaker and
writer which he used to argue for the freedom of
enslaved people.
Frederick Douglass
• The idea of slavery divided the United State of America.
• In states that allowed slavery people were bought and
owned. They had to work for no pay.
• Slaves had no rights and they were treated however the
slave owners wanted.
• Even slaves who were treated well were still not free.
Douglass wanted every slave to have freedom.
Free States and Territories
Slave States
Territories Open to Slavery
Frederick Douglass
• Douglass was given a job as a shipbuilder in
Baltimore by his owner. Any money he earned
went to his owner.
• While he was working in Baltimore Douglass
planned a way to escape. Baltimore was a busy
city with trains and ships that left to states where
slavery was outlawed.
Frederick Douglass
• However no slave could go anywhere without the
permission of their owners.
• In Baltimore slaves could travel out of the state if they
could prove they were free.
• On September 3, 1838 Douglass dressed up as a sailor and
got aboard a train heading north. Douglass borrowed
papers from a free African American saying that he was
free.
Frederick Douglass
• Since he didn’t look like the man in his papers Douglass
was afraid that he was going to get caught.
• The conductor only glanced at his papers and Douglass
was on his way to New York a free state.
• However, there were slave catchers who caught escaped
slaves and brought them back for money.
Frederick Douglass
• Douglass moved to New Bedford, Massachusetts. There he
attended abolitionist meetings to try and end slavery.
• In 1841 he gave a very powerful speech for the
Massachusetts Anti-Slavery Society. More groups wanted
to hear Douglass speak so he used his freedom of
expression to help earn the freedom for slaves.
Frederick Douglass
• He gave hundreds of antislavery speeches in states
in the Northeast.
• Giving speeches about not having slavery was
very dangerous. They could get hurt by people
who didn’t agree with them.
Frederick Douglass
• Many people didn’t believe that Douglass had
been a slave since he had such a good education.
• To prove that he was a slave he wrote his own life
story (autobiography). Many people read it and
Douglass put himself in danger from slave
catchers who could have found out about him.
Frederick Douglass
• Douglass traveled to Great Britain. This was a
country that had made slavery illegal.
• He stayed there for two years giving speeches.
• He earned money there to pay for his freedom. He
paid Hugh Auld $711.66 to become free on
December 5, 1846.
Frederick Douglass
• He moved back to Rochester, New
York and started a anti-slavery
newspaper called The North Star.
• He wrote many articles in favor of
rights for African Americans.
• This allowed his ideas to go all
over the United States.
Frederick Douglass
• He also supported the right
of women to vote.
• He met and worked with
Susan B. Anthony in New
York.
• They worked together to try
and end slavery as well as
earn rights for women.
Frederick Douglass
• Douglass hid escaped slaves at his home in
New York.
• He was a part of the Underground Railroad.
The Underground Railroad was a secret
network of people, routes, and hiding places
that helped slaves escape to freedom.
• Douglass gave food and shelter to slaves
and helped them get to their next spot.
Frederick Douglass
• Rochester, New York was an important stop
on the railroad because it was near Canada.
• Canada didn’t allow slavery and if you
could make it to Canada you could live
safely.
Frederick Douglass
• The disagreement about slavery led
the United States into the Civil War.
• Some states left the United States and
fought over the right to practice
slavery and other issues.
• After the war ended President
Lincoln announced that all slaves
were free. (The Emancipation
Proclamation).
Frederick Douglass
• During the war Douglass wanted African
Americans to sign up to be apart of the
Union Army.
• They got treated unfairly in the Union Army
and Douglass told President Lincoln about
it.
Frederick Douglass
• When President Lincoln
was elected a 2nd time
Douglass went to
congratulate him.
• Since he was black the
police wouldn’t let him
come in.
• Lincoln heard about this and
told them to let Douglass in.
Frederick Douglass
• When the Union won the Civil War they ended
slavery.
• Prejudice, or a strong feeling or opinion formed
unfairly or without knowing all the facts about a
group of people, was still very rampant.
• Douglass still wrote and gave speeches about the
rights of everyone and justice for all.
Frederick Douglass
• In 1967 Douglass became the first African American to be
pictured on a postage stamp. This was in honor of his hard
work toward rights for everyone.
• He has many schools named after him in Eastern United
States.
• He is often admired because of his bravery and strength.
Although he knew that his work wouldn’t be finished in
his life time he kept working.
Character Traits
• Liberty means freedom. Douglass wanted freedom
for everyone.
• Justice or fair treatment. Douglass spoke out
against laws that took away civil rights from
African Americans and women.
• Freedom of expression means that people have the
right to think and say what they believe. Douglass
spoke and wrote about the evils of slavery.