Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, An American Slave: Written by Himself (Penguin Classics)

Book Description

In 1845, just seven years after his escape from slavery, the young Frederick Douglass published this powerful account of his life in bondage and his triumph over oppression. The book, which marked the beginning of Douglass’s career as an impassioned writer, journalist, and orator for the abolitionist cause, reveals the terrors he faced as a slave, the brutalities of his owners and overseers, and his harrowing escape to the North. It has become a classic of American autobiography.
This edition of the book, based on the authoritative text that appears in Yale University Press’s multivolume edition of the Frederick Douglass Papers, is the only edition of Douglass’s Narrative designated as an Approved Text by the Modern Language Association’s Committee on Scholarly Editions. It includes a chronology of Douglass’s life, a thorough introduction by the eminent Douglass scholar John Blassingame, historical notes, and reader responses to the first edition of 1845.
“None so dramatically as Douglass integrated both the horror and the great quest of the African-American experience into the deep stream of American autobiography. He advanced and extended that tradition and is rightfully designated one of its greatest practitioners.”—John W. Blassingame, from the introduction

Customer Reviews:

Forgotten American Political Classic, Best Slave Narrative Reading .......2007-10-07

I read this book some years ago and thought it the best American personnal slave narrative ever written.A forerunner of the 20th century's ,'Autobiography of Malcolm X'.This book is sadly forgotten by many,both among black and white educators.Frederick Douglass was more than an "American Moses",he could have been called ,an 'American Frederick Engels'.Douglass had the power of literacy,which the European-American christians always wanted surpressed and restricted for everybody,especially slaves and the church laity.Douglass had the power of knowledge,and the ablity to reason,which in turn leads to a better society.The more freedom of knowledge is restricted by authorities,the more explosive the base of society becomes.The free exchange of ideas has always allowed a democracy to flourish,and inturn a more stable and progressive society,a 'Great Society'.Frederick Douglass' Washingtonian beacon house still stands proudly on the hill overlooking the scenic and political landscape.This book is a short classic narrative,yet still worthy of investing one's time reading today.

fantastic reading.......2007-07-31

I love reading about history,part of history that everyone should read about. I would recommend to everyone...

Simply the best narrative I have read..........2007-07-18

As society moves about, the slavery of the past remains alive and well. "Sweep it under the rug and do not bring it up" is the mindset of many. This type of suppression is often brought about because of the known guilt of an unfair past. American slavery has deep roots, reading the life of Fredrick Douglass, will help unveil some of the true history of America.

At one point in the book Douglass realized he had past the time of being an indentured servant and knew that being a slave for life was his fate. He was treated with little if no respect. Douglass described Mr. Severe, one of his "masters", as a man who would whip a slave for almost no reason at all (22). Dougless illustrated that Mr. Severe had no respect for his slaves, but treated them as if they were not human.

Many people may think that Douglass story was the exception, but that's not the case. Many times through out the book Douglass spoke of other slave's punishment as far worse than his own. He even recorded the murder of two slaves in Talbot, Maryland and stated that the slave owner never paid for the crime (31-33). This type of abuse almost seems unfathomable, but it's reality.

Studying the origins of slavery can allow us to see the disgusting progression of the enslavement of human life and stripping of human character. Douglass' narrative provides the reader with a glimpse into the life of a slave. The emotional state of Douglass was strong, considering the abuse that he underwent during his life. The narrative of Fredrick Douglass is a superb read for anyone wanting to get a first hand understanding of the life of an American slave.

must read, best on the psychology of slavery, particularly on owners.......2007-01-18

This is an absolutely amazing narrative, of the growth of an individual from the most brutish of slave lives to a free man who took pride in his work and his mind, which he then bent to political action. While told as a story, this book is actually an essay on personal struggle and development: to respect himself, to change his circumstances, to be re-born. At that, it is extremely powerful and moving. The reader empathizes completely with his rage, his awakening, and his striving to grow. He came to the point where he would rather fight back than die slowly, never to be dominated in his spirit.

But it also points to the effect of slavery on their owners. While there are the standard cruel and selfish ones, who are attempting to "break" his spirit in order to domesticate him, the story of how it twists the souls of essentially good people that is the most interesting and shocking. It is like a sickness, their total and unresponsible power, that extingusihes their empathy and replaces it with the most horrible selfishness, as they debase themselves with cruelty. You get the whippings and routine humilations, but also what that does to the perpetrators. This means that the book never descends into stereotypes, but reads as an extremely fresh story by a thoughtful, indeed brilliant, man.

