Note: This post quotes from Frederick Douglass’s memoir, where he recounts racist treatment that he received from various white men. Although he quotes their offensive language, this post has censored out the racial slurs, indicating only by brackets that the unfortunate “N-word” was the word used in the original quotations.
Before the Civil War, a young slave secretly took a great risk by learning how to read ...
Before the Civil War, a young slave secretly took a great risk by learning how to read. The young slave’s name was Frederick Douglass, and he would later become a tireless campaigner in the cause of black freedom. First he would campaign against slavery, and then he would campaign for civil rights. (But I’m getting ahead of myself.)
Frederick Douglass in the 1860s, long after his being held as a slave
Frederick Douglass would later recount this story in a famous memoir
After he had escaped to the North, Frederick Douglass would later write a memoir. It was simply entitled “Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, An American Slave (Written By Himself).” This memoir was first published in 1845. In it, he describes his experiences as a slave, writing the most influential account ever given about American slavery. Most relevantly for our present subject, he recounts his secret undertaking to learn how to read, while under the domination of White Southerners. The writing speaks so well for itself that very little commentary will be needed to dramatize it, or put it into perspective.
Original edition of this memoir
His female owner once undertook to teach him to read, but his male owner forbade this ...
Partway through the memoir, Frederick Douglass begins this account by saying: “Very soon after I went to live with Mr. and Mrs. Auld, she very kindly commenced to teach me the A, B, C. After I had learned this, she assisted me in learning to spell words of three or four letters. Just at this point of my progress, Mr. Auld found out what was going on, and at once forbade Mrs. Auld to instruct me further, telling her, among other things, that it was unlawful, as well as unsafe, to teach a slave to read. To use his own words, further, he said, ‘If you give a [N-word] an inch, he will take an ell. [his word, not mine] A [N-word] should know nothing but to obey his master—to do as he is told to do. [the same disclaimer applies to all that follows] Learning would spoil the best [N-word] in the world. Now,’ said he, ‘if you teach that [N-word] (speaking of myself) how to read, there would be no keeping him. [again, the same disclaimer applies to all of these] It would forever unfit him to be a slave. He would at once become unmanageable, and of no value to his master. As to himself, it could do him no good, but a great deal of harm. It would make him discontented and unhappy.’” (Source: Chapter VI)
Frontispiece of Douglass from the first edition of this memoir
Douglass then realized that learning to read was a pathway from slavery to freedom
Frederick Douglass then comments: “These words sank deep into my heart, stirred up sentiments within that lay slumbering, and called into existence an entirely new train of thought. It was a new and special revelation, explaining dark and mysterious things, with which my youthful understanding had struggled, but struggled in vain. I now understood what had been to me a most perplexing difficulty—to wit, the white man’s power to enslave the black man. It was a grand achievement, and I prized it highly. From that moment, I understood the pathway from slavery to freedom. It was just what I wanted, and I got it at a time when I the least expected it. Whilst I was saddened by the thought of losing the aid of my kind mistress, I was gladdened by the invaluable instruction which, by the merest accident, I had gained from my master. Though conscious of the difficulty of learning without a teacher, I set out with high hope, and a fixed purpose, at whatever cost of trouble, to learn how to read.” (Source: Chapter VI)
Wye House mansion (where the Auld family lived), as seen from the front lawn
This gave Douglass a strong desire to learn how to read
He continued, saying: “The very decided manner with which he spoke, and strove to impress his wife with the evil consequences of giving me instruction, served to convince me that he was deeply sensible of the truths he was uttering. It gave me the best assurance that I might rely with the utmost confidence on the results which, he said, would flow from teaching me to read. What he most dreaded, that I most desired. What he most loved, that I most hated. That which to him was a great evil, to be carefully shunned, was to me a great good, to be diligently sought; and the argument which he so warmly urged, against my learning to read, only served to inspire me with a desire and determination to learn. In learning to read, I owe almost as much to the bitter opposition of my master, as to the kindly aid of my mistress.” (Source: Chapter VI)
The “Captain’s House” on this same Wye Plantation
Frederick Douglass later bribed little white boys to teach him how to read ...
