Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass

First published in 1845, this autobiography traces Frederick Douglass's life from childhood on Maryland's Eastern Shore through slavery in Baltimore and on Edward Covey's farm to his escape north. He records the breaking of family ties, the denial of literacy, the violence of overseers, and the contrast between religious profession and the treatment of the enslaved. Learning to read becomes a turning point; hired-out city work and a planned flight follow. The book names people and places and argues that slavery degrades both the enslaved and the slaveholder. It is a personal testimony written as an antislavery argument, not a general history of American slavery.

Bound in printed and blocked gold cloth, cover printed and blocked with a monochrome photo. Burgundy endpapers. Gilt title blocked burgundy slipcase.