THere are also many interesting asides, which are often philosophical. He points out the hypocrisy of southern christians, who make the worst and most cruel and self-righteous slavers, all while justifying their behavior by the bible. He also recounts how he expected that the "refinement" of the southern gentleman and their leisure would be impsooble in the North, which he pictured as poor as the non-slave holding population in the South - but he discovers an entirely different kind of economic life, in which men worked and prospered and deveoped themselves even more than what he had observed on plantations. But the most important thing is his recounting of his inner journey, which was encouraged by his learning to read as a way to overcome the ignorence that made for "contented slaves."

There is so much food for thought on the human spirit as well as wonder at how the US has evolved. Highest recommendation. If you like this, you should also read Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl, by Harriat A. Jacobs.

Breaking the bonds of slavery.......2006-07-14

This nonfiction revels in importance simply because of its magnitude in not only the fight against slavery in the latter part of the 1800s (and the subsequent abolition), but also because of its brutal honesty for an individual who should be considered an ancestor of civil rights. Fredrick Douglass narrates in detail many of the terrors, horrors, and injustices that he and those around him had to endure during his years as a slave in Maryland. He describes the beatings, whippings, tortures and even deaths that he was close to and had no power to stop. He makes the point that slaveholders gained control over slaves by dehumanizing them, making them ignorant against their own accord, and ultimately having control over them. Frederick does everything in his power to negate this dehumanization, and begins to learn to read and write, but with more knowledge gained he has a stronger sense of loathing those who enslave him: "The more I read, the more I was led to abhor and detest my enslavers. I could regard them in no better light than a band of successful robbers who had left their homes, and gone to Africa, and stolen us from our homes..."

He should be considered a hero for standing up to hardships with little or no support on his side, and finding strength to get past these when he had seemingly had his spirit broken. One important moment is the incident with Edward Covey, the notorious "slave breaker", when rather than giving in, Frederick gets into a rather lengthy physical fight. From this time onward, Frederick is resolved to never let others get the best of him, try to force him to do anything against his will, without a fight. Later he resolves that when the right time comes, he will try to run from slavery and escape. When he is able to land in New York, a kind-hearted man, David Ruggles, comes to his aid and helps him get work.

Historically, this is an important story for Americans to know. Douglass' account is a short narrative (a little over one hundred pages), and reads rather quickly, but in that short time he is able to illustrate just how degrading the issue of slavery had become. His autobiography shows the importance of change, the lows with which others sometimes subject each other to, and the essence of taking up a fight against injustices.

Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass: An American Slave, Written by Himself (The Bedford Series in History and Culture)

Average customer rating:

The Rest of the Story
Not Just a African, but an American Hero!
Required Reading
My heart broke

Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass: An American Slave, Written by Himself (The Bedford Series in History and Culture)
Frederick Douglass
Manufacturer: Bedford/St. Martin's
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0312257376

Customer Reviews:

The Rest of the Story.......2007-07-07

In the classic slave narrative genre, Frederick Douglass' narrative of his life brings to life, in all its horrors, American slave society, and one slave's life-long protest against it.

When we read Frederick Douglass in his own words, he is less the radical and more the reformer than we've been led to believe. He is also more the Christian statesmen and less the Christianity critic than we might imagine. Douglass' oft quoted comments about Christianity had much more to do with a righteous critique of distorted Christian living practiced by white masters than with any critique of Christianity or of Christ. In reality, Douglass, like so many enslaved African Americans before and after him, saw in Jesus a Savior they could identify with--a suffering Savior.

Reviewer: Bob Kellemen, Ph.D., is the author of Beyond the Suffering: Embracing the Legacy of African American Soul Care and Spiritual Direction, Soul Physicians, and Spiritual Friends.

Not Just a African, but an American Hero!.......2005-10-10

Frederick Douglass is the complete ressurection of the saying, "Knowledge is Power." With the more information he aquired as a slave the more he lusted for freedom. He also provides an excellent example of what black people in this country could do for themselves, interms of their economical status. Looking further, Douglass loved to think and imagine the endless possiblities, while he was still in bondage physically. When he began to read and understand the "Hypocrasy" that this country was based on, using christianity as it main tool, and what every human should be allowed by right, this released his psychological enslavement. If blacks throughout this country could read and understand there were blacks that went through worse situatians and overcame them, and the current situation that destroy the black communities were created for them to fail, just like slavery, many would wake up and take on the mask of Douglass. The mask that says, "regardless of class, race, or creed, this world was created for everyone to enjoy including me."

