Frederick Douglass

Texts by Frederick Douglass:

• The Heroic Slave  
• Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, An American Slave 

 Resources about Frederick Douglass

1. Carbado, Devon, ed. Black Men on Race, Gender, & Sexuality: a Critical Reader. New York: New York UP, 1999. Mesa Community College ebrary. 19 June 2007.

The main purpose of this website is to present information on the life and works of Frederick Douglass.  Frederick Douglass is an important person to know about in the specific literary period because he wrote many well known slave narratives.  Since Douglass’s writings are about slavery, making his writings critical to an understanding of the literary period of Slavery.  This resource is helpful in reading, interpreting the author, text, and themes because it contains information on all of these elements.  The website is credible because the author is clearly indicated. 

2. Thomas, Sandra. "Frederick Douglass: Abolitionist/Editor." University of Rochester. 19 June 2007 < http://www.history.rochester.edu/class/douglass/home.html >.

The website is a complete and descriptive biography of Frederick Douglass offered by the University of Rochester's Frederick Douglass for African and African-American Studies. The page is credible as the information provided are from educated faculties and researchers. The page is a biography of Douglass, noting his beginnings as a slave, escaping and finding freedom, however, still aware of the dangers of slave catchers. Douglass then became involved with the abolitonist movement and was discovered to be a potential speaker. He then published a book about his life as a slave. The book was the Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, An American Slave. His book is a story of the triumph of dignity, courage, and self-reliance over the evils of the brutal, degrading slave system. It is a sermon on how slavery corrupts the human spirit and robs both master and slave of their freedom. Douglass traveled and lectured, giving speeches about slavery. He also founded and edited a weekly newspaper, which his goal was to proclaim the abolitonist cause and fight for equality. The page is helpful in learning abou the author and his influence during the slavery period, where he was an abolitionist who strived to end slavery. Also, the page provided information about the author's text, which could be read to identify the theme an literary term used by the author. -DR