Frederick Douglass Graphic Novel

To learn more about Frederick Douglass,
see a time line of his life, create your own graphic novel,
and to find out about other young American heroes, go to
www.youngamericanheroes.com
Copyright 2011
Young American Heroes, LLC
Frederick Douglass
Pathway From Slavery to Freedom
Few people achieve in a lifetime what
young Frederick Douglass achieved by
the age of 20. Young American Heroes
set out to cover his young life, based on
his autobiography, Narrative of the Life
of Frederick Douglass, An American
Slave Written by Himself. The resulting
Emmy Award-winning TV show, classroom curriculum, this graphic novel, and
2.0 website focus on his life from the
time of his birth into slavery in Maryland
through his escape to the North.
This graphic novel is adapted from the
public television program Frederick
Douglass: Pathway From Slavery to
Freedom, starring Jamie Hector.
The Young American Heroes project is designed to bring
American History to life for middle school students. In
addition to graphic novels and half-hour television shows,
Young American Heroes produces classroom DVDs and
middle school social studies curricula, interactive websites, and soon will release mobile apps.
Design and layout: Mark Hastings, Editor: Deborah A. Weingrad,
Copy: Jim Campbell
Produced for Young American Heroes, LLC by Palace Studios,
South Norwalk, CT
Our special thanks to the Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History
for access to their extensive library of Frederick Douglass materials.
Frederick Douglass
Pathway From Slavery to Freedom
Frederick Douglass was an American
abolitionist, editor, orator, author, statesman
and reformer. He is one of the most prominent
figures in African American history and an
influential public presence.
Frederick Douglass (born
Frederick Augustus Washington Bailey,
February 1818 - February 20, 1895) was
an American social reformer, orator,
writer and statesman. After escaping
slavery, he became a leader of the abolitionist movement, gaining renown for his
dazzling oratory and incisive antislavery
writing. He stood as a living counterexample to slaveholders' arguments
that slaves did not have the intellectual
capacity to function as independent
American citizens. He became a major
speaker for the cause of abolition.
I WAS BORN IN TALBOT COUNTY, MARYLAND.
I HAVE NO ACCURATE KNOWLEDGE OF MY AGE.
Douglass was a firm believer in the
equality of all people, whether black,
female, Native American or recent immigrant. He was fond of saying, "I would
(unite) with anybody to do right and with
nobody to do wrong."
BY FAR THE LARGER PART OF THE SLAVES KNOW AS
LITTLE OF THEIR AGES AS HORSES KNOW OF THEIRS,
AND IT IS THE WISH OF MOST MASTERS WITHIN MY
KNOWLEDGE TO KEEP THEIR SLAVES THUS IGNORANT.
5
BEFORE I WAS OLD ENOUGH TO
WORK IN THE FIELD, I HAD A
GREAT DEAL OF LEISURE TIME.
MY MOTHER WAS NAMED HARRIET BAILEY. MY
FATHER WAS A WHITE MAN. THE OPINION WAS ALSO
WHISPERED THAT MY MASTER WAS MY FATHER.
I WAS SELDOM WHIPPED BY MY OLD MASTER
AND SUFFERED LITTLE FROM ANY THING ELSE
THAN HUNGER AND COLD. I SUFFERED MUCH
FROM HUNGER BUT MUCH MORE FROM COLD.
IN HOTTEST SUMMER AND COLDEST
WINTER, I WAS KEPT ALMOST NAKED.
OUR FOOD WAS COARSE CORN MEAL
BOILED. THIS WAS CALLED MUSH.
6
7
LLOYD PLANTATION
SLAVE OWNERS KNEW EXACTLY WHAT WAS NEEDED
TO PERPETUATE THEIR TERRIBLE SYSTEM.
THE FIRST RULE -- DESTROY ALL
VESTIGES OF HUMANITY AND MOST
IMPORTANTLY, A SENSE OF FAMILY.
