Frederick Douglass: Sailor And Freedom Fighter

Frederick Douglass's life was intertwined with boats and sailing. At the age of 12, he began working as a caulker in the Baltimore shipyards, pounding hemp into the seams of wooden ships and pouring hot pitch to make them waterproof. This tedious and difficult work gave him an intimate knowledge of ships and sailing, which would later help him escape slavery. In 1838, he escaped by dressing as a sailor and travelling by train and steamboat to New York City, where he declared himself free. In his autobiography, Douglass describes his time in the Chesapeake region and his association with ships and sailing. He also recounts his journey to freedom, during which he sailed over to Nantucket.

Frederick Douglass disguised himself as a sailor to escape slavery

In 1838, Frederick Douglass was working as a caulker in the Baltimore shipyards, pounding hemp into the seams of wooden ships and pouring hot pitch to make them waterproof. This work gave him an intimate knowledge of ships and sailing, which would later help him escape slavery.

In September of that year, Douglass boarded a train to Wilmington, Delaware, dressed in mariners' clothing and carrying the borrowed papers of a free African-American sailor. In his 1882 memoirs, Douglass wrote:

> My knowledge of ships and sailor's talk came much to my assistance, for I knew a ship from stem to stern, and from keelson to cross-trees, and could talk sailor like an old salt.

He travelled from Wilmington to Philadelphia by steamboat, and then on to New York City by train. In New York, he declared himself free.

Before his escape, Douglass had been hired out to local shipyards as a ship caulker by his owner, Hugh Auld. This work gave him some freedom to move about Baltimore, but he was still subject to Auld's threats and abuse. It was this treatment that ultimately motivated Douglass to escape.

In his autobiography, Douglass describes his time in the Chesapeake region, and his association with ships and sailing. He writes about the sloop Sally Lloyd, which was manned by his master's slaves. Douglass also describes leaving his master's plantation for Baltimore at a young age, much like a sailor describing their release from the world:

> I prefer to be true to myself, even at the hazard of incurring the ridicule of others, rather than to be false, and incur my own abhorrence. From my earliest recollection, I date the entertainment of a deep conviction that slavery would not always be able to hold me within its foul embrace; and in the darkest hours of my career in slavery, this living word of faith and spirit of hope departed not from me, but remained like ministering angels to cheer me through the gloom.

Sailing played a pivotal role in Douglass's escape from slavery and his path to freedom. It also helped him assimilate into a new society, as he was able to disguise himself as a sailor and use his knowledge of ships to avoid scrutiny.

He worked as a caulker in the Baltimore shipyards

Frederick Douglass worked as a caulker in the Baltimore shipyards in 1838, at about 20 years of age. This was tedious and difficult work, which involved pounding hemp into the seams of wooden ships and pouring hot pitch to make them waterproof. Although he had to hand over his wages to his owner, this work was beneficial to Douglass in two ways. Firstly, it gave him an incentive to escape, and secondly, it gave him intimate knowledge of ships and sailing, which would help him in his escape.

Indeed, later that year, Douglass escaped to New York by train, steamboat, and on foot, using papers borrowed from a free African-American sailor. He dressed as a mariner, and his knowledge of ships and sailing helped him enormously. In his memoirs, written in 1882, Douglass wrote:

> "My knowledge of ships and sailor's talk came much to my assistance, for I knew a ship from stem to stern, and from keelson to cross-trees, and could talk sailor like an old salt."

Before working as a caulker, Douglass had been hired out to work as a body servant in Baltimore. He was about 8 years old when he was sent there by his slave owner. At 12 years old, he began work in a Baltimore shipyard, where he learned to read and write. He also bought a book called 'The Columbian Orator', a collection of revolutionary speeches, debates, and writings on natural rights.

He was a skilled shipwright

Frederick Douglass was a skilled shipwright. At the age of twelve, he began working in a Baltimore shipyard, where he learned the trade of caulking. This involved pounding hemp into the seams of wooden ships and pouring hot pitch to make them waterproof. It was tedious and challenging work, but it proved to be advantageous for Douglass in two ways. Firstly, it gave him the means to earn a wage, which he hoped would eventually help him buy his freedom. Secondly, his intimate knowledge of ships and sailing would later help him escape slavery.

