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Gavin West

Professor Motzkus Wilkinson

10/8/21

Question #1

Emancipation Through Education: The Story of Frederick Douglass

Throughout the early history of the United States, we know that the practice of enslaving

other human beings was prominent and evil. While examining this part of our history, we can see

that one of the most recognizable thoughts of many enslaved persons was how they could escape

the despicable rule of slavery. In the 19th century, an influential African American man,

Frederick Douglass succeeded in escaping his bonds of slavery by learning to read and write. He

recorded his journey from slavery to freedom in his autobiography Narrative of the Life of

Frederick Douglass. Douglass describes his early life as a slave and how literacy aided his

emancipation. Literacy was largely withheld from slaves, and Douglass came to realize this

while serving under the Auld family. Mrs. Auld, his master's wife, was kind hearted towards him.

This was because she had not owned slaves previously. She was not tainted by practice just yet.

Mrs. Auld taught him the ABC’s and how to spell short words. Soon after, her husband Mr. Auld

interfered with this activity claiming that learning to read “would spoil the best slave in the

world” and “forever unfit him to be a slave” (25). Douglass was particularly struck by this

because of the passion presented by Mr. Auld. His interest in becoming literate grew beyond

measure. It seemed as if learning to read could provide a way for him to become a free man.

According to Mr. Auld, knowing how to read would spoil the slave because it would provide him

with the necessary education and the means to escape and become free.

Slaveholders had many vile tactics when it came to facilitating domination over the slave,

and one of these tactics was keeping slaves incognizant. There were many reasons for doing this.

Mr. Auld states that if Douglass was to learn how to read, “He would at once become
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unmanageable, and of no value to his master” (25). It was necessary among slave owners to keep

their slaves ignorant. They feared the slaves would come to question their authority, and get

ahold of abolitionist writings. As we see from the story, Douglass came to do these exact things.

As he began to read abolitionist materials, he acquired “a bold denunciation of slavery, and a

powerful vindication of human rights” (28). He also gained a new view of his enslavers when he

proclaims “the more I read, the more I was led to abhor and detest my enslavers” (28). These

thoughts were exactly what slaveholders wanted to prevent. The slave system mainly relied on

the dependence of slaves to their masters. If slaves learned how to read and write, they would

come to question the morality of their enslavement, the authority of the slaveholders, and

ultimately contemplate ways they could become free. For obvious reasons of wanting to keep

their authority over slaves, slave owners were appalled by the idea of educated slaves and

prevented it at all costs. Although this was evil, they were correct about the outcome it would

have as we observe in the life of Douglass.

After Mr. Auld rejected the idea of slaves becoming literate, Douglass was inspired to

learn how to read and eventually how to write. “I set out with high hope, and a fixed purpose, at

whatever cost of trouble, to learn how to read” (25). Because he no longer had the instruction of

Mrs. Auld, finding other ways to learn was essential. Aside from frequent practice by himself,

Douglass found a useful method by making friends with the white Baltimore boys, and while on

errands he exchanged bread for lessons from them. “This bread I used to bestow upon the hungry

little urchins, who, in return, would give me that more valuable bread of knowledge” (27).

Douglass was successful in learning how to read, however the next task at hand was

learning how to write. He did this also by copying the letters he saw in the shipyard where he

worked. Also, instruction from the white Baltimore boys was again useful. Douglass was a bit

deceiving but smart in how he went about his learning. He would claim that he could write just

as well as the other boys, and a sequence of them showing each other their writing skills was
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what followed. Douglass described this method in saying that he would “make the letters which I

had been so fortunate as to learn, and ask him to beat that” (29). This proved to be a great help in

his learning and he continued to practice writing on board fences, brick walls, and pavement

using a lump of chalk. One last way Douglass learned to write was by using the school

copybooks brought home by Mr. and Mrs. Auld’s son Thomas. He would spend time alone

filling in spaces that Thomas did not, and he would copy words written by Thomas. Douglass

eventually came to write similarly to Thomas, and “thus, after a long effort for years, I finally

succeeded in learning how to write” (30). Alas, Douglass had completed his goal of learning how

to read and write. He got ahold of books and newspapers, many of which were abolitionist

materials. As he read and gathered various information, Douglass became discontent, often

wishing he had never gained the ability to read.

