Born in February of 1817 in Tuckahoe, Maryland was one of America's greatest Negro leaders of all time. Frederick Douglass once said, "It is something to couple one's name with great occasions, and it was a great thing to me to be permitted to bear some humble part in this, the greatest that had come thus far to the American people" (Washington, 15). Born into slavery, Douglass never quite understood the actual definition of a slave until later in life while living on his Master Hugh's plantation. The amazing story of Frederick Douglass developing into an outstanding abolitionist leader would not have become so without his experience as the typical slave. .
Douglass was chiefly raised by his grandmother, his mother living on a different plantation than he. The only time he came in contact with his mother, Harriet Bailey, was during the late hours of the night whenever she would sneak over. She fell asleep with Douglass, but he only awakened to find her gone early the next morning. Harriet Bailey's death was not brought to Douglass" attention immediately. He was seven years of age and he was "not allowed to be present during her illness, at her death, or burial" (Douglass, 2). Since it was not brought to his attention, she died, him being denied the privilege to come into the least amount of contact with the woman he knew as his mother. He never knew of his real father, but he states that people "whispered that my [his] master was my [his] father" (1). .
While enslaved, Douglass also was an audience to many brutal beatings on his masters" plantations. His "first master's name was Anthony", under him being an overseer named Mr. Plummer, who was extremely cruel in his ways of punishment (3). Douglass" first experience of these terrible instances was when Mr. Plummer viciously beat his aunt. Another overseer once again gave Douglass a taste of the brutality brought into slavery.
