Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave

Frederick Douglass’s Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave is one of the most read primary sources on American slavery today as well as in its own time. It follows Douglass from his early years in life as a slave to when he becomes a free man and served as an aide to President Lincoln during the Civil War. Douglass emphasizes throughout the book that his treatment by slave owners was no different from that of his fellow slaves, with the exception that after being transferred from a plantation to the city, he came to the conclusion that being a slave there was almost as good as being free. He learned the value of education during that period and devoted the rest of his life to gaining knowledge. This allowed him to eventually escape to freedom and become a well-known abolitionist.

Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave's purpose was to educate people about the cruelty of slavery and to demonstrate that Black people are just as intelligent and capable of success as white people. For more than a century, his narrative continued to inspire reformers and activists to fight for civil rights for the oppressed in America.

Publication date: 1845
Author: Frederick Douglass