A few paragraphs later, in the beginning of the next chapter, he said: “I lived in Master Hugh’s family about seven years. During this time, I succeeded in learning to read and write. In accomplishing this, I was compelled to resort to various stratagems. I had no regular teacher.” (Source: Chapter VII) How did this happen? Douglass explains: “The plan which I adopted, and the one by which I was most successful, was that of making friends of all the little white boys whom I met in the street. As many of these as I could, I converted into teachers. With their kindly aid, obtained at different times and in different places, I finally succeeded in learning to read. When I was sent of errands, I always took my book with me, and by going one part of my errand quickly, I found time to get a lesson before my return. I used also to carry bread with me, enough of which was always in the house, and to which I was always welcome; for I was much better off in this regard than many of the poor white children in our neighborhood. This bread I used to bestow upon the hungry little urchins, who, in return, would give me that more valuable bread of knowledge.” (Source: Chapter VII)
... and withheld their names, because that would have embarrassed them in their own time
Douglass then added: “I am strongly tempted to give the names of two or three of those little boys, as a testimonial of the gratitude and affection I bear them; but prudence forbids;—not that it would injure me, but it might embarrass them; for it is almost an unpardonable offence to teach slaves to read in this Christian country.” (Source: Chapter VII) Later in the memoir, Frederick Douglass would add: “He who proclaims it a religious duty to read the Bible denies me the right of learning to read the name of the God who made me.” (Source: Appendix) Thus, he criticized the slaveholders’ version of Christianity, which he bitterly denounced for its glaring and blatant hypocrisy.
Frederick Douglass, circa 1840s, when he was in his 20s
Frederick Douglass soon came to understand his wretched condition somewhat better
But resuming the account from that same chapter, Frederick Douglass then goes on to say: “As I read and contemplated the subject, behold! that very discontentment which Master Hugh had predicted would follow my learning to read had already come, to torment and sting my soul to unutterable anguish. As I writhed under it, I would at times feel that learning to read had been a curse rather than a blessing. It had given me a view of my wretched condition, without the remedy. It opened my eyes to the horrible pit, but to no ladder upon which to get out.” (Source: Chapter VII)
Frederick Douglass in 1847, around 29 years of age
He later secretly undertook to teach other slaves how to read (another dangerous business) ...
Later, Frederick Douglass would undertake to share his knowledge with other slaves. Two of them were named “Henry” and “John.” Thus, Douglass comments: “Henry and John were quite intelligent, and in a very little while after I went there, I succeeded in creating in them a strong desire to learn how to read. This desire soon sprang up in the others also. They very soon mustered up some old spelling-books, and nothing would do but that I must keep a Sabbath school. I agreed to do so, and accordingly devoted my Sundays to teaching these my loved fellow-slaves how to read. Neither of them knew his letters when I went there. Some of the slaves of the neighboring farms found what was going on, and also availed themselves of this little opportunity to learn to read. It was understood, among all who came, that there must be as little display about it as possible. It was necessary to keep our religious masters at St. Michael’s unacquainted with the fact, that, instead of spending the Sabbath in wrestling, boxing, and drinking whisky, we were trying to learn how to read the will of God; for they had much rather see us engaged in those degrading sports, than to see us behaving like intellectual, moral, and accountable beings.” (Source: Chapter X) Thus, he makes another attack upon the hypocrisy of the slaveholders’ version of Christianity.
Frederick Douglass circa 1847–52, around his early 30s
... and said that they had been “shut up in mental darkness” by their masters
Soon afterwards, Douglass adds: “[My fellow-slaves] came because they wished to learn. Their minds had been starved by their cruel masters. They had been shut up in mental darkness. I taught them, because it was the delight of my soul to be doing something that looked like bettering the condition of my race. I kept up my school nearly the whole year I lived with Mr. Freeland; and, beside my Sabbath school, I devoted three evenings in the week, during the winter, to teaching the slaves at home. And I have the happiness to know, that several of those who came to Sabbath school learned how to read; and that one, at least, is now free through my agency.” (Source: Chapter X)
The abolitionist William Lloyd Garrison, whom Douglass would later meet
Conclusion: It is a great privilege to be able to learn how to read
Of course, Frederick Douglass would read much more later on, particularly after he had escaped to the North. For example, he gives a memorable account of his first acquaintance with the antislavery newspaper “The Liberator,” published in the North by abolitionist William Lloyd Garrison. See the footnote to this blog post for the details of this first encounter. But suffice it to say that he became very educated, showing (among other things) that formal schooling is not necessarily required to become truly educated – although I acknowledge that it certainly can help. It also shows the great risks that many African Americans took, for the precious knowledge of learning how to read. This is a reminder of what a great privilege it is to be able to do so.
“In about four months after I went to New Bedford, there came a young man to me, and inquired if I did not wish to take the ‘Liberator.’ I told him I did; but, just having made my escape from slavery, I remarked that I was unable to pay for it then. I, however, finally became a subscriber to it. The paper came, and I read it from week to week with such feelings as it would be quite idle for me to attempt to describe. The paper became my meat and my drink. My soul was set all on fire. Its sympathy for my brethren in bonds—its scathing denunciations of slaveholders—its faithful exposures of slavery—and its powerful attacks upon the upholders of the institution—sent a thrill of joy through my soul, such as I had never felt before! … I had not long been a reader of the ‘Liberator,’ before I got a pretty correct idea of the principles, measures and spirit of the anti-slavery reform. I took right hold of the cause.”
– Excerpts from the two closing paragraphs of Frederick Douglass’s memoir “Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, An American Slave (Written By Himself)” (published 1845), Chapter XI
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