SLAVERY WAS DESIGNED SO WE WERE
ONLY BEHOLDEN TO OUR MASTERS, NOT
OUR FAMILY.
I HAD SIBLINGS, BUT I NEVER KNEW THEM.
MY MOTHER DIED WHEN I WAS ABOUT
SEVEN YEARS OLD.
I WAS NOT ALLOWED TO BE PRESENT
DURING HER ILLNESS, AT HER DEATH OR
BURIAL. NEVER HAVING ENJOYED, TO ANY
CONSIDERABLE EXTENT HER SOOTHING
PRESENCE, HER TENDER AND WATCHFUL
CARE, I RECEIVED THE TIDINGS OF HER
DEATH WITH MUCH THE SAME EMOTIONS
I SHOULD HAVE PROBABLY FELT AT THE
DEATH OF A STRANGER.
8
WE HAD NO FAMILY IN THEIR
EYES – AND THEN THEY
MOSTLY MADE IT SO, RIPPING
ME FROM MY MOTHER,
SELLING MY BROTHER AND
SISTERS TO OTHER OWNERS.
THERE WERE, OF COURSE,
OTHER ELEMENTS REQUIRED
FOR SOMETHING AS
UNNATURAL AND HORRIFIC AS
SLAVERY TO LAST FOR 250
YEARS IN AMERICA.
THE NEXT WAS SOMETHING I LEARNED ABOUT ALL TOO SOON.
9
IT WAS THE FIRST OF A LONG SERIES OF SUCH
OUTRAGES, OF WHICH I WAS DOOMED TO BE A
WITNESS AND A PARTICIPANT.
IT STRUCK ME WITH
AWFUL FORCE.
I REMEMBER THE FIRST
TIME I EVER WITNESSED
A WHIPPING.
YOU ARE NEVER,
EVER TO LEAVE
AGAIN!
UNDERSTAND!?
I WAS QUITE A CHILD BUT
I WELL REMEMBER IT.
10
IT WAS THE BLOOD STAINED GATE,
THE ENTRANCE TO THE HELL OF SLAVERY,
THROUGH WHICH I WAS ABOUT TO PASS.
11
BALTIMORE
A FEW MONTHS AFTER MY AUNT
HESTER WAS SO BRUTALIZED, I
SET OFF ON A VOYAGE THAT
FOREVER CHANGED ME.
MY MASTER SENT ME TO BALTIMORE TO LIVE WITH HIS
BROTHER, HUGH AULD. I HAD A JOB TO DO -- HOUSE
WORK FOR MY NEW MISTRESS, SOPHIE AULD AND LOOK
AFTER THOMAS, THEIR YOUNG SON. AS BEST I CAN
RECOLLECT, I WAS JUST EIGHT YEARS OLD.
IT WAS IN BALTIMORE THAT MY
FORTUNE CHANGED AND MY
EDUCATION BEGAN. MY LIFE
WAS NEVER THE SAME AGAIN.
12
13
VERY SOON AFTER I
WENT TO LIVE WITH
THE AULDS, MRS.
AULD COMMENCED TO
TEACH ME THE ABCS.
SLAVES ARE
PROPERTY, LIKE A
HORSE... ONLY
OWNERS USUALLY
TREAT HORSES
BETTER. BUT MR.
AULD WAS RIGHT
ABOUT ONE THING:
THE DANGER OF
EDUCATING A
SLAVE.
AND JUST WHAT
DO YOU THINK
YOU'RE DOING!?
AFTER I HAD LEARNED THIS, SHE ASSISTED ME IN
LEARNING TO SPELL WORDS OF THREE OR FOUR
LETTERS. SHE WAS UNLIKE ANY WHITE WOMAN I
HAD EVER KNOWN.
I WAS TEACHING
THE BOY HOW TO
READ AND...
BLISSFULLY FOR ME, SHE HAD NOT YET
BEEN POISONED AT THE WELL OF
SLAVERY AND BELIEVED THAT EVERY
CHILD DESERVED AN EDUCATION.
