Hello everyone, My name is Fredick Douglas. As many of you may know, I am a runaway slave. I am from Talbot county, Maryland. I was born into slavery and started working at a young age. Due to my struggles, I became a leader in the abolitionist movement; as I did not want my people to suffer in slavery any longer. At a very young age, I was taught the alphabet by my owner’s wife. From there that was all I needed; I proceeded to teach myself how to read and write. While also providing the same education to other slaves using the bible. After many failed attempts, I successfully escaped Covey's farm in 1838. After escaping, I boarded a train in Maryland and traveled through Delaware before I finally arrived in New York. After getting married, I began to speak of my past life as a slave in abolitionist meetings. Soon after I began to lecture about anti-slavery , teaching everyone what it truly meant to be a slave and what happens to my people.
No man can place a chain around the ankle of his fellow man without at least finding the other end fastened about his own neck. No man should be born into slavery, slavery in our society should never have been normalized. I prayed for freedom for 20 years, but received no answer until I started using my legs. I therefore hate the corrupt, slaveholding, women-whipping, cradle-plundering, partial and hypocritical Christianity of this land…I look upon it as the climax of all misnomers, the boldest of all frauds, and the grossest of all libels. Never was there a clearer case of stealing the livery of the court of heaven to serve the devil in. I have observed this in my experience; whenever my condition was improved, instead of its increasing my contentment, it only increased my desire to be free, and being free is what I gain through determination. However, my mission is not done. I can not be truly free until more people like me can say tall and shout “I’m free!”
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