Collin W.

Smith
Lori Wilkinson
American History
Question #1
October 20th 2014

Emancipation Through Education

In Fredrick Douglass's Narrative of the life of Frederick Douglass, he tells of his journey from
slavery to free man. He makes it clear that the most important factors that contributed to his freedom
were his ability to read and his insatiable thirst for learning. The slave owners kept their slaves from
any knowledge beyond what work was required of them as an effective method of keeping them under
thumb. They were aware that true education starts when one learns to read. Thus not only were slaves
never taught to read, but were prohibited by their masters to even attempt to do so. The idea was
simple, Keeping a slave from learning to read is keeping a slave ignorant, uneducated and therefore
easy to control. Douglass recognized this from a young age and relentlessly sought to overcome it.
Douglass spent his early years being with different masters. He bore witness to many of the
atrocities that were committed against his fellow slaves. These experiences in his early life would soon
become fuel to a fire that would eventually consume him entirely. Douglass's passion in life was to be
a free man. From my earliest recollection, I date the entertainment of a deep conviction that slavery
would not always be able to hold me within its foul embrace(75). Still in his early years, he was
fortunate enough to fall under the ownership of a mostly kind family in Baltimore, Maryland. The
mistress of the house, Mrs Auld, had little exposure to slavery. She was a woman of kindest heart and
finest feelings(77). Soon after his arrival, Mrs. Auld began teaching Douglass the alphabet as well as
how to spell small words. However, these lessons were short lived, because Mr. Auld put a stop to
them as soon as he discovered what was going on. He scorned his wife in front of Douglass with
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words that unknowingly set fire to the fuel that had been collecting inside of him.
If you give a nigger an inch, he will take an ell. A nigger should know nothing but to obey his
master-to do as he is told to do. Learning would spoil the best nigger in the world. Now, if you
teach that nigger how to read, their would be no keeping him. It would forever unfit him to be a
slave. He would at once become unmanageable, and of no value to his master. As to himself it
could do him no good, but a great deal of harm. It would make him discontent and
unhappy(78).
Upon hearing this, Douglass realized that his golden ticket to freedom was an education.
The seed had been planted in Douglass's mind and his mission was clear. He began practicing
his reading every chance that he had, despite his masters efforts to prevent it. He seized every
opportunity he had to better his ability to read. Douglass was under the watchful eye even more so now
that he had introduced by Mrs. Auld to reading. He was forced to to be cunning in finding ways to
become self educated himself. The children in his master's neighborhood proved to be an invaluable
resource. He was able to trade bits of bread, which he had almost unlimited access to, for a quick
reading lesson any time he was sent on an errand by his master. The poor children were hungry for
food as he was hungry for knowledge and so they traded until he had learned to read.
Douglass began reading every book he could get his hands on and soon found a favorite entitled
The Columbian Orator. In the book, a runaway slave was recaptured by his master who then
presents his argument in behalf of slavery. The slave then proceeds to discredit what the master has
said and the entire idea of slavery and is eventually set free. Another favorite was a document
containing speeches by Sheridan on the subject of the Catholic Emancipation. Douglass found the
writing gave voice to many of his own ideas and thoughts, as well an acute insight to the importance of
education and what he felt were his rights as a human being.
The moral which I gained from the dialogue was the power of truth over the conscience of even
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a slave holder. What I got from Sheridan was a bold denunciation of slavery and a powerful
vindication of human rights. The reading of these documents enabled me to utter my thoughts,
and the arguments brought forth to sustain slavery(84).
Just as Mr. Auld had predicted, the readings caused Douglass discontent and unhappiness. But while
they relieved me of one difficulty, they brought on another more painful than the one of which I was
relieved. The more I read, the more I was led to abhor and detest my enslavers(84). Douglass was
now more restless for his freedom than ever before.
The exposure to literature that condemned slavery and his own developing literary skills soon
drove Douglass to take further action towards his goal. He began spending time in a local shipyard and
slowly learned to write by observing the carpenters as they drew letters on pieces of timber to mark
specific sections of the ship. Douglass again utilized the invaluable resource of the knowledge of the
local children. He would challenge these children to a writing contest in an effort to glean from their
knowledge. He would approach the children and tell them that he could write better than they could.
Using their youthful pride and competitive spirit to coax them into giving him writing lessons.
Douglass furthered his writing abilities by using his master's child's school book to practice writing
exercises that were left laying around the house and soon became very proficient at writing as well as
reading.
His time in Baltimore eventually came to an end and was passed between several slave owners
until he came into the ownership of Mr. William Freeland. He quickly instilled in his fellow workers
the desire to learn to read and write. He took every opportunity he had to teach them, which in turn also
furthered his own cognitive abilities. Soon the other property hands were proficient in reading and
writing and they had all formed a tight bond. Douglass now had the company of several intelligent and
literate confidants with whom he could plan an of escape from slavery. A well thought out plan was
formulated within the group but was snuffed out before they were given the chance to execute the plan.
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Someone within the group was suspected of revealing the plan for escape and all were taken to a
jailhouse in the next town. Eventually the other members of the group were returned to Mr. Freedland.
To Douglass's surprise, his old master appeared at the jailhouse to return him to his home in Baltimore
in which he had not lived in three years.
Upon his return to the Auld home, it was apparent to all that Douglass was educated and
competent enough to be taught a trade. He was quickly hired out to a shipyard where he learned to
caulk. A free man could make a decent living in this trade with his earnings. But much to Douglass's
dismay, the money he made was to be given directly to his master. Despite his discontent, he took the
opportunity to become proficient in his trade. His services quickly became desirable enough to
constitute a pay rate comparable with any worker in the shipyard, including the white men. He was
now closer than ever to his dream. Douglass was very well educated for a slave and more over any
white man and he now possessed a trade with which he could make a living as a free man. He soon
made plans for a second escape, which was successful. A man named David Ruggles aided him in his
escape and arranged plans for him to be transported to a town called New Bedford Massachusetts
where he was taken in and cared for by Nathan Johnson. There is no doubt that Douglass's articulate
manner and education contributed to the uneventfulness of his escape. He quickly settled into his new
home and overtime became well respected as a free man.
Without the education that Fredrick Douglass obtained over his years, he would have remained
a slave for his entire life. He would have lived out his life endlessly contemplating his plight as a slave
without ever possessing the means to overcome it. His desire for education liberated his mind from
the idea that one who is born a slave will forever remain a slave and his awareness allowed him to
acquire his freedom. Douglass is a testament to the fact that knowledge is power. Throughout history,
the most toxic and destructive ailment this world has ever faced is a lack of education and desire for it.
Any person who lacks the desire to learn is a slave in their own right, free or not. To educate yourself
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is to also free yourself from whatever master that may keep you.

Works Cited
Douglass, Frederick. Narrative of the life of Frederick Douglass, An American Slave,
New York, New York: Penguin, 1960. Print