Early Life
What was the approximate age Frederick Douglass believed himself to be, since enslaved children were rarely told their birthdays?
7 years old
This character is the narrator of the autobiography and describes his life from slavery to freedom.
Frederick Douglass
What event from Douglass’s childhood first showed him the brutality of slavery?
The whipping of his Aunt Hester
In what year did Douglass get sent to Baltimore to live with Hugh Auld, where he first began learning to read?
1825
What city did Douglass live in for a time, where he was first taught the alphabet by Sophia Auld?
Baltimore
Who was the family member Douglass was separated from shortly after birth, a common practice meant to break family bonds among enslaved people?
His mother, Harriet Bailey
This Baltimore woman taught Douglass the alphabet before slavery corrupted her kindness.
Sophia Auld/Mrs. Auld
Who secretly taught Douglass to read—after they initially began teaching him—before being forced to stop.
Mrs. Auld
What is the approximate year Douglass escaped from slavery and gained his freedom?
1838
What shipyard in Baltimore exposed Douglass to free Black sailors and inspired his dreams of escape?
Fell’s Point shipyard
What relative did Douglass first witness the brutal beating of, an event that showed him the horrors of slavery at a young age?
Aunt Hester
Known for his cruelty, this overseer shot and killed the enslaved man Demby without punishment.
Mr. Gore
Douglass gained newfound confidence and a sense of manhood after physically resisting this notoriously cruel “slave-breaker.”
Edward Covey
In what year was Douglass’s narrative first published, marking an important moment in the abolitionist movement?
1845
What location does Douglass describe as a symbol of power and wealth, with lush gardens where enslaved people were not allowed to take fruit?
Colonel Lloyd’s garden
What plantation, owned by Colonel Edward Lloyd, did Douglass spend his early years enslaved on?
The Lloyd plantation (or “Great House Farm”)
This man, Douglass’s master, sent him to Edward Covey to be “broken,” a turning point that eventually led Douglass to fight back.
Thomas Auld
Douglass organized this type of fake documentation to help himself and others attempt escape from Mr. Freeland’s farm.
A marriage certificate
Around what year did Douglass describe being sent to Colonel Lloyd’s plantation, one of his earliest childhood memories of harsh treatment?
1820
In what Baltimore area did Douglass work as a hired laborer, turning over his wages to Hugh Auld?
Baltimore shipyards/Durgin & Bailey shipyard
Who did Douglass learn that his father was rumored to be which added to the complexities and cruelties of slaveholder power?
His enslaver (possibly Captain Anthony)
This “slave-breaker” tried to crush Douglass’s spirit through constant labor and whipping, but ultimately failed after Douglass resisted him.
Edward Covey
What city, where he had worked as a caulker and hired out his labor, did Douglass finally secure his freedom?
New Bedford
In what year was Douglass sent back to Baltimore after living on the Eastern Shore, where he observed the cruel treatment of slaves?
1826
On holidays, enslaved people on Lloyd’s estate were sometimes allowed to travel to what nearby village for errands or drinking?
St. Michael’s