Chapter 1
Who was Frederick Douglass’s father?
His father is a white man, rumored to be his master, Aaron Anthony. He had three older siblings, Perry, Sarah, and Eliza.
What was Mr. Severe known for?
Mr. Severe, was rightly named, used to stand with a large hickory stick and cowskin, ready to whip anyone who was not ready to work the fields at the sound of the horn and beat a woman so badly and seemed to take fiendish pleasure in manifesting his barbarity.
Large and finely cultivated, which afforded almost constant employment for four men, probably the "greatest attraction" of the place and people came far and wide to view it's beautiful valleys, sun-kissed scenery and breathtaking delicious apples - that the "swarm of boys" were tempted to steal away as per they were very hungry and the apples were super delicious, and scarcely a day went by that a slave did get beaten for stealing those wonderful apple(s).
What were the characteristics that Douglass described Mr. Gore as being?
Mr. Gore was proud, ambitious, and persevering. He was artful, cruel and obdurate. He was just the man for such place, and it was just the place for such a man.It afforded scope for the full exercise of of all his powers, and he seemed to be perfectly at home in it. He was one that could torture the slightest look, word or gesture...."(37)
List some of the duties Frederick Douglass mentions having to oversee, on Colonel Lloyd's plantation, how he was treated, and any details at the beginning of Chapter 5 that he discusses to readers.
Douglass states, "As to my own treatment while on Colonel Lloyd's plantation, it was very similar to the treatment of the other slave children. I was not old enough to work in the field, and being little else in the field of work to do, I had a great deal of leisure time. He therefore would do the following duties: drive up the cows by the evening, keep the fouls out of the garden, keep the front yard clean, and run the errand of his master's daughter, Lucretia Auld.
Why is Frederick Douglas not sure of where he was born?
He was not allowed to be told and was not allowed to ask questions.
What is a common luxury we have now - that the slaves were not given ?
Proper nutrition, proper clothing (to children as well), proper medicine, care, love, concern, a nice home to live in, money, a family unit, respect, kindness, education, a bed.
What would happen if you complained about The Great House Farm or Masters overseeing the slaves?
Sold to a Georgia trader, immediately chained and handcuffed, and without a moment's notice, snatched away and forever "sundered" from his family and friends, by a hand more unrelenting than death.
True or False: Mr. Gore was a cheerful man who always smiled and treated his slaves with respect, dignity and care.
False: According to the text, "He was cruel enough to inflict the severest punishment, artful enough to descend the lowest trickery, and obdurate enough to be insensible to the voice of a reproving conscience.
Surprisingly, which of Douglass's master started to care fondly of him? And give us an example (page 42) and why this "friendship" might have occurred....
Douglass recalls, "The most of my leisure time was spent in helping Master Daniel Lloyd find his birds, after he had shot them. My connection was of some advantage to me. He became quite attached to me, and was sort of protector of me. He would not allow the older boys to impose upon me, and would divide his cakes with me?
What was Frederick's last name at his birth?
Bailey
What was the big idea around "The Great House Farm"?
The home plantation of Colonel Lloyd, wore the appearance of a country village - all the mechanical operations for ALL the other farms, happened here: the shoemaking, the mending, the blacksmithing, cartwrighting, coopering, weaving, grain-grinding- all performed by the slaves on the home plantation, whole place ran like a business. Few privileges were deemed higher than being selected as a slave to "run the house."
Frederick Douglass states, "Moreover, slaves are like other people, and imbibe prejudices quite common to others. They think their own better than that of others.
Demby, a slave, was becoming "unmanageable" and "setting another dangerous example to the other slaves," one which, if suffered would do what?
...would finally lead to the total subversion (the undermining of the power and authority of an established system or institution) of all rule and order on the plantation.
What was a specific example of imagery that Douglass refers to as a result of facing the harsh weather conditions (hottest summers and coldest winters), cruel living affordances (kept almost naked -- no shoes, no stockings, no jacket, no trousers, nothing on but a coarse tow linen shirt, reaching only my knees..."?
Douglass recalls, "My feet have been so cracked with the frost, that the pen with which I am writing might be laid in the gashes." (42-43)
Why does Frederick make the point that a slaveholder who has fathered a child is likely to be tougher on that child?
To show respect to his wife (that he does not love the child more than their own) & so not to seem "weak" as a master
What is significant about the following quote "I am going away to the Great House Farm! O, yea! O, yea! O" and how does it present a deeper meaning to the "horrible character of slavery"?
The slaves would sing, as a chorus, to words which many would seem unmeaning jargon, but which, nevertheless, were full of meaning to themselves. Frederick Douglass recalls that "I have sometimes thought that the mere hearing of the songs would do more to impress the minds than some whole volumes of philosophy would."
What do the slaves of the "Great house Farm" think about their masters?
Douglass states, "Many, under the influence of this prejudice, think their own masters are better than the masters of other slaves." (35)
What did Mr. Gore believe when it came to his defense of making Demby, a fatal example of his cruel fate....
Mr. Gore argued that "if one slave refused to be corrected, and escaped with his life, the other slaves would soon copy his example..."
Fill in the blanks correctly:
The ____ that ordinarily ______ children to their _______ were all _____________ in my case.
My home was _____________. It was not _______ to me. On _______ from it, I could not _______ that I was leaving any thing which I could have __________ by staying.
ties / bind / homes / suspended
charmless / home / parting / feel / enjoyed
How far did Harriet Bailey travel to see her son during the night and about how many times did Frederick see his mother?
12 miles walking one way (24 miles in total) with no shoes and no food or water and for only a short duration, about 4 to 5 times
Colonel Lloyd because there is "no flesh in his obdurate heart"to describe individuals that would remain unchanged by the contents of the songs composed in the forests, For example, he considers a situation where an individual's heart requires a fleshy cover to understand the plights of the slaves.
Why was the slaves thoughts towards their masters a mind boggling brainwashing deception and detrimental to their overall mindset/well-being?
According to Douglass, "They seemed to think that the greatness of their masters was transferable to themselves. It was considered bad enough to be a slave, but to be a poor man's slave was deemed to be a disgrace indeed! (36)
Provide the text based evidence, that explains the reasoning for the following:Why was the killing of a slave in Talbot county, Maryland, not treated as a crime? Give an example (from page # 40-41)of a slave master who killed their slaves and how they acted afterwards and why you think this is unjust.
Douglass states that, "I speak advisedly when I say this, ----that a killing of a slave, or any colored person, in Talbot county, Maryland, is not treated as a crime, either by the courts or the community." For example, he recalls that Mr. Thomas who gleefully bashed the brains out of a slave, with a hatchet recounts the memory with a sense of pride and accomplishment. This reveals a deep sense of disregard for human life, the human experience and reveals how cruel, evil and vile a person can be when they allow their dark acts to rule over good judgment.
What did going to Baltimore ultimately provide Douglass with?