

After a year with Covey, Douglass was hired out to William Freeland, who was more humane. Douglass’s spirit was broken by the work and by Covey’s cruelty, until Douglass fought back against Covey, which stopped his whippings. Thomas was cruel and believed that Douglass was impudent, so he sent Douglass to work for Edward Covey, a sadistic farmer well known for breaking the spirits of slaves. Lucretia inherited Douglass, and he was sent back to Baltimore.Īfter Lucretia died in 1832, Douglass was sent to live with Thomas Auld and his new wife in St. When Anthony died, Douglass returned to Lloyd’s plantation to be evaluated as chattel. Douglass worked for the Aulds for seven years, and he committed to running away when he was older. Douglass taught himself how to read and write, believing education to be the path to freedom. Hugh was married to Sophia, who was kind and taught Douglass to read until Hugh intervened, stopping Douglass’s education. When Douglass was seven or eight, he was sent to Baltimore to work for Mr. Lloyd was a cruel and harsh disciplinarian. Anthony’s family included his sons, Andrew and Richard, and his daughter, Lucretia, who was married to Captain Thomas Auld. His first master, Captain Anthony, was employed by Colonel Edward Lloyd, who had a large property. Douglass’s childhood was shaped by slavery, and he witnessed the brutality of the plantation. His mother was a slave named Harriet Bailey, and his father was unknown but believed to be his master.

Frederick Douglass was born into slavery in Tuckahoe, Maryland, in approximately 1817.
