Fredrick Douglas Study Guide – Flashcards
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Why is Douglass not sure when he was born?
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He has never seen any authentic record recording his age.
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What is Douglass's last name at birth?
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Bailey
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Why would slaveholders want to keep a slave ignorant of such a simple thing as the date of his birth?
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It is the wish of the masters, the masters deemed all such inquiries on the part of a slave improper and impertinent, and evidence of a restless spirit
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Who were Douglas's mother and father?
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His mom was Harriet Bailey and he doesn't know who his dad is but is rumored to be his white slave owner.
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Why does Douglass make the point that a slaveholder who has fathered a child is likely to be tougher on that child?
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They are constant offense to their mistress
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Why does Douglas only rarely see his mother?
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The were separated when he was an infant. His mother can only visit at night and she died when he was about seven years old.
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Is Douglass's relationship with his mother typical of other slave children?
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Most slaved children are taking far distances off but his mother was twelve miles away from home
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What is the role of the overseer on the plantation?
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He beats them a lot to keep them in line and so they don't escape.
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What is the relationship of the slaveholder to the overseer to the slave on the plantation?
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The overseer reports what he has seen around the plantation and then the slaveholder has the choice of letting the overseer find them and slash off their head.
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What do we learn about Plummer, the overseer?
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Plummer is a drunk, a profane swearer, a savage monster, and he caries around with him a cow skin and a cudgel. He is known to cut the women's head off.
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Who is Douglass's first master?
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Captain Anthony; he is the clerk for Colonel Lloyd
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Why does Douglass tell the story of Lloyd's Ned?
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To inform you of how cruel and harsh he was to the slaves.
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Who were the family members of Douglass's master Colonel Edward Lloyd?
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Andrew and Richard (two sons), Lucretia (daughter), and her husband Captain Thomas Auld.
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What is the relationship of Colonel Lloyd to Douglass's master?
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The master was Colonel Lloyd's clerk and superintendent.
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Was there a pecking order among slaves? Explain.
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The two or three hundred slaves that were on the same farm all had different jobs.
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Why would a slave whose life on a plantation was very bad fear being sold to a slave-trader?
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On the plantation they lived on, they got a yearly allowance of food and clothing.
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Why was Severe an appropriate name for the overseer?
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Severe was an appropriate name for the overseer because of how cruel he was to the slaves and how severe his punishments were.
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Why is it difficult to find copies of slave songs?
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The slaves sang most of them and did't write any of them down
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Why does Douglass suggest that slaves sing out of sorrow rather than out of joy?
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By singing the sorrows of the heart instead of joy the man is released by them
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How did Colonel Lloyd keep the slave boys from taking his fruit?
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he put tar on the fence surrounding the fruit trees
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Why was it particularly difficult to be the slaves in charge of Colonel Lloyd's horses?
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b/c he was very particular about them and would get upset even when there was nothing the slaves could do about the situation
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What is ironic about Colonel Lloyd's treatment of his horses compared to the treatment of his slaves?
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He treated his horses well—they needed "proper attention" while he beats his slaves. The animals get treated better than the slaves
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What happened to the slave who told Colonel Lloyd the truth about his master?
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he was sold to a GA slave trader
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Why is Mr. Austin Gore a "first-rate overseer"? What is the irony of this description of him?
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He was pround, ambitious and persevering. He acted fully up to the maxim laid by slaveholders. He committed the grossest and most savage deeds upon the slaves under his charge
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What reason does Mr. Gore give for killing Demby the slave?
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Demby became unmanageable and he did this to make an example of him
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What other examples does Douglass give of his statement "that killing a slave, or any colored person,... is not treated as a crime, either by the courts or the community" ?
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Mr. Thomas Lanman killed 2 slaves(one with a hatchet); Mr. Giles Hick mangled a 15-16 yr old girl (Frederick Douglass's wife's cousing
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What was life like for Douglass on the plantation?
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Good - Master Daniel Lloyd was protective & kind; FD didn't work much--had simple duties & lots of leisure time
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Why was Douglass so happy to be leaving the plantation?
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He could wash and clean self
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Why did he particularly want to go to Baltimore?
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he got to get trousers
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What relationship did his new master have to his old master?
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Mr. Hugh Auld was brother to FD's old master's son in law, Capt. Thomas Auld
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Why did Douglass, who was seven or eight, not know the month or year of his sailing?
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He couldn't read
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What were Douglass's initial impressions of his new mistress, Mrs. Sophia Auld?
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She was very beautiful and kind
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To what does Douglass attribute the kindness of Mrs. Auld?
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She's never had a slave
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What, according to Douglass, changes her?
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Power
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Why is Mr. Auld angry when he finds that Mrs. Auld is teaching Douglass his letters?
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if blacks learn they'll become unmanageable
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Why does inability to read keep men enslaved according to Douglass and to Mr. Auld?
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if you teach them, they'll be unfit to be a slave--doesn't benefit the owner--slaves want to know more
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What does Douglass hope to gain by learning how to read?
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Freedom
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Who teaches Douglass why black men are not taught to read?
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Mr. Auld
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Why is this lesson so important to him?
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he realizes that education & knowledge can get him to freedom
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Why is the life of a city slave so much better than the life of a plantation slave?
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city slaves have more freedom, clothes, food; dont have to do hard labor on a plantation
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Why does Douglass relate the story of the slaves Henrietta and Mary?
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to show that it's still bad & brutal in the city
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How did Mrs. Auld change and why did she change?
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she stopped teaching FD and she became more mean; she gained power
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What plan did Douglass adopt to learn how to read now that Mrs. Auld was no longer teaching him?
