Sophia was kind to Frederick and Frederick enjoyed playing and taking care of little Thomas. In Baltimore he was received with open arms by Sophia Auld, the wife of Hugh Auld, Frederick was Sophia’s first slave. Sailing on a ship to Baltimore was one of the most interesting and exciting events of his life. Learning to read and write- The Auld family in BaltimoreFrederick was treated well in the Great House but within a year he was given to the Auld family in Baltimore as a companion to their toddler son, Thomas. During his stay at the Great House he observed for the first time the brutal conditions under which slaves were subjected, especially under the supervision of Captain Anthony.

Too young to work on the field Douglass worked driving up the cows, keeping fowls out of the garden, cleaning the yard and running errands. He owned more than 20 farms where they mainly grew tobacco, corn and wheat. Lloyd was a wealthy slave owner, he kept 10 to 15 house servants and it was said he owned more than 1,000 slaves. His grandmother left him in the Why House plantation, known as the Great House, where Master Lloyd and his family lived.

As described in his Narrative this was the first time he felt a sense of abandonment and betrayal. In 1826 when he was about 7 or 8 years old the inevitable happened, Douglass was separated from his grandmother.

Wye House also known as the Great House is still owned by the Lloyd family. Frederick had four sisters Sarah, Eliza, Kitty and Arianna and one brother, Perry.Great House His grandmother was in charge of twelve other children who were Frederick’s brothers, sisters and cousins. For his mother to visit it required her to travel 12 miles each way and she was only able to do such trip after a day worth of work, so she would arrive by evening and leave before dawn. Douglass’ mother worked in a different plantation, he saw her four or five times during the first seven years of his life, she died in 1825. His mother, Harriet Bailey, was a woman of great intellect she was the only slave known in the area being able to read and write. This was a common practice since young childbearing women were more productive on the field and older women raising children. Holmes Hill farm was his home for his first seven or eight years.FamilySince day one he was subjected to the cruelties of slavery when he was separated from his mother and sent to live with his grandmother, Betsey Bailey. He adopted February 14 as his birthday as his mother called him “my valentine”.ĭouglass was a slave by birth, his mother was a black slave woman named Harriet Bailey and his father a white man, alleged to be his master Aaron Anthony. The date of his birth is unknown as records were not kept at the time. AFRICAN AMERICAN PAINTING ANTI SLAVERY ABOLITIONIST FREDERICK DOUGLASS VINTAGE For SaleĪFRICAN AMERICAN PAINTING ANTI SLAVERY ABOLITIONIST FREDERICK DOUGLASS VINTAGE:įREDERICK DOUGLASS VINTAGE PAINTING OIL ON CANVAS MEASURING OVERALL 24 3/4 X 31 INCHES BY AN UNKNOWN ARTISTįrederick Douglass, named at birth Frederick Augustus Washington Bailey, was born in c.1818 in Tuckahoe, Talbot County, Maryland.

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