THAT WAS BEFORE HER HUSBAND
DISCOVERED OUR LESSONS.
A WORD
PLEASE.
NOW.
YOU WILL TEACH
THAT BOY
NOTHING, EXCEPT
HOW TO OBEY US
AND DO AS HE'S
TOLD!
...REMEMBER, I TOLD YOU ABOUT TWO PRACTICES
THAT WERE CRITICAL TO THE CONTINUED EXISTENCE
OF SLAVERY AS AN INSTITUTION IN THIS COUNTRY?
14
15
DON'T EVER LET ME CATCH YOU
TRYING TO READ AGAIN, YOU HEAR!?
THAT'S NOT FOR YOUR KIND!
NOT NOW! NOT EVER!
THE THIRD AND MOST CRUCIAL
DEPREDATION WAS TO DENY SLAVES AN
EDUCATION, BECAUSE AN EDUCATED SLAVE
CAN OVERCOME THE ISOLATION AND PAIN
CAUSED BY THE FIRST TWO PRACTICES...
THE PLAN WHICH I
ADOPTED, AND THE
ONE BY WHICH I WAS
MOST SUCCESSFUL
WAS THAT OF MAKING
FRIENDS OF ALL THE
LITTLE WHITE BOYS
WHOM I MET IN THE
STREET.
AS MANY OF THESE AS I COULD,
AND ALSO GAIN THE SKILLS TO SECURE HIS FREEDOM.
BUT AULD WAS TOO LATE. FROM THAT
MOMENT I UNDERSTOOD THE PATHWAY
FROM SLAVERY TO FREEDOM.
...I CONVERTED INTO
TEACHERS.
THOUGH CONSCIOUS OF THE
DIFFICULTY OF LEARNING
WITHOUT A TEACHER I SET
OUT WITH HIGH HOPE AND
FIXED PURPOSE AT WHATEVER
COST OF TROUBLE TO LEARN
HOW TO READ. THAT WHICH
TO HIM WAS A GREAT EVIL
WAS TO ME A GREAT GOOD
TO BE DILIGENTLY SOUGHT.
16
17
THE MORE I READ, THE MORE I
WAS LED TO DETEST MY
ENSLAVERS. I COULD REGARD
THEM IN NO OTHER LIGHT THAN
A BAND OF SUCCESSFUL
ROBBERS WHO HAD LEFT THEIR
HOMES, AND GONE TO AFRICA
AND STOLEN US FROM OUR
HOMES AND IN A STRANGE LAND
FORCED US INTO SLAVERY.
ST. MICHAELS, MARYLAND
AND SOON, THE DARK PIT OF SLAVERY
WOULD GET DEEPER, MY YOUNG LIFE
MORE DESPERATE. AFTER SEVEN YEARS
IN BALTIMORE WITH THE AULDS, I WAS
SENT BACK TO MY MARYLAND PLANTATION,
AND SOON THEREAFTER BECAUSE OF MY UNWILLINGNESS TO BE A
PROPER, THAT IS A COOPERATIVE, SLAVE, I WAS CONTRACTED TO
MR. EDWARD COVEY. HE WAS A PROFESSIONAL SLAVE BREAKER.
I WOULD AT TIMES AGREE WITH MY
MASTER THAT LEARNING TO READ HAD
BEEN A CURSE RATHER THAN A
BLESSING. IT HAD GIVEN ME A VIEW
OF MY WRETCHED CONDITION,
WITHOUT THE REMEDY.
IT OPENED MY EYES TO THE TERRIBLE PIT,
BUT TO NO LADDER UPON WHICH TO GET OUT.
18
AND THERE IS NO MORE
DETESTABLE HUMAN BEING
THAN THAT…
19
HE LASHED ME TILL
HE HAD WORN OUT HIS
SWITCHES CUTTING
ME SO SAVAGELY AS
TO LEAVE THE MARKS
VISIBLE FOR A LONG
TIME AFTER.
