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©Reading Through History ©Reading Through History Excerpt from: African American History by Jake Henderson & Robert Marshall ©2013 All images are taken from public domain. This includes images taken by employees of various US Government agencies; images published prior to 1923; or images that have otherwise been released to public domain. Please visit our websites at https://www.facebook.com/ReadingThroughHistory http://readingthroughhistory.com/ ©Reading Through History Name________________________________ Frederick Douglass Frederick Douglass was one of the key figures of the Abolitionist Movement. Who was Frederick Douglass? Why is he important today? Douglass was born and raised as a slave in Maryland. He was separated from his family when he was seven and was transferred from one owner to another, before ending up in the home of Hugh Auld. Auld’s wife, Sophie, was influential in Frederick’s life, for she taught him the basic skills of reading. Teaching slaves to read was highly discouraged—in fact, it was even illegal! Douglass continued to teach himself how to read and write, in secret, and started reading everything he could find. The books, newspapers, and pamphlets he read, led him to think about slavery in new ways, and he began to understand how deplorable it really was. This was exactly why many owners did not want slaves to learn how to read. They feared that if slaves could read, they would begin to want more freedom. Eventually, he began to teach other slaves to read. They would come and learn from him on a weekly basis. While Douglass’ owner saw no harm in the weekly sessions, others did not want their slaves taught by him. So, one Sunday, the owners broke up the meeting using clubs and rocks, and the group never met again. Frederick eventually did try to seek his Words to watch for: freedom. He attempted to escape twice, discouraged deplorable and failed, before finally succeeding on his third attempt. In September of 1838, he numerous tribute became a free man. (continued on next page) ©Reading Through History Page 1 Name________________________________ After gaining his freedom, Douglass quickly became involved in the Abolitionist Movement. At the age of 23, he delivered his first speech about how horrible his life as a slave had been. He quickly became well-known for his eloquent speeches and his writing ability. He spoke in numerous towns across the Midwest and Northeast United States. Not everyone was a fan of what he had to say, however. He was attacked verbally, and physically at various times, including one incident where he was chased by a violent mob. Douglass authored several books, the most notable of which is his autobiography titled Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, An American Slave. The book was published in multiple languages, resulting in several European speaking tours. He also started his own newspaper, an anti-slavery publication known as The North Star. During the Civil War, he served the Union by helping recruit soldiers for the 54th Massachusetts (a regiment made up entirely of African American soldiers). He also spoke with President Lincoln, regarding the treatment of black men serving in the army. For the remainder of his life, Frederick Douglass continued to be an important figure, fighting not only for African American rights, but women’s rights as well. He remained a very outspoken man until 1895, when he suffered a massive heart attack and died at his home in Washington DC. Thousands arrived at his funeral to pay tribute to this great man. Page 2 ©Reading Through History Name________________________________ Multiple Choice: Select the choice that completes the statement or answers the question. 1.______ How did Frederick Douglass learn to read and write? a. He attended school, just as most boys and girls of that era did. b. He taught himself, after learning the basics from his owner’s wife. c. He was taught late in life, by William Lloyd Garrison. d. He never did learn how to read or write. 2.______ Why did slave owners not want their slaves to know how to read? a. They feared that if they knew how to read, they would desire more freedom. b. They didn’t want them to be able to read maps that showed escape routes. c. It was a long-held Southern tradition that reading led to impure thoughts. d. They did want slaves to read, and those who couldn’t learn, were punished. 3.______ What was the title of Frederick Douglass’ autobiography? a. The North Star b. The Portrait of an American Slave c. The Dream of Hope: The Story of Frederick Douglass d. Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, An American Slave 4.______ What was the name of the newspaper published by Frederick Douglass? a. The Liberator c. The Advocate b. The North Star d. The Phoenix 5.