Required Reading.......2004-08-27

I read this book as part of a summer assignment entering into the 11th grade in addition to "Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl" by Harriet Jacobs. Both are great pieces of African-American historical literature and well worth the read. I couldn't read this book all in one sitting, due to the need to fight the urge to throw up. He detailed descriptions of physical, psycological, and emotional abuse are enough to sicken any one and make you disgusted with the human race.

My heart broke.......2004-06-11

The honesty with which this is written is amazing. I was glued to it from page one. I felt disgusted by the human race, saddened by his traumas and guilty just for being white. I think this needs to be read more. Especially in schools. Why isn't it???

Frederick Douglass : Autobiographies : Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave / My Bondage and My Freedom / Life and Times of Frederick Douglass (Library of America)

Average customer rating:

One of my relatives
The Life of a Free Man
one of the founding American novels
Excellence in Achievement through the Human Spirit
Hard work and a positive attitude prevail

Frederick Douglass : Autobiographies : Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave / My Bondage and My Freedom / Life and Times of Frederick Douglass (Library of America)
Frederick Douglass
Manufacturer: Library of America
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0940450798

Book Description

Frederick Douglass, born a slave, educated himself, escaped, and made himself one of the greatest leaders in American history. His brilliant anti-slavery speeches were so fiercely intelligent, and so startlingly eloquent, that many people didn't believe he had been a slave. To prove them wrong, Douglass decided to write his own story. His autobiographical narratives stunned the world, and have shocked, moved, and inspired readers ever since. Here, complete for the first time in one authoritative volume, are the three powerful and gripping stories, now recognized as classics of American writing. Fascinating firsthand accounts of slavery and abolitionism, John Brown and Abraham Lincoln, Civil War, Reconstruction, and the emerging struggle for civil rights, they are above all the inspiring story of a self-made American: a slave who became adviser to the President, minister to Haiti, and the most influential black American of the nineteenth century.

Customer Reviews:

One of my relatives.......2005-04-07

- As an author myself, I recommend that you purchase this book for personal study. "The Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass" is a fascinating book and video that helped me understand one of my relatives.
Author. "Knowledge For Tomorrow" Quinton Douglass Crawford

The Life of a Free Man.......2002-09-05

Frederick Douglass (1818?-1895) was the greatest African American leader of the Nineteenth Century. He was born a slave on the Eastern Shore in Maryland and grew up on plantations on the Eastern Shore with several years in Baltimore. He was a physically powerful, highly intelligent, and spirited youth and developed quickly a hatred of the slave system. As a slave, he taught himself to read and write, and learned the art of public speaking from the church and from a book of orations popular at the time that feel into his hands. He escaped from slavery at the age of 20 and moved to New Bedford,Massachusetts. He became part of the Abolitionist Movement and achieved fame as a public speaker. He became a newspaper editor and writer. During the Civil War, he assisted in the recuritment of black troops. He met President Lincoln on several occasions and became a great admirer. In later years, Douglass was aligned with the conservative "stalwart" wing of the Republican party and continued to speak out for the rights of African-Americans, to oppose (somewhat belatedly) the end of Reconstruction, and to work for the life of the spirit and the mind.

Frederick Douglass wrote three autobiographies which are given in this volume. The first, shortest, and best was written in 1845, seven years after Douglass had escaped from slavery. It tells in graphic and unforgettable terms the story of Douglass' life as a slave, the growth of the spirit of freedom in himself. and the early part of his life as a free man in New Bedford.

The second autobiography was written in 1855. It repeats much of the earlier story and describes Douglass's visit to Great Britain. A higlight of this volume is the Appendix in which Douglass gives the reader excerpts from several of his speeches, including his perhaps most famous speech "What to the Slave is the Fourth of July."

Douglass wrote his third autobiography in 1888 and edited it substantially in 1893. It describes Douglass's relationship with Abraham Lincoln and John Brown. I also enjoyed the section of the book in which Douglass describes his trip to England, Italy, and Egypt near the end of his life. It is highly intelligent, perceptive and reflective travel writing. There are also excerpts in this final autobiography from Douglass's speeches and letters.