I DID NOT, WHEN A SLAVE,
UNDERSTAND THE DEEP
MEANING OF THOSE SONGS.
THIS WHIPPING WAS
THE FIRST OF A
NUMBER LIKE IT.
THEY TOLD A TALE OF WOE WHICH WAS
THEN ALTOGETHER BEYOND MY FEEBLE
COMPREHENSION; THEY WERE TONES
LOUD, LONG AND DEEP; THEY BREATHED
THE PRAYER AND COMPLAINT OF SOULS
BOILING OVER WITH THE BITTEREST
ANGUISH.
EVERY TONE WAS A TESTIMONY AGAINST SLAVERY AND
A PRAYER TO GOD FOR DELIVERANCE FROM CHAINS.
20
21
THE COVEY'S FARM STOOD WITHIN A FEW
RODS OF THE CHESAPEAKE BAY WHOSE
BROAD BOSOM WAS EVER WHITE WITH
SAILS FROM EVERY QUARTER OF THE
HABITABLE GLOBE.
BOY, I GOT A
POWERFUL THIRST.
BRING ME SOME
WATER, NOW.
MR. COVEY SUCCEEDED IN BREAKING
ME, I WAS BROKEN IN BODY, SOUL
AND SPIRIT.
YESSIR,
MASTUH….AM A
COMING, AM A
COMING RIGHT
NOW.
THOSE BEAUTIFUL VESSELS,
ROBED IN PUREST WHITE SO
DELIGHTFUL TO THE EYE OF
FREEMEN WERE TO ME SO MANY
SHROUDED GHOSTS, TO TERRIFY
AND TORMENT ME WITH
THOUGHTS OF MY WRETCHED
CONDITION.
YOU MOVE MERRILY BEFORE THE GENTLE GALE
AND I SADLY BEFORE THE BLOODY WHIP.
MY NATURAL ELASTICITY WAS CRUSHED,
MY INTELLECT LANGUISHED, THE
DISPOSITION TO READ DEPARTED,THE
CHEERFUL SPARK THAT LINGERED ABOUT
MY EYE DIED;
THE DARK NIGHT OF SLAVERY CLOSED IN
UPON ME; AND BEHOLD A YOUNG MAN
TRANSFORMED INTO A BRUTE.
22
23
MR. COVEY SEEMED NOW TO THINK HE HAD
ME, AND COULD DO WHAT HE PLEASED;
BUT AT THIS MOMENT --
YOU HAVE SEEN HOW A MAN WAS MADE
A SLAVE; NOW YOU SHALL SEE HOW A
SLAVE BECAME A MAN.
24
FROM WHENCE CAME THE
SPIRIT I DON'T KNOW...
25
ARE YOU GOING TO
RESIST, YOU
SCOUNDREL!?
HUGHES!
HELP!
YES SIR.
WE WERE AT IT FOR TWO HOURS.
26
27
DO YOU MEAN TO PERSIST IN THIS
RESISTANCE, BOY!? DON'T YOU
KNOW WHAT HAPPENS TO SLAVES
THAT RESIST ???
NOW, GO TO WORK, YOU
SCOUNDREL! I WOULD NOT
HAVE WHIPPED YOU HALF SO
MUCH AS I HAVE HAD YOU NOT
RESISTED.
I DO.
YOU'VE TREATED ME LIKE A
BRUTE FOR THE LAST SIX
MONTHS, AND I WILL STAND IT
NO LONGER!
HE NEVER LAY A
HAND ON ME AGAIN.
28
29
THAT WAS TWO YEARS AGO.
THE BATTLE WITH MR. COVEY
REKINDLED THE FEW EXPIRING
EMBERS OF FREEDOM AND
REVIVED WITHIN ME A SENSE OF
MY OWN MANHOOD.