______ Which of these is not stated as something Frederick Douglass did during, or after, the Civil War? a. He recruited soldiers for the 54th Massachusetts Regiment. b. He continued campaigning for African American rights. c. He founded the early environmentalist movement. d. He fought for women’s rights. TRUE/FALSE: Indicate whether the statement is true or false. If the statement is false, write the correct word in the space provided to make the statement true. 6.______ Douglass was separated from his family in his late teens. _________________________ 7.______ Teaching slaves to read was highly discouraged. _____________________ 8.______ Douglass managed to escape slavery on his first attempt. _____________ 9.______ Douglass gave his first public speech in Nantucket at the age of 23. ______________________ 10._____ Douglass started his own newspaper, an anti-slavery publication known as The Liberator. _____________________ ©Reading Through History Page 3 Name________________________________ Guided Reading: Fill in the blanks below to create complete sentences. 1. Frederick Douglass was born and raised as a slave in ____________________. 2. ______________________ taught Douglass the basic skills of reading. 3. The books and other materials Douglass read, led him to think about _____________________ in new ways. 4. Many slave owners feared that if slaves could read, they would begin to want more _____________________. 5. In _______________________, Douglass became a free man. 6. Shortly after escaping, Douglass became involved in the ______________________ movement. 7. Douglass quickly became known for his ______________________ and his writing ability. 8. Douglass authored several books, including his _________________ titled Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, An American Slave. 9. During the Civil War, Douglass helped recruit soldiers for the ________________________ Regiment. 10. For the remainder of his life, Douglass continued fighting for both African American and _______________________. Page 4 ©Reading Through History Name________________________________ Vocabulary Check: Select the option that best identifies the use of the underlined word. 1.______ “Teaching slaves to read was highly discouraged—in fact, it was even illegal!” In the prior sentence, the word discouraged means a. To inspire with hope, courage, or confidence; hearten. b. Laws encouraged owners to teach their slaves to read. c. Laws were put in place to prevent the practice of teaching slaves to read. d. Most states had no stance on whether or not an owner taught their slaves to read. 2.______ In the third paragraph, the word deplorable implies a. Positive; influential. b. Wretched; bad. c. Neutral; average. d. Arousing or deserving of pity or compassion; lamentable. 3.______ “He quickly became well-known for his eloquent speeches and his writing ability.” In the prior sentence, the word eloquent means a. Arousing disdainful pity. b. Characterized by persuasive, powerful discourse. c. Not producing an intended effect; ineffectual. d. Inadequate; incompetent. 4.______ In the sixth paragraph, the word numerous means a. Without number. b. Amounting to a large number; many. c. Douglass’ speeches were not well received. d. Douglass had a very short speaking career. 5.______ “Thousands arrived at his funeral to pay tribute to this great man.” In the previous sentence, the word tribute implies a. A payment or tax given. b. An obligation to make a payment. c. An acknowledgment of gratitude, respect, or admiration. d. A tax imposed. ©Reading Through History Page 5 Name________________________________ Reading Comprehension & More: Select the choice that answers the question. 1.______ Which of the following best describes the main idea of this lesson? a. Frederick Douglass was taught how to read by his owner’s wife, which was actually illegal at the time. b. Frederick Douglass authored several books and was the publisher of The North Star. c. Frederick Douglass lived a fascinating life and was one of the key figures in the Abolitionist Movement. d. Frederick Douglass recruited soldiers for the 54th Massachusetts and spoke with President Lincoln during the Civil War. 2.______ Which of the following sentences best supports the main idea of this lesson? a. Douglass was born and raised as a slave in Maryland. b. Auld’s wife, Sophie, was influential in Frederick’s life, for she taught him the basic skills of reading. c. At the age of 23, he delivered his first speech about how horrible his life as a slave had been. d. During the Civil War, he served the Union by helping recruit soldiers for the 54th Massachusetts. 3.______ Read paragraph eight of this lesson. Which of the following could be inferred based on the information in this paragraph? a. There were many African American regiments in the Union Army. b. Frederick Douglass was a very good recruiter for the Union Army. c. President Lincoln spoke frequently with Frederick Douglass and other former slaves. d. Black men serving in the Union Army were probably not being treated as well as white soldiers.
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