The most striking incident in all three volumes is Douglass's story of how he stood up for himself and became in his own eyes a man of dignity and courage. Douglass had been sent for a year to live with a small farmer named Covey who had a reputation for breaking the sprit of strong-willed slaves. Covey whipped Douglass unmercifully for the first six months. Then, after a whipping which left Douglass scared and weak for several days (he ran back to his old master who ordered him back to Covey) Douglass fought back. Covey attempted to whip Douglass and Douglass resisted. The two men fought hand-to-hand for hours. Douglass could not assume the offensive in the fight (it was enough to resist at all) but more than held his ground and had the better of it. Covey at last walked off and never whipped Douglass again. This incident is strikingly told in each autobiography and marks the moment when Douglass showed he could stand up for himself and not have the spirit of a slave. It is inspiring and it grounded his actions for the rest of his life.

There is much in these books that transcends the resistance against American slavery, utterly important as that is. We have, as I have tried to explain, in this book the voice of personal freedom and self-determination which is something every person must learn and undestand for him or herself in deciding how to live. In addition,I get the impression that as Douglass aged he became increasingly committed to the life of the mind and the spirit. This is apparent from his writing and from his interest in travel, in European high culture, art, literature, and music. Douglass learned the meaning for freedom. He tried to devote himself to matters of the spirit in addition to his lifelong quest to improve the lot of the former slave. I think there is still a great deal to be learned here.

Douglass had much to say about the nature of American freedom and democracy. He loved and had faith in them, in spite of the horrible stain of slavery. Here is a wonderful observation from the third autobiography in which Douglass' describes his activities during the Presidential campaign of 1888.

"I left the discussion of the tariff to my young friend Morris, while I spoke for justice and humanity....I took it to be the vital and animating principle of the Republican party. I found the people more courageous than their party leaders. What the leaders were afraid to teach, the people were brave enough and glad enough to learn. I held that the soul of the nation was in this question, and that the gain of all the gold in the world would not compensate for the loss of the nation's soul. National honor is the soul of the nation, and when this is lost all is lost. ... As with an individual, so too with a nation, there is a time when it may properly be asked "What doth it profit to gain the whole world and therby lose one's soul?"

There is a spirit and a wisdom in Douglass that still has much to teach.

As a man of the Nineteenth Century, Douglass tells us little in his autobiographies of his personal life. Upon his escape from slavery, Douglass married a free, uneducated black woman. Upon her death, Douglass married a white woman, which (as we see briefly in the book) caused shock among American whites and blacks alike. We also see little of Douglass' relationship to his children. The reader who would like to learn more about Douglass' personal life needs to read a biography, such as William McFeeley's "Frederick Douglass" (1891)

Douglass' autobiographies are are precious work of American literature and a testimony to the free human spirit.

one of the founding American novels.......2000-05-30

Once you read Douglass's narrative, you will be surprised that Douglass learned enough to be able to write the first narrative written by an uneducated slave. This is one of the most moving narratives you can read -- I challenge any reader to read this and not understand the irony of the white people supressing black people's accomplishments for hundreds of years. The story of Fredrick Douglas in inspiring on many different levels. Once you read it, any reader will understand why this is mandatory reading in any American literature course. It is impossible to understand life after the Civil War without reading this moving, touching novel about how a slave learned how to read and write. Douglass's autobiography is a great literary achievement which should be savored by all who read it both as a historical and literary document.

Excellence in Achievement through the Human Spirit.......1997-09-17

This account of Frederick Douglass'
life and time by Henry Louis Gates
is the personifaction of Excellence
in Achievement through the Human Spirit.
In spite of the hardships of slavery, Frederick Douglass continued his fight for freedom. His dynamic oratory and leadership helped him to move barriers for all people. This self educated man rose to great prominence to serve as a testament to the world that if you have courage, persistence and faith in God, you can achieve anything that you set your mind to. He knew the power of education and the spoken and written word, which is manifested in his creating the NorthStar newspaper to communicate to others. Of course you have to have mortal men who believe in you and your abilities.

I believe that Mr. Gates captures this strength, this conviction and the essence of Mr. Douglass' spirit and his commitment to make a better life for himself and others like him. His dynamic use of the language allows you to feel conviction and essence of Mr. Douglass' concern. It was like listening to Mr. Douglass speak to me through those pages.

I found this book very intriguing and educational. It has something for the world to learn from.

Thanks to Mr. Gates and others for bringing this great American (World) hero to the forefront. We need to know and share in the histor and spiriti of this great man. By the way I was named after Frederick Douglass. I strive to be like him as much as I can. I am still working on my oratory!

