The Mind of Frederick Douglass, by Waldo E. Martin, Jr.

Introduction The book I chose to read is entitled, The Mind of Frederick Douglass. This particular book involved many different aspects of Fredericks’s minds setting. Frederick Douglass a born slave who was trying to shape his life into becoming a leader for black people. Frederick Douglass was an “intellectual activist” that was focused on many issues. To name a few, he focused on race, humanism, feminism and “self-made man”.
Overview
Frederick Augustus Washington Bailey was born in the month of February in the year of 1818. Unlike white people, some black people had to haunt for their birthdays all their life. This became a problem to Frederick all his life. His mother was a slave by the name of Harriet Bailey. Frederick was not aware of his father identity until, he “subsequent discovered that his master Aaron Anthony was a possible candidate. Frederick lived on the plantation of the “white master father” Aaron Anthony, the general superintendent. Along with his family, expect for his mother, who lived about twenty miles up the road. His “white master father,” served for one richest largest slaveholder in the Maryland at the time name Colonel Edward Lloyd. Frederick relationship with his father was not close at all. His “white master father,” would completely ignore him at times and this would make Frederick feel very hurt (Martin, 1984). Frederick remembers being mistreated by his master, but does not remember being whipped. Also, he remember his master use to call him “little Indian boy” because of his pastel skin texture and light brown tones. To his “white master father,” Frederick was “signified as a sin.” To Frederick this was very painful rejection coming from his father. He only saw his mother several times, due to she had to travel on feet. Frederick leaned toward his Negro “ancestry” because of the small relationship he gained with his mother. At age of seven Frederick first realized the slave system and decided that is was wrong. He became aware of the abolitionists information through his white playmate named Tommy. For example, he gave information like slaveholders actually hated blacks and abolitionists of slavery actually liked blacks. Also, he learned that his mother was the only slave in the area of Tuckahoe that could read. Upon learning about his mother he became more motivated individual. (Martin, 1984). Frederick found his maternal grandparents, in which was a surrogate family to him by names of Isaac and Betsey Bailey. To Frederick this family was “the greatest people in the world.” He lived with his grandparents and shared fun joyous activities. Frederick was soon removed to Colonel Lloyd’s plantation. Then he was sent to live with Aaron Anthony’s son-in-law Thomas Auld, his wife Sophia, and their son. Sophia seemed very nice to Frederick. She always showed kindness toward him. The “pious Christian” that she was would read the Bible aloud and Frederick would listen. By hearing Sophia read the Bible, it “inspired” Frederick to want to learn how to read. Once Sophia heard of the good news that Frederick wanted Sophia to teach him how to read she told her husband and he said, “If you give a nigger an inch, he will take an ell.” In other words a slave should not know anything but the will of his master. But Sophia disobeyed her husband, she continued to read the Bible and teach Frederick how to read. Frederick carried around a Webster’s Spelling Book, so while he was playing with his white playmates they would share their spelling skills with Frederick (Martin, 1984). As Frederick became a young teenager a man by name of Uncle Charles Lawson “good old colored man” became the adolescence of Frederick’s “spiritual mentor.” Uncle Charles Lawson helped Frederick with his reading and writing skills. Frederick helped Uncle Charles with his “Christianity and spirit.” He grew to know him like a father figure and “role model.” As years went along Frederick attempt to have school sessions meetings, but hate mobs including his master Thomas Auld accused him of intimating Nat Turner and warned him, that he could be killed just Nat Turner was killed if he continue having school sessions. The second attempt was at the Sabbath school for “slave brethren.” It was successful with thirty men attending. In this school he taught the up spreading of the “Lord’s word and uplift” (Martin, 1984). When Frederick was sixteen he was hired by a “Negro breaker” named Edward Covey. This was a hard change for Frederick because he was being “whipped regularly.” Sometimes he was beaten so badly that blood would “flow freely” and wales were left on his back. Covey believes that all slaves’ laborers should work hard until exhaustion. Frederick soon “prevailed” and defended himself in battle against Covey. Frederick said,” after this event, this was a “turning-point