PL HELP Passage 1

Frederick Douglass

Frederick Douglass was born a slave in Maryland around 1818. There are no records of his actual birth date. Douglass escaped in 1838 and went to Massachusetts to live as a free man. He published his autobiography called A Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, An American Slave in 1845. The book revealed details about the ways that slaves were mistreated. Douglass was a great speaker and gave many speeches about his life as a slave. His autobiography and his speeches were very influential in the anti-slavery movement. Douglass committed his life to end slavery and to win equal rights for African Americans.

Passage 2

from A Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, An American Slave

On August 11, 1841, I was attending an anti-slavery convention at Nantucket. I felt strongly moved to speak. At the same time, Mr. William C. Coffin urged me to speak. He had heard me speak at the colored people’s meeting at New Bedford. Speaking at the convention was a very serious issue for me. I did not want to do it. The truth was, I felt myself a slave, and the idea of speaking to white people weighed me down. After I spoke for a few moments, I felt comfortable enough to say what I desired. I told the people what it had been like to be born as a slave and to live as a slave. From that time until now, I have been pleading the cause of my fellow slaves. I leave it to those who are familiar with my speeches and writings to determine how effective I have been in my fight against slavery.

Select all the correct answers.
Which ideas do the passages share?
Frederick Douglass was born as a slave in the United States.
In 1838, Frederick Douglass escaped from slavery in Maryland.
Frederick Douglass spoke to the public about his experiences as a slave in order to combat slavery.
Early in his career as a speaker, Frederick Douglass was hesitant to speak in front of white people.
Frederick Douglass spoke at an anti-slavery convention in 1841.