- 01Chapter I
Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass
by Frederick Douglass · 1845 · 11 chapters · 24/7 tutor
Slavery, literacy, freedom, and self-authorship.
11Chapters
32Lessons
80Topics
Certificate of completion included
This course was produced by Cavua from a public-domain text.
Skills this course leaves you with.
- Explain the central role of slavery in Frederick Douglass's early life
- Analyze how literacy becomes a path to self-emancipation in the narrative
- Describe the key events of Douglass's escape from slavery and arrival in freedom
- Interpret Douglass's critique of slaveholding religion and false holidays
- Summarize the significance of Mr. Covey, the fight with him, and Douglass's turning point toward resistance
- Discuss how self-authorship and anti-slavery reform shape the narrative's purpose
Curriculum
The full table of contents.
Every chapter, every lesson, every topic — laid out before you enroll. Click any chapter to expand it.
- Chapters
- 11
- Lessons
- 32
- Topics
- 80
- 01The Great House Farm
- 01Great House Farm allowance songs
- 02Songs as testimony of slavery's sorrow
- 01Chapter III
- 01Chapter IV
- 01Life on Colonel Lloyd’s plantation
- 02Departure for Baltimore and first impressions
- 03Baltimore as providential turning point
- 01Kindness and corruption of Mrs. Auld
- 02Learning to read and the master's warning
- 03City slavery and the Hamilton household
- 01Mistress’s opposition to instruction
- 02Learning to read through white boys
- 01The Columbian Orator and anti-slavery arguments
- 01The awakening of freedom and abolition
- 02The resolve to run away
- 03Learning to write for escape
- 01Learning letters from shipyard markings
- 02Copying with chalk and copy-books
- 01Captain Anthony’s death and the property valuation
- 02Division of the slaves and fear of Master Andrew
- 03Mrs. Lucretia’s death and the grandmother’s abandonment
- 04Removal to St. Michael’s and renewed resolve to escape
- 01Life with Master Thomas Auld at St. Michael’s
- 02Religious hypocrisy and the Sabbath school
- 03Cruelty toward Henny and the move to Edward Covey
- 01First whipping and broken oxen
- 02Daily labor under Mr. Covey
- 03Covey’s deception and religious hypocrisy
- 04Caroline and forced breeding
- 05Broken spirit and longing for freedom
- 06Resolve to escape slavery
- 07Covey’s assault in the wheat-fanning yard
- 08Appeal to Master Thomas and return to Covey
- 01Sandy Jenkins and the root charm
- 02Monday morning fight with Mr. Covey
- 01Defiance after the fight with Covey
- 02Christmas holidays among the slaves
- 01Holiday drunkenness and slaveholder control
- 02Holiday fraud and the illusion of freedom
- 03Punishing appetite with excess molasses and food
- 01Mr. Freeland as a comparatively humane master
- 02Religious slaveholders and the lash
- 03Sabbath school and secret literacy lessons
- 01Sabbath school among enslaved learners
- 02Year of relative peace and fellowship
- 03Resolve to seek freedom in 1835
- 01Building a secret escape plan with fellow slaves
- 02Water-route escape preparations and forged passes
- 03Anxious waiting on departure day
- 01Discovery of the escape plot
- 02Arrest at the lane gate
- 03Henry's armed resistance
- 04Transfer toward Easton jail
- 01Arrest, examination, and transfer to Easton jail
- 02Slave traders in jail and the shock of separation
- 01Return to Baltimore and shipyard labor
- 02Fight with the white apprentices
- 01Attack by white carpenters
- 02Master Hugh's response and failed legal redress
- 01Learning calking and earning wages
- 02Slavery, improved conditions, and the theft of wages
- 01Reasons for withholding details of the escape
- 02Critique of the underground railroad's publicity
- 01hiring my time
- 01Arrival in New York and first feelings of freedom
- 02Loneliness, fear, and the danger of recapture
- 03David Ruggles's aid and gratitude
- 01Arrival in New Bedford and the name change to Douglass
- 02New Bedford’s wealth, order, and free Black community
- 03First paid labor and racial prejudice in calking
- 01Work in New Bedford after escape
- 02Reading the Liberator and embracing anti-slavery reform
- 03First public speech at Nantucket convention
- 01Distinction between slaveholding religion and Christianity of Christ
- 02Biblical indictment of American Christianity
- 01Portrait of southern religion
- 02A Parody
- 03Closing subscription and publication note
01How many chapters are in the Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass course?
The Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass course has 11 chapters, each with its own lessons and topics.
02How many lessons are in the Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass course?
There are 32 lessons across the course, and you can ask your 24/7 tutor about any of them.
03Can I see what the Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass course covers before I start?
Yes. The full curriculum is listed on this page, beginning with "Chapter I".
04Do I get a certificate for the Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass course?
Yes. Finishing the course earns a personal Cavua certificate of completion.
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