narrative of the life of frederick douglass an american slave

Indeed, in all of his subsequent autobiographies, Douglass replaced Garrison and Phillips' endorsements with introductions by prominent black abolitionists and legal scholars.ĭouglass begins his Narrative with what he knows about his birth in Tuckahoe, Maryland-or more precisely, what he does not know. McCoy have argued that their letters serve as subtle reminders of white power over the black author and his text. Though Douglass counted Garrison and Phillips as friends, scholars such as Beth A. Likewise, Wendell Phillips pledges 'the most entire confidence in truth, candor, and sincerity' (p. In his preface, William Lloyd Garrison pledges that Douglass's Narrative is 'essentially true in all its statements that nothing has been set down in malice, nothing exaggerated' (p. Like many slave narratives, Douglass' Narrative is prefaced with endorsements by white abolitionists. These various retellings of Douglass' story all begin with his birth and childhood, but each new version emphasizes the mutual influence and close correlation of Douglass' life with key events in American history. The third version of Douglass' autobiography was published in 1881 as Life and Times of Frederick Douglass, and an expanded version of Life and Times was published in 1892. Throughout his life, Douglass continued to revise and expand his autobiography, publishing a second version in 1855 as My Bondage and My Freedom. The book was an instant success, selling 4,500 copies in the first four months.

Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, An American Slave was published in 1845, less than seven years after Douglass escaped from slavery. Frederick Douglass is one of the most celebrated writers in the African American literary tradition, and his first autobiography is the one of the most widely read North American slave narratives.

Narrative of the life of frederick douglass an american slave