30
MY MASTER SENT ME BACK HERE TO BALTIMORE
TO WORK AGAIN FOR HUGH AULD...
31
TRAIN STATION, SEPT. 3
HAVING ENDURED 20 YEARS OF SLAVERY, WITNESSED
COUNTLESS HORRORS, I'M DETERMINED TO ESCAPE
SLAVERY'S BLOODY CHAINS THIS VERY DAY OR DIE TRYING.
GOD SPEED, FREDERICK.
PRAISE BE TO GOD.
32
33
YOU ARE
MOST
WELCOME...
THANK YOU,
MA'AM.
TICKET ?
I NEED TO
BUY ONE.....
I SUPPOSE YOU
HAVE YOUR FREE
PAPERS, YOUNG
SAILOR?
THANK YOU
SIR.
YOU'RE
WELCOME
SHOW ME YOUR
FREE PAPERS,
BOY!
NO SIR, I NEVER
CARRY MY FREE
PAPERS TO SEA
WITH ME.
BUT SURELY, BEING A
SAILOR FOR OUR
COUNTRY, YOU HAVE
SOMETHING TO SHOW
YOU ARE A FREEMAN
HAVEN'T YOU?
YOU BETTER HAVE
THE RIGHT PAPERS!
DO I MAKE MYSELF
CLEAR, BOY?
YES SIR, I HAVE A PAPER
WITH THE AMERICAN EAGLE
ON IT AND THAT WILL
CARRY ME AROUND THE
WORLD.
34
35
24 HOURS LATER IN NY CITY
THIS IS A BIG
CITY!
A MOMENTARY PANIC,
FREDERICK HAS BEEN SEEN
READING BY THE AUTHORITIES!
IT DOESN'T MATTER...HE IS IN A FREE
STATE WHERE BLACKS CAN BE SEEN
READING AND DOING ANYTHING.
FREDERICK DOUGLASS WALKS ALONG THE STREET,
AMAZED AT THE HUSTLE AND BUSTLE OF THE CITY.
I CAN TASTE
FREEDOM!
HE STOPS TO READ
A POSTED SIGN.
36
37
Frederick Douglass Life Timeline
1818-1835
Born Frederick Augustus Washington Bailey, a slave, in Tuckahoe, Talbot County,
Maryland. Mother is a slave, Harriet Bailey, and father is a white man, rumored to be his
master, Aaron Anthony. He had three older siblings, Perry, Sarah, and Eliza.
1836-1846
Makes an escape plan but is discovered, jailed, and then released. He returns to work for
Hugh and Sophia Auld in Baltimore and is hired out to work as a caulker in a Baltimore
shipyard. The knowledge he gains there helps him escape slavery two years later.
Frederick Douglass arrived in New York
Harbor on September 4, 1838.
1847-1859
After his escape, he became a
renowned abolitionist, writer and orator.
Returns from overseas tour; moves to Rochester, New York.
With money raised by English and Irish friends, buys printing press and begins publishing
the abolitionist weekly North Star. He continues publishing it until 1851.
His first autobiography, Narrative of the
Life of Frederick Douglass, An
American Slave Written by Himself,
which is the basis for this graphic novel,
was published when Douglass was only
27 years old.
1860-1876
During the Civil War, he was a friend
and advisor to President Abraham
Lincoln.
Meets with Lincoln again. In case the war is not a total Union victory, Lincoln asks
Douglass to prepare an effort to assist slaves escaping to the North.
1877-1895
Douglass is appointed U.S. marshal of the District of Columbia by President Hayes.
What makes a hero?
There are probably as many definitions of the word as
there are cultures or groups of people living together.
Throughout history, in every land, the heroes
were the mightiest warriors, the bravest explorers, and the most enlightened leaders. Heroic
warriors often had extraordinary skills or
strength. Heroic explorers were known for their
fearless courage and a passion for the unknown.