Hard work and a positive attitude prevail.......1997-03-09

Frederick Douglass is a role model for all mankind. He showed us how we can do anything we want in life if we are persistant and have the right attitude. Having nothing in life, not even a chance to become educated, he used every situation as an advantage for himself. He remained positive in adverse situations, had a good work ethic and is a person all races should take lessons from and succeed

Passages to Freedom: The Underground Railroad in History and Memory

Average customer rating:

an important work
Passages to Freedom by Blight

Passages to Freedom: The Underground Railroad in History and Memory
David Blight
Manufacturer: Collins
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 006085118X
Release Date: 2006-01-24

Book Description

Few things have defined America as much as slavery. In the wake of emancipation the story of the Underground Railroad has become a seemingly irresistible part of American historical consciousness. This stirring drama is one Americans have needed to tell and retell and pass on to their children. But just how much of the Underground Railroad is real, how much legend and mythology, how much invention? Passages to Freedom sets out to answer this question and place it within the context of slavery, emancipation, and its aftermath.

Published on the occasion of the opening of the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center in Cincinnati, Ohio, Passages to Freedom brings home the reality of slavery's destructiveness. This distinguished yet accessible volume offers a galvanizing look at how the brave journey out of slavery both haunts and inspires us today.

Customer Reviews:

an important work.......2006-12-03

I found this a valuable contribution for understanding this complex history. Not the easiest read in the world, even for those who read lots of nonfiction histories. But excellent. A book I loved because it offers such a personal, rivetting account from the perspective of one heroic African American woman is the fictionalized account of the life of Harriet Tubman, "Home, Miss Moses." It's also not a super easy read but its fictionalized form carries us home. Readers should take a look at both.

Passages to Freedom by Blight.......2005-08-04

The pictures pre-dating and post-dating the Civil War are an extremely valuable part of the overall presentation. I would purchase the volume for the value of the portraits alone.
Famous slave hiding places, way stations, daring routes, Indian
assistance and crossings into the Caribbean and Mexico are depicted. The mid-1840s was the time of the famous Underground
Railroad. Aunt Lucy is depicted. She was a former slave. There is a 1792 view of the Mulberry Plantation with the manor, surrounding huts and a tree.

The 3 generations of slavery are described; namely,
- Charter Generation of the 1st arrivals
- The Plantation Generation of staple producers and cotton
growers
- The Revolutionary Generation of the late 18th century

A live slave auction was depicted in the Richmond of the 1850s.
Harriet Tubman's Underground Railroad was described together with
important historical pictures. The Tubman property has survived
the centuries in Cayuga County, New York.

Overall, the work is a complete description and pictorial
presentation for students of American History, Afro-Asian
History, the Civil War and famous persons who lived and fought
for freedom in the early days of the American Revolution onward.
The acquisition would be very valuable for any personal library.

Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass: An American Slave (Cliffs Notes)

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Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass: An American Slave (Cliffs Notes)
John Chua
Manufacturer: Cliffs Notes
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0822008726

Book Description

The original CliffsNotes study guides offer expert commentary on major themes, plots, characters, literary devices, and historical background. The latest generation of titles in the series also feature glossaries and visual elements that complement the classic, familiar format.

In CliffsNotes on Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, you’ll meet the inspirational man who was born into a family of slavery in early America, educated himself through sheer determination and wiles, and went on to become one of America's great statesmen, writers, and orators. In addition to summaries and commentaries on the novel, you’ll also find

Life and background of the author, Frederick Douglass
A list of characters
Helpful maps
Critical essays covering slavery, Douglass’ life and writings, and more
A review section that tests your knowledge
A genealogy map

Book Description

The Oxford Frederick Douglass Reader collects in one volume the most outstanding and representative work from Frederick Douglass's fifty-year writing career, including all the major genres in which he worked: autobiography, journalism, oratory, and fiction. The Reader contains the following classic texts in their entirety: the landmark fugitive slave narrative Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, An American Slave (1845); the consummate anti-slavery oration "What To the Slave Is the Fourth of July?" (1852); the pioneering novella The Heroic Slave (1853); and the magisterial analysis of lynching Lessons of the Hour (1894). Generous selections from Douglass's second autobiography, My Bondage and My Freedom (1855), illustrate his boldly revisionist personal and political agenda, while major chapters from both the 1881 and the 1892 editions of the final autobiography, Life and Times of Frederick Douglass, reveal the author's perspective on his own successes and his estimate of the nation's progress on the racial front in the post-war era. Also included are notable examples of Douglass's journalism, in which he advocated women's rights and black enlistment in the Civil War. In addition, the private as well as the public Douglass finds a voice in the Reader, as he responds to criticism of his decision to choose a white woman as his second wife and also discloses his carefully guarded views of religion through a little-known 1886 letter. Editor William L. Andrews has provided an introduction and headnotes that give basic, accessible information regarding Douglass's life, writing purposes, and the reception of his texts, offering a thoughtful review of the crucial developments in Douglass's multiple careers as autobiographer, journalist, lecturer, and racial spokesman. The Oxford Frederick Douglass Reader provides students and readers with the most complete, diverse, and personally revealing record available of nineteenth-century black America's most celebrated writer.