In his autobiography, Douglass describes his work in the shipyard and how it fuelled his desire to escape:

> "I was now getting, as I have said, one dollar and fifty cents per day. I contracted for it; I earned it; it was paid to me; it was rightfully my own; yet, upon each returning Saturday night, I was compelled to deliver every cent of that money to Master Hugh. And why? Not because he earned it,—not because he had any hand in earning it,—not because I owed it to him,—nor because he possessed the slightest shadow of a right to it; but solely because he had the power to compel me to give it up. The right of the grim-vis-aged pirate upon the high seas is exactly the same."

Indeed, in 1838, Douglass used his knowledge of ships and sailing to escape to New York. Dressed as a sailor and armed with a special pass that allowed Black sailors to travel between ports, he successfully boarded a train to New York. In his memoir, he wrote:

> "My knowledge of ships and sailor's talk came much to my assistance, for I knew a ship from stem to stern, and from keelson to cross-trees, and could talk sailor like an old salt."

After reaching New York, Douglass went on to become a prominent figure in the abolitionist movement and a celebrated author, publisher, and orator.

He was a prolific writer, and wrote about his experiences at sea

Frederick Douglass was a prolific writer and orator, and his first autobiography, "Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave", was published in 1845. In this book, and its sequels "My Bondage and My Freedom" (1855) and "Life and Times of Frederick Douglass" (1881), Douglass recounts his experiences at sea.

In his writings, Douglass describes his time working as a caulker in the Baltimore shipyards, pounding hemp into the seams of wooden ships and pouring hot pitch to make them waterproof. This work gave him intimate knowledge of ships and sailing, which would later help him escape slavery. In his 1882 memoirs, he wrote:

> "My knowledge of ships and sailor's talk came much to my assistance, for I knew a ship from stem to stern, and from keelson to cross-trees, and could talk sailor like an old salt."

In his autobiographies, Douglass also describes his time sailing on the Chesapeake Bay as a child, and his observations of the ships coming and going from the Chesapeake. These ships, he wrote, were like "shrouded ghosts, to terrify and torment me with thoughts of my wretched condition".

Douglass's escape from slavery in 1838 was aided by his knowledge of ships and sailing. He dressed as a sailor and travelled by train and steamboat from Baltimore to New York, using papers borrowed from a free Black sailor. He wrote of his relief when the train conductor only gave his papers a cursory glance before selling him a ticket.

In his writings, Douglass also describes the role sailing played in his path to freedom:

> "Sailing may have saved Frederick Douglass and he describes his path to freedom in 'The Life and Times of Frederick Douglass'. I had one friend—a sailor—who owned a sailor’s protection, which answered somewhat the purpose of free papers—describing his person, and certifying to the fact that he was a free American sailor."

He was a powerful orator, and gave his first speech on a boat

Frederick Douglass was a powerful orator and author who escaped slavery to become a prominent figure in the abolitionist movement. In 1838, at about 20 years of age, Douglass was working as a caulker in the Baltimore shipyards, pounding hemp into the seams of wooden ships and pouring hot pitch to make them waterproof. This work gave him an intimate knowledge of ships and sailing, which would later help him escape slavery.

In September 1838, Douglass boarded a train to Wilmington, Delaware, dressed as a sailor and carrying the borrowed papers of a free African-American sailor. He travelled on to Philadelphia by steamboat and then on to New York City by train. In his memoir, published in 1882, Douglass wrote:

> "My knowledge of ships and sailor's talk came much to my assistance, for I knew a ship from stem to stern, and from keelson to cross-trees, and could talk sailor like an old salt."

After reaching New York, Douglass travelled on to New Bedford, Massachusetts, a hotbed for abolitionists. It was here that he gave his first speech as a free man, sailing over to Nantucket to call for freedom for all. This marked the beginning of a long career as an orator and activist, during which he travelled the country promoting abolition and advocating for full civil rights for Black people.

In addition to his work as an orator and activist, Douglass was also a prolific writer. He published three autobiographies: "Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave" (1845), "My Bondage and My Freedom" (1855), and "Life and Times of Frederick Douglass" (1881). These works not only detailed his life as an enslaved person but also challenged racial segregation and promoted the abolitionist cause.

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