Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass

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First appearing in 1845 The Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, with its painfully vivid depiction of life in bondage, was both a bestseller in its day and one of the most powerful, authoritative texts lending support to the abolitionist movement.

The author traces his life from an infant born into slavery and taken from his mother at birth, to a displaced child hungry for knowledge, to an abused and beaten laborer seeking freedom and a chance to marry the woman he loved. Offering bright, cameo glimpses into a world that should not be forgotten, Douglass chronicles both the cruel violence of a system that saw him as little more than livestock and the brighter moments of success, of courageous support from friends and allies. Initially greeted by some with doubt that it could have been written by a black man and former slave, the book had a profound effect on American society, making the author something of a celebrity and his cause less an abstract ideal and more of an urgent human concern. Solemn, powerful, and passionate The Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass is more than an important historical document―it is a personal account of striving for human freedom in a world where the author was regarded as neither free nor human.

With an eye-catching new cover and professionally typeset manuscript, this edition of The Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass is both modern and readable.

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Author: Frederick Douglass
Publisher: Signet Book
Published: 06/07/2005
Pages: 160
Binding Type: Paperback
Weight: 0.20lbs
Size: 6.60h x 4.10w x 0.50d
ISBN: 9780451529947

Accelerated Reader:
Reading Level: 7.9
Point Value: 7
Interest Level: Upper Grade
Quiz #/Name: 76092 / Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass: An American Slave

About the Author
Frederick Douglass, born around 1817, was the son of an African-American woman and a white slaveholder. Brilliant and brave, Douglass once led a minor insurrection against his masters--but unlike the famous Nat Turner, Douglass escaped his venture alive. While still a young man he fled, hungry and hunted, to the North, where he was befriended by abolitionists. His dramatic autobiography was published in 1845, creating a sensation and spurring Douglass's career as a militant, uncompromising leader of African-Americans. He recruited African-American volunteers for the Civil War and later secured and protected the rights of the freemen. Douglass later became secretary of the Santo Domingo Commission, Recorder of Deeds in the District of Columbia, and United States Minister to Haiti. He died in 1895.

Peter J. Gomes was the minister at Memorial Church at Harvard University from 1974 until his death in 2011. Among his many books are The Good Book: Reading the Bible with Mind and Heart and Strength for the Journey: Biblical Wisdom for Daily Living.

Gregory Stephens is Lecturer of Cultural Studies and Film in the Department of Literature in English, University of West Indies--Mona. He is the author of On Racial Frontiers: The New Culture of Frederick Douglass, Ralph Ellison, and Bob Marley. Previously he was an award-winning songwriter and journalist in Austin and Laredo, Texas, as well as a bilingual public school teacher (Spanish/English). He lives in Kingston, Jamaica.