Customer Reviews:

Beautiful Writing.......2000-01-28

This was a wonderfully edited version of some of the best writing Douglass ever wrote. The introduction is excellent and the intros to the excerpts of some of his letters and editorials are very informative. One of the best Frederick Douglass books I have ever read.

Narrative of Sojourner Truth (Dover Thrift Editions)

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Historical reminder
Excellent
history hurts but is needed to know
let the truth be known
THE TRUTH FROM SOJOURNER TRUTH

Narrative of Sojourner Truth (Dover Thrift Editions)
Sojourner Truth
Manufacturer: Dover Publications
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 048629899X

Book Description

This inspiring memoir, first published in 1850, recounts the struggles of a distinguished African-American abolitionist and champion of women's rights. Sojourner Truth tells of her life in slavery, her self-liberation, and her travels across America in pursuit of racial and sexual equality. Essential reading for students of American history.

Customer Reviews:

Historical reminder.......2007-05-12

Provided a valuable insight into some of the thinking of slaves even while experiencing inhumane treatment and searching for their own identity. A woman of courage, foresight and well ahead of her time.

Excellent.......2006-08-30

In a world that still suffers from the blight of slavery, mainly in Islamic nations and northern Africa, and Sudan, but also through the sex trade in nations like Thailand, this book is a great nonfiction account, especially for grade and middle schoolers, but also for all who think slavery is a thing of the past.

history hurts but is needed to know.......2006-08-20

I can never tire of learning the depts of suffering black woman had to endure. It gives me even more pride for my people and much hope for a better tomorrow.

let the truth be known.......2002-12-29

very much a must read
the way the words flow
with your thoughts
as if you were really there
to me it is a must read
nice book

THE TRUTH FROM SOJOURNER TRUTH.......2002-12-16

Anyday, anywhere, this book: "The Narrative of Sojourner Truth", is a masterpiece. The hardship she endured, as well as other horrors of slavery will always live in our memories. Afterall, it is said that: 'The evil that men do lives after them'. Sojourner's courage and perseverance is commendable. There is a lot to learn from her.
I strain to keep myself from laughing each time a serious issue like Slavery is raised, and I see men and women do nothing but run for cover. The North accuses the South of having been too tenacious on slavery, and the South accuses the North of hypocrisy, insisting that she (the North), started it in the first place: by disguising the first slaves whom she brought (in 1619) to New Amsterdam (the present day New York) as "indentured servants".
Surely, the guilty are afraid and ashamed; but that changes nothing. Reality will always remain reality. This 138-paged book is a fantastic history memo. It is the real truth; from Sojourner Truth.

My Bondage and My Freedom (Penguin Classics)

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Frederick Douglass's "My Bondage and My Freedom"
Essential Reading
One Man's Journey; Inspiration for a Nation
My Bondage of Freedom by Frederick Douglass
I'm shocked to be the first to review this.

My Bondage and My Freedom (Penguin Classics)
Frederick Douglass , and John David Smith
Manufacturer: Penguin Classics
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0140439188
Release Date: 2003-02-04

Book Description

Ex-slave Frederick Douglass's second autobiography-written after ten years of reflection following his legal emancipation in 1846 and his break with his mentor William Lloyd Garrison-catapulted Douglass into the international spotlight as the foremost spokesman for American blacks, both freed and slave. Written during his celebrated career as a speaker and newspaper editor, My Bondage and My Freedom reveals the author of the Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass (1845) grown more mature, forceful, analytical, and complex with a deepened commitment to the fight for equal rights and liberties.

Edited with an Introduction and Notes by John David Smith

Customer Reviews:

Frederick Douglass's "My Bondage and My Freedom".......2007-09-23

Douglass's second, and lengthier, narrative fills in many of the gaps left in his first autobiography: we learn about his mother, his siblings, and more details about his psychological transformation from brute to man. It's quite insightful, as Douglass is careful to relate each of his personal experiences to the innate evil of the peculiar instituition, for both the slave and the slave holder.