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he befriended white boys & gave them bread for lessons in reading
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Why is it ironic that he bribed the little white boys to teach him to read?
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white people were to hate blacks & white people were supposed to have food
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What did Douglass learn from the book "The Columbian Orator"?
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that people fought against slavery; he learned how cruel white people are; he learned about slavery and freedom
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How does Master Auld's prediction about Douglass and learning come true?
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learning more caused Douglass to want freedom more and more
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How does Douglass learn the meanings of the words abolition and abolitionist?
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from the newspaper
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What do the two Irishmen encourage him to do? Why does he not trust them?
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run up north -- feared they were treacherous faithless/deceptive & would use him. If he listened, they would capture him and get money for reward
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How does Douglass learn to write?
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copied letters that were written on a ship & competed with white boys to write--tricked them--learned more
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How does he trick the white boys into teaching him new letters?
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He would say, "I don't believe you. Let me see it." He'd watch them write and would copy it
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What happened to Douglass's grandmother after the deaths of Lucretia and Andrew?
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she was sent to live in a hut in the woods--nobody cared that she had family--animals are treated better
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Who owns Douglass by the end of chapter eight?
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Master Thomas Auld (brother to old Master Hugh Auld)
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Why is Douglass forced to leave Baltimore?
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because of an argument & Master Thomas said he'd never let Douglass return to Baltimore
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Why does Douglass now know the date?
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He knows how to read now
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Who is Douglass's newest Master?
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Master Thomas Auld
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What rule of slaveholding does Master Thomas Auld violate?
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didn't give slaves enough food
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How did the slaves get food?
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stole food from neighbors & begged
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What, according to Douglass, happens to Master Thomas Auld after his conversion to Christianity? Why?
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He became more cruel--religion supported his slaveholding
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Why does Douglass find irony in the fact that the slaves' sabbath school is discontinued?
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because slaves were supported to learn but the class leaders didn't want to teach slaves to read the New Testament
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Why does Douglass let Master Thomas's horse run away?
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so he could go after it & get something to wat
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How does Master Thomas propose to 'break' Douglass?
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send him to Mr.Covey
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Why is the use of the verb 'to break' ironic?
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"break" him in work ethic & physical labor; "break" Douglas down physically and mentally
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Why was Mr. Covey's reputation for breaking slaves of great value to him?
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because he got slaves to work on his field--slave owners lent him their slaves so he could "break" them in & in return got his land tilled
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Why does Douglass suggest that Mr. Covey's "pious soul" adds to "his reputation as a '******-breaker'"?
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because he too has the support of religion behind his slave-driving(pious=good)
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Why does Mr. Covey whip Douglass?
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broke gate with oxen, wouldn't take off clothes
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Why are the slaves so fearful of Mr. Covey?
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they always felt his presence
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Why does their work go on in his absence?
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they feared that they were always being watched
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Why is it "never safe to stop a single minute"?
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you never knew where he was or when he'd sneak up on you (he was known as "The Snake"
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What does Douglass mean by "Mr. Covey's forte consisted in his power to deceive"?
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he was great at deception--would hide in the bushes
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Why does Mr. Covey buy a slave to use as a breeder?
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to get more slaves to work for him since he couldn't afford it
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Why does he hire Mr. Samuel Harrison, a married man?
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to breed with Caroline-make more slaves
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What irony does Douglass find in this?
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because Covey looks wealthy but is not
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How does Mr. Covey succeed in breaking Douglass?
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broken in body, soul & spirit,intellect & cheerfulness - broken to be a brute
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How does Douglass succeed in again becoming a man?
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fighting covey--gained confidence
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Why does Douglass go to Master Thomas Auld?
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to tell him what happened at Covey's place
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Why does he return to Covey?
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because he was Covey's for a year & Douglass wasn't to trouble Auld again with stories
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Who convinces him to do so?
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Sandy told him to go back to Covey's & carry a root in his right pocket so not to get whipped
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How does Douglass win the fight with Mr. Covey?
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made Covey bleed
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Why does Douglass contend that Mr. Covey does not turn him in?
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because Covey would be worse off-- he has a reputation to protect
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What would have happened to Douglass had Mr. Covey turned him in?
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taken to whipping post & whipped regularly
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Why is Douglass's battle with Mr. Covey "the turning-point in my career as a slave"?
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its a turning point for Douglass because he gets his confidence back along with his manhood
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How are the holidays used to "disgust the slave with freedom"?
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masters deceived slaves of what freedom was-drinking a lot-abuse of freedom
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Where does Douglass go after leaving Mr. Covey's on January 1, 1834?
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went and lived with William Freeland
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Who is his new master and how does he treat Douglass?
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William Freeland--educated southern gentleman; respected humanity, no regards to religion
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Why does Douglass include the anecdotes about the two religious slave holders Mr. Hopkins and Mr. Weeden?
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because religion is a "covering of the most horrid crimes" & justified ill deeds; even high class people in religion were cruel
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Why does he not approve of the underground railroad?
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Hates it-makes owners be more watchful
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What does Douglass ask of Master Thomas? What is he told?
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Douglass asks if he can hire people to work under him; he says no, its just another strategy of escape
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What arrangement does Douglass eventually make with Master Hugh?
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asks to hire people to work for him (Way to escape)
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Who helps Douglass in New York? How? How is it possible for Douglass and Anna to marry?
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she was a free slave & had a reverend
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Why does Mr. Ruggles suggest that Douglass not stay in New York and go to New Bedford, Massachusetts?
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not safe