In the case of great leaders, it was their strength
of character and determination to make something happen that drew others to follow them and
call them heroes. And sometimes, a hero was
just an ordinary person like you or me who found
him or herself in extraordinary circumstances,
and had to decide what to do.
Congressional
Medal of Honor,
Library of Congress
All of these heroes held one or more things in common—
a willingness to take risks, to step out of their comfort
zone, and to make a difference in the world.
Importantly, in all of the old stories, power is not what is
most important. What is most important is how that
power is used.
How do you know if someone is a hero?
In the world of myth, a hero is an individual who possesses supernatural powers, as in the books and movies
about Percy Jackson, the son of Poseidon, the Greek
god of the sea; or Harry Potter, who discovers he is a
wizard; or Luke Skywalker, who finds he has a secret,
untapped power inherited from his parents.
In our own times, the idea of what makes a hero has
evolved. While we do still find heroism in the acts of
great warriors, explorers and leaders, just as often we
see it in everyday people who are thrust into events that
require a choice, a choice that requires bravery, and
often self-sacrifice. On the morning of January 16, 2009,
airline pilot Capt. Chesley "Sully" Sullenberger, during a routine takeoff from a
New York airport, had to think and act quickly to land a crippled airplane in the
Hudson River when birds flew into the plane's engines. His heroic actions saved
more than a hundred lives. In 1952, Rosa Parks, a seamstress, chose not to give
up her seat to a white passenger on a segregated bus in the deep South. This
too was a heroic act, a quieter one, and it helped to spark one of the critical
moments in the Civil Rights movement.
So, what does it mean to be a hero today? It means a willingness to meet a
challenge and think and act quickly to save the day. It also means making a
personal sacrifice, however small, in order to make a difference.
Young American Heroes is dedicated to bringing the idea of heroism to life,
through the true stories of young people in our own American history who were
heroes of their times. These are real people who found themselves in situations
that challenged their very existence, and who, through their choices in how to
respond to these circumstances, often made a mark on society. Whether it was a
slave who escaped to freedom to become one of the great voices for abolition, or
a girl who rode bravely through the night to warn colonists that the British were
coming, or a boy who went off to fight as a soldier in the Civil War, each of these young people
refused to sit back, powerless, as events around
them changed their world and their lives.
Instead, they made a decision to act, to get
involved, to make a difference, and in many
cases, to help change the world. Sometimes,
these actions made small differences that were
hard to see at the time. That makes them no
less heroic!
What makes a hero? Courage. Determination.
Passion. A willingness to do something to help
others or make a change, or maybe even accept
change and make the most of it, despite great
odds. We all have the ability to make the world a
better place; none of us are powerless.
Susie King Taylor, nurse,
Library of Congress
Young American Heroes is a set of stories—true stories—that show that no
matter what your circumstances, you can be a hero, you can make a difference.
So ask yourself, who are the heroes in your life?
Each of our Young American Heroes was a young
person who made a difference. They were all
ordinary kids—real kids—who found themselves
doing extraordinary things during important
moments in American history.
This series will include true stories from every era
in American history; stories of children during
Colonial times and the Depression; stories from
the Civil War and the battle for integration. Look
for these four young heroes, coming soon:
Eunice Williams
Experience the Colonial era through the life of 7-year-old
Eunice Williams, who became a Native American captive, and then chose to stay with her captors
Sybil Ludington
Live an exciting moment in the American Revolution with
16-year-old Sybil Ludington, known as the female Paul
Revere
The Sager Children
Travel the Oregon Trail with the seven orphaned Sager
children
Elisha Stockwell
Witness combat in the Civil War through the eyes of a
15-year-old Union soldier, Elisha Stockwell
We hope that you will find the tales of these valiant young people not
only interesting but also inspirational. We hope that by reflecting on
what it means to be a hero in different times throughout our history,
you will be better able to think about what it means to be a hero in
today's world. And we hope that these stories will inspire us all to
better understand our common past as we construct our common
future together.
To sign up for the Young American Heroes Newsletter, go to
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