Essential Reading.......2006-04-27

Having read a biography of Douglass many years ago, I thought I knew his story. Hearing through his pen was an entirely different matter. What a master of the language and insighful set of observations on human nature.

I am a man of many words, but words fail me in my endorsement of this book. The letter to his former master in the appendix is worth the price of the book by itself.

One Man's Journey; Inspiration for a Nation.......2004-02-21

Standing in line at the Lincoln Memorial, a book beckoned to me that I previously hadn't seen before. The face of Frederick Douglas grabbed my attention; a man that I've respected for many years, encountering him mainly through my study of Abraham Lincoln. On the spur of the moment, I snatched up a copy of "My Bondage and My Freedom", and within a few days, my admiration in Frederick Douglass was transformed from interest to awe.

Frederick Douglass orginially penned his book as a response to people's accusations that someone as articulate and composed as he couldn't possibly be a former slave. With that goal in mind, Douglass wrote his memoirs, in a straight forward, powerful way. In the book, he painfully and honestly documents the path his early life took; the memories of being owned, how slaves coped during these times, and how he managed to pull himself out of it all.

While Douglass' life in itself is amazing, (as he describes the amazing process he undertook to learn how to read), what amazed me even more are Douglass' discourses that he sprinkles through the book, discussing relevant issues during the time. In one instance, he addresses the concern about why slaves simply didn't run away from their oppressive situations. It's almost as if you can actually hear the people talking to Douglass and he responding to them.

This book does not only tell the tale of a truly amazing American, but gives us a unique insight to the times. This book should be required reading in every high school in this country.

My Bondage of Freedom by Frederick Douglass.......2003-11-14

What are your impressions of Frederick Douglass? What would you say about Douglass observation that "conscience cannot stand much violence? Do you think it was possible to be a good slave owner?Why or why not? Why does Douglass view slaveholders as well as slaves as victims of slavery? Why is education incompatible with slavery? Why do you think the white children's attitude toward slavery is different from that of their parents? How would you describe Douglass attitude towards Mrs. Auld?

I'm shocked to be the first to review this........2001-09-28

My Bondage and My Freedom, one of Douglass' several autobiographies, a very important book that should be read by anyone interested in United States history generally, or the crucial and often tragic role race has played in that history. Douglass, a former slave, was one of the few African-Americans who achieved prominence in the largely white, new england abolition movement. Douglass was an eloquent writer and (by historical accounts) speaker. His recounting of his experience as a slave, and his reflections on his role as a black former slave in America, are powerful.

Abolitionists Abroad: American Blacks and the Making of Modern West Africa

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Antistructure and the Antislavery Cause
Lamin Sanneh writes another brilliant work

Abolitionists Abroad: American Blacks and the Making of Modern West Africa
Lamin Sanneh
Manufacturer: Harvard University Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0674007182

Book Description

In 1792, nearly 1,200 freed American slaves crossed the Atlantic and established themselves in Freetown, West Africa, a community dedicated to anti-slavery and opposed to the African chieftain hierarchy that was tied to slavery. Thus began an unprecedented movement with critical long-term effects on the evolution of social, religious, and political institutions in modern Africa.

Lamin Sanneh's engrossing book narrates the story of freed slaves who led efforts to abolish the slave trade by attacking its base operation: the capture and sale of people by African chiefs. Sanneh's protagonists set out to establish in West Africa colonies founded on equal rights and opportunity for personal enterprise, communities that would be havens for ex-slaves and an example to the rest of Africa. Among the most striking of these leaders is the Nigerian Samuel Ajayi Crowther, a recaptured slave who joined a colony in Sierra Leone and subsequently established satellite communities in Nigeria. The ex-slave repatriates brought with them an evangelical Christianity that encouraged individual spirituality--a revolutionary vision in a land where European missionaries had long assumed they could Christianize the whole society by converting chiefs and rulers.

Tracking this potent African American anti-slavery and democratizing movement through the nineteenth century, Lamin Sanneh draws a clear picture of the religious grounding of its conflict with the traditional chieftain authorities. His study recounts a crucial development in the history of West Africa.

