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Reader discussion: Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave
Public reader discussion about Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave by Frederick Douglass.
Frederick Douglass. Social reformer, abolitionist, orator, writer, and statesman, 1865.
By goldeagle49
I mostly know Douglass as this huge abolitionist name, but reading this made me realize how much else he did too. He was an orator and writer, and his autobiographies—especially the 1845 one—seem to have really taken off and helped push the abolition cause. Then there’s the women’s suffrage support and all the public roles he had.
The part about him being nominated for vice president without his approval is honestly kind of wild to me, even though I guess it fits with how he was always involved in bigger movements. And I’m not totally sure how to feel about the Victoria Woodhull connection, just because it sounds like it happened in a pretty unexpected way. The last bit, where he goes to the National Council of Women meeting in D.C. and gets a standing ovation, then dies soon after of a massive heart attack at 77, just feels so sudden.
NARRATIVE OF THE LIFE OF FREDERICK DOUGLASS, AN AMERICAN SLAVE: It is a memoir written by former slave Frederick Douglass during his stay in Massachusetts in 1845. This book is a treatise on abolition and tells of Frederick Douglas's life as a slave and how he wishes to become a free man.
By mercy_panther70
I ended up reading this for a college class. It’s pretty intense, and the story gets kind of glossed over in American history. You usually just hear a short little blurb about his life, but the detail in this is really eye-opening.
Just remembered I found a first edition of Frederick Douglass's My Life and Times in a junk shop 20 years ago. He's getting recognized more and more...
By curiousreads5100
Seeing Frederick Douglass pop up in the news lately made me remember I apparently own a first edition of his third autobiography, *My Life and Times* (1881). I picked it up randomly at a junk shop in Marseilles, Illinois—like, on my first date with my wife. No clue how it ended up there, mixed in with old car parts and stacks of *National Geographic*.
I pulled it out just to look at it, and it’s really neat.
I’m actually thinking of selling it now to donate the money to the Southern Poverty Law Center. Figured it’d be better than just sitting in a box in the garage, especially with everything going on right now.