At first, Douglass set a goal for himself to learn the skill of reading at any cost, and now

he wishes he never had taken on the challenge. He states, “as I writhed under it, I would at times

feel that learning to read had been a curse rather than a blessing” (28). Douglass would read on

many topics in books and newspapers, and he eventually came upon the topic of abolition. As he

read these abolitionist materials, he learned more and more about what it meant, and he gained

an insight to how atrocious the system of slavery really was. Douglass was further informed of

the awful circumstances he resided in, and soon wished he did not have this knowledge. “It had

given me a view of my wretched condition, without the remedy” (28). He was given the

knowledge of just how bad his condition was without giving him a way to escape, and this truly

tormented Douglass.

While Douglass loathed his new ability to read, it would eventually prove to be a blessing

instead of a curse. His sights were now ever placed on his condition and freedom. Douglass

explains that “freedom now appeared, to disappear forever . . . it was ever present to torment me

with a sense of my wretched condition” (28). These thoughts of freedom resided with Douglass
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and his spirits were more troubled than ever before. However, this discontent led him to be even

more determined to escape slavery and become free. Douglass continued on with these thoughts,

contemplating and even planning with a group of slaves to escape one of his later masters. He

was unfortunately caught, and his hopes again struck down. This continued as a series of events

in which he would gain the hope to be liberated, but these hopes were often diminished by the

circumstances that he was in at the time. Despite this, Douglass persisted.

Later in Douglass’s life, there was one major turning point where we can really see his

true determination to gain freedom. He was under the hand of Mr. Covey, a proclaimed

slave-breaker. From this experience with Covey, he describes his state to be “broken in body,

soul, and spirit” (38). Douglass’s condition was further dwindled by his unique knowledge of just

his awful circumstance. While gazing out upon the vessels of the Chesapeake bay near his house,

Douglass was moved greatly and brought to an outcry against what he was suffering through.

Seeing the beautiful ships made him even more aware of his position, and brought him to a true

determination to escape his bonds. “O God, save me! God, deliver me! Let me be free! Is there

any God? Why am I a slave? I will run away. I will not stand it. Get caught, or get clear, I’ll try

it” (39). Douglass becomes undoubtedly set on taking his freedom which he so rightfully

deserved. He later continued his slavery under master Hugh, and Douglass was finally able to

escape and claim his freedom by posing as a sailor and traveling north by train and boat. He

made use of his literacy on the way, and eventually arrived in New York where he began his new

life as a free man.

Douglass’ story demonstrates how learning how to read was an immense blessing to him

and it ultimately led to his emancipation. As aforementioned, when Douglass learned to read and

obtained abolitionist writings, he discovered how wrong slavery truly was. He was filled with

discontent at the thought of his placement as a slave. Douglass had previously heard Mr. Auld

speak of this discontent, and he was correct. Though it may have seemed like a reason to stay
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away from reading, it was actually the key to his freedom. It was this profound feeling of

discontent that enlightened Douglass. He sincerely recognized slavery for the evils and injustice

that it beheld, and with this he was determined to escape. This also shows us that there is a

historical relationship between literacy and freedom. Those who were not free, were not granted

the means to become literate. Literacy was seen as something only free men had access to. When

literacy was gained by those who were not free, liberty often followed due to the knowledge

gained. This fact along with the story of Douglass can truly apply to us today. It teaches us that

we should never take our ability to read and write for granted and that we are truly blessed. This

is also applied today to represent that education and knowledge is key to becoming more aware

of the world around us. In turn, we are perceptive of how to take our insight and use it to better

ourselves, our situations, and the world around us, just as Douglass did.

Works Cited

Douglass, Frederick, 1818-1895. Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American

Slave. Boston :Bedford/St. Martin's, 2003.

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