Customer Reviews:

Antistructure and the Antislavery Cause.......2000-12-10

With "Abolitionists Abroad," Lamin Sanneh has produced another great piece of scholarship, one of the best books on West Africa ever written. Sanneh examines antislavery not as an intellectual exercise by Western elites but as a movement of former slaves and former captives who went to West Africa to fight slavery and the slave trade. Crucial to Sanneh's book is the concept of "antistructure," which is the framework used by Sanneh to signal the opposition to chieftain authority structures that became the foundation of antislavery in Sierra Leone. These former slaves and former captives sought to undermine the chieftain values of birth, rank, and patronage and replace them with enlightened values--informed by American Christianity and republicanism--such as freedom and inclusiveness. The proliferation of evangelical Christianity taught ex-slaves the idea that everyone is equal in God's eyes, and these blacks soon began to find its "earthly counterpart in liberty without prejudice." Former American slaves and recaptives alike insisted on equal rights under the law, and opposed official British attempts to meddle with their religious practices. They found prosperity in the growth of legitimate trading enterprises, which served as an alternative model to the economic system of the chiefs, which was closely tied to the slave trade. The final result was the creation of a new kind of society in which chiefly authority was contested, Christanity was tranformed, and former slaves were able to use their "second chance" to pursue dignified and productive lives.

Lamin Sanneh writes another brilliant work.......2000-06-20

I have now read more than 5 of Lamin Sanneh's books and many of his published article's. Being a student of his at Yale, I was fortunate enough to learn side by side with a legend in the field of African history. Abolitionists Abroad is one that everyone must read. Sanneh writes in a clear and easy to comprehend manner that every book lover will appreciate. I highly recommend this book and others written by Lamin Sanneh including Translating the message and West African Christianity. I was fortunate enough to learn in the classroom with this brilliant mind, here is your chance to learn in your home. Five stars.

Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave & Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl (Modern Library MM)

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shatter the romance!
A potent pairing of two essential autobiographies

Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave & Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl (Modern Library MM)
Frederick Douglass , and Harriet Jacobs
Manufacturer: Modern Library
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback

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ASIN: 0345478231
Release Date: 2004-12-28

Book Description

This Modern Library Paperback Classics edition combines the two most important African American slave narratives into one volume.

Frederick Douglass's Narrative, first published in 1845, is an enlightening and incendiary text. Born into slavery, Douglass became the preeminent spokesman for his people during his life; his narrative is an unparalleled account of the dehumanizing effects of slavery and Douglass's own triumph over it. Like Douglass, Harriet Jacobs was born into slavery, and in 1861 she published Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl, now recognized as the most comprehensive antebellum slave narrative written by a woman. Jacobs's account broke the silence on the exploitation of African American female slaves, and it remains crucial reading. These narratives illuminate and inform each other. This edition includes an incisive Introduction by Kwame Anthony Appiah and extensive annotations.

From the Trade Paperback edition.

Customer Reviews:

shatter the romance!.......2002-11-24

simply astounding! totally shatters those awful and ever-infectious civil war era romantic notions. be gone, "gone with the wind!" many thanks be to the spirits of mr. douglass and ms. jacobs for surviving their tremendous struggles to give us truth! recommend these books to others (especially the crowd that chooses to separate the "human stock" question from intellectual discussions of the civil war era).

A potent pairing of two essential autobiographies.......2001-10-24

"Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass" (first published in 1845) and Harriet Jacobs' "Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl" (1861) are probably the two most powerful examples of the slave narrative. This literary form represents the first-person accounts of individuals who have lived as slaves. The Modern Library has paired these two essential American texts in a single edition, with an introduction by Kwame Anthony Appiah and commentaries by Jean Fagan Yellin and Margaret Fuller.

Together, "Narrative" and "Incidents" offer a male and female perspective on the institution that has left lasting scars on America. These texts are well written, and rich in social and political insights. Both authors graphically illustrate, for example, how the Judeo-Christan Bible and the Christian church were used as tools to support the racist system of slavery. Douglass provides a powerful window into the importance of literacy as a tool by which he escaped a slave mentality. And Jacobs incisively deconstructs the twisted strands of race, gender, power, and sexuality that tied together slaveowning culture.

"Narrative" and "Incidents" are compelling pieces of literature. Moreover, the authors' themes can be seen as foundational for many later works of United States literature: Mark Twain's "Adventures of Huckleberry Finn," Toni Morrison's "Beloved," Octavia Butler's "Kindred," and many other texts. Even a popular film like "The Matrix" echoes the slave narratives in some aspects.

Douglass and Jacobs are prime examples of writers who superbly combined literary craftsmanship with an intense political commitment. Their achievements make them crucial figures in the field of African-American studies. This combined edition of their outstanding books should be celebrated by teachers, students, reading groups, church study groups, and individual readers.

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