in my life as a slave” (Marin, 1984). Frederick traveled to the north to Baltimore on September 3, 1838 to escape from slavery. He married lady by name of Anna while traveling on his escape. He dropped his middle name by using a character by the name of Douglass a “book’s hero that impressed Frederick. In 1841 Frederick and Anna moved to Lynn, Massachusetts, where they had five children. Rosetta, Lewis Henry, Frederick Jr., Charles Remond and Annie. All the children received a good education and “paternal guidance” (Martin, 1984). During 1830’s through 1864 Douglass was involved in several conventions. On August 12, New Bedford, William Coffin asked Douglass to speak at the antislavery convention. This would be Douglass first speech in front of a crowd. One of the correspondence of the National Anti-Slavery Standard said, “He spoke with great power, flinty hearts were pierced and cold ones melted by his eloquence.” All these conventions discussed how to abolish slavery and bring black people to another level (Martin, 1984). Douglass was spokesman in the civil war for the black people. At the time Douglass was a “peace advocate and moral suasions,” his reviews were different from Garnet, Samuel R. Ward and Charles B. Ray. Douglass decided to join the board of leadership to the New Bedford Black people. Garnet favored “militant slave resistance.” In other words, slaves should enter into the war if they want to be free than die a slave. Douglass argument was a slave should not have to enter the war at all to have freedom. Slaves can gain freedom by using other options than war (Martin, 1984). There are three aspects that I would like to discussed that are unique about Frederick Douglass. First, unique aspect about Frederick Douglass is feminism. Douglass motivation came from his mother who he “barely” knew, but “cherished” her memories. Also, he said, “I observed the women’s agency and wrote gratitude for this high service early moved me to give me favorable attention to the subject of women’s rights’ and caused me to be denominated a woman’s-rights man.” Douglass admired women such as Sojourner Truth and Harriett Tubman who were popular for women’s rights and anti-slavery. In 1888 Douglass gave a speech at the New England Woman Suffrage Association. He spoke upon the excitement of how women can speak their freedom, use their “potential talents,” achieve to become “successful authors and teachers” (Martin, 1984). The second that is unique aspect I would like to discussed is race. Frederick Douglass says, “The black people are developed their own cultural as well as social identity. Also, black people have their own traditional values, if colored people will continue to strut about in the mental old clothes of the white race and refuse to think for themselves.” In other words Douglass is saying that mentally black people at this time were shaped into believing to stay in that particular state and let the white people (master) continue to give me orders or think for me. (Martin, 1984). The third that is unique aspect about Frederick Douglass is humanism. Douglass was very happy about human identity. He believes that race or color cannot show an evidence of source of pride. Douglass said, “They are aspects of human make-up. There was criticism because with this argument it was seen as “racialism or racism.” He even made suggestions that the Black people newspaper can be more appealing by adding more humanism. In other words speak directly about what was taking place at the time in the society concerning racial conditions. But this was a struggle for Douglass to “pursuit” (Martin, 1984). The last that is unique aspect is Frederick Douglass concept of a self-made man. He spoke on several speeches on “self–made man” in lectures and his career. “Self-made man” meant self made imprisonment and a step above one self. Uniquely, he never believed that “self-made man” was perfect because a benefit of education would be more than beneficial. He believed “self-made man” was within itself not the man (Martin, 1984).
Conclusion
The author uses the view of the book in such a unique way to represent Frederick’s thought at time as a slave, abolitionist, leader, and a hero. Clearly, Douglass made a great amount of change for black people today. I learned that not only he was an activist for anti-slavery, but for women’s rights. I believe reading and learning everything that I know, looking back from then until now I can relate to Douglass statement. He said, “I remember God reigns in eternity, and that, whatever delays, disappointments and discouragements may come, truth, justice, liberty and humanity will prevail” (Martin, 1984).

Works Citied

Martin Waldo E Jr. The Mind of Frederick Douglass. The University of North Carolina Press: Chapel Hill and London. P. 3-6,9,11-12,56-57,59,60,61,63,94 95,103-104,106,258,263,282-283.