For our next meeting, we are reading any one of three autobiographies by Frederick Douglass, the internationally famous abolitionist.
1) Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave
Published in 1845, at age 27, this autobiography powerfully details the life of Frederick Douglass from his birth into slavery in 1818 to his escape to the North in 1838 . Approximately 130 pages. DCPL has many copies/published editions and it is also available online
2) My Bondage and My Freedom by Frederick Douglass
Douglass wrote this autobiography when he was 37, providing more details about his early life, the transition from slavery to freedom and challenges of life in the north, as well as an appendix of extracts from speeches. Approximately 460 pages.
DCPL has many copies/published editions and it is also available online.
3) Life and times of Frederick Douglass: his early life as a slave, his escape from bondage, and his complete history to the present time. First published in 1881, it covers material included in the earlier autobiographies, as well as Douglass' efforts to keep alive the struggle for racial equality in the years following the Civil War. Written when Douglass was 62, then a socially and politically prominent figure, he looks back, with a mixture of pride and bitterness; on the triumphs and humiliations of a unique public career. Approximately 550 pages. DCPL has 11 copies and it is also available online.