Frederick Douglass Questions and Answers (based on A Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass)

Why is Frederick not sure when he was born?

He wasn't allowed to be told & he wasn't allowed to ask questions.

Why would slaveholders want to keep an enslaved person ignorant of something as simple as their birth date?

A master "deemed all such inquiries on the part of a slave improper and impertinent, and evidence of a restless spirit." If slaves weren't ignorant, then they weren't slaves and they'd want to know more.

Why does Frederick make the point that a slaveholder who has fathered a child is likely to be tougher on that child?

A slaveholder's wife would be angry at him for treating those children better than his legitimate children, and he wouldn't want to look weak.

What is Frederick's relationship with his mother like? Is it typical of other enslaved children?

Frederick never knew his mother, and when she died, he felt no emotion. This relationship is similar to other enslaved children because children of slaves are often separated from their mothers.

What is the role of the overseer on the plantation?

He supervises the slaves to make sure they're doing their work, and he punishes them if they do not obey.

What is the relationship of the slaveholder to the overseer to the slave on the plantation?

Slaveholder — owner of farms and owner of slaves (tells to oversees to manage the slaves).

Overseer — watches over farm and watches slaves do their work.

Slaves — work on farms.

Why does Frederick tell the story of Lloyd's Ned?

So that people can understand the harsh punishments that slaves receive.

What is the relationship of Colonel Lloyd to Frederick's master?

Colonel Lloyd owned slaves on Frederick's master's farm.

Was there a "pecking order" among slaves? Explain.

Yes, house slaves had better jobs and more pride in their work than field slaves did. If a slave was selected to work in the Great House Farm, it was associated with greatness. They were "out of the field from under the driver's lash."

Why would a slave whose life on a plantation was very bad fear being sold to a slave trader?

Slave traders are ruthless and could sell a slave to a plantation where life would be even worse.

Why is it difficult to find copies of slave songs?

Slaves sing to relieve their pain and the words to their songs would often seem like meaningless jargon. Copies were not available because slaves did not write the songs or lyrics down on paper. Slave songs were unique and made by their experiences.

Why does Frederick suggest that enslaved people sing out of sorrow rather than out of joy?

Songs of the slave represent the sorrows of the heart. Frederick sang to drown out his sorrow, not to express his happiness. Crying and singing for joy were uncommon occurrences among slaves.

Why is it particularly difficult to be in charge of Colonel Lloyd's horses?

Colonel Lloyd was particular about the management of his horses. The slightest error on the part of those who were in charge was harshly punished and no excuses were accepted.

What is ironic about Colonel Lloyd's treatment of his horses compared to the treatment of his slaves?

The horses are treated better than the slaves. If a horse did not move fast enough or did not hold his head high enough, his keepers were blamed.

What happened to the slave who told Colonel Lloyd the truth about his master?

He was given to a Georgia trader forever.

How did people use enslaved people's comments about the masters, and why might those comments be unreliable?

Slave had certain prejudices and would insist that their masters were the best, even if they weren't. It was privilege to work for a rich plantation owner, so slaves would insist that their masters were rich and powerful, hence their comments would be unreliable.

What reason does Mr. Gore give for killing Demby?

He gives Demby 3 chances for coming out of the water and when he doesn't, he shoots him.

What other examples does Frederick give of his statement "that killing a slave, or any colored person,... is not treated as a crime, either by the courts or the community"?

Mr. Thomas Lanman killed two slaves and one with a hatchet. He boasted about this and nobody did anything. Also there was a common saying among little white boys that it was worth half a cent to kill a slave and half a cent to bury him.

What was life like for Frederick on the plantation? Why was he so happy to be leaving the plantation?

He was not whipped often but was in the cold and was hungry. When he left the plantation he was happy because he was given a bath and his first pair of pants to wear.

Why did he particularly want to go to Baltimore?

It was most likely not as bad as where he was currently

What were Frederick's initial impressions of his new mistress, Mrs. Sophia Auld?

She greeted him with kind emotions.

To what does Frederick attribute Mrs. Auld's kindness? What does he think changes her?

Why is Mr. Auld angry when he finds that his wife is teaching Frederick to read?

Why does Frederick call Mr. Auld's forbidding his learning how to read "invaluable instruction?"

Why does the inability to read keep men enslaved according to Frederick and Mr. Auld?