My Bondage and My Freedom (Papers: Series 2: Autobiographical Writings, Vol 2)

Rate this book

Clear rating

1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

My Bondage and My Freedom (Papers: Series 2: Autobiographical Writings, Vol 2)

by Frederick Douglass, John W. Blassingame (Editor), John R. McKivigan (Editor), Peter P. Hinks (Editor)

4.16 of 5 stars 4.16 · rating details · 2,490 ratings · 80 reviews

This book is the deeply moving and stirring story of Frederick Douglass's life - as a slave, and as a free man.

Douglass wrote three autobiographies, of which the 1855 edition is the most detailed on his life as a slave. In it, the reader is not spared the fullest and most graphic description of the cruel and inhuman treatment of slaves, and the total disregard for them as

...more

Hardcover, 528 pages

Published December 11th 2003 by Yale University Press (first published 1855)

more details... edit details

Get a copy:

More…

Friend Reviews

To see what your friends thought of this book, please sign up.

Lists with This Book

This book is not yet featured on Listopia. Add this book to your favorite list »

Community Reviews

(showing 1-30 of 3,000)

filter | sort: default (?) | rating details

Aug 14, 2012 Lisa (Harmonybites) rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: Everyone

Shelves: biography, non-fiction, history, memoir, favorites

This is a great book, by a great American. Skeptics looking at that statement might think, well sure you think that reading his own account. Except I've found autobiographies unintentionally revealing in fascinating ways. Within the last year I read autobiographies and memoirs by Ghandi, Dian Fossey and Booker T. Washington. The first book lessened my admiration and liking, the second made me absolutely hate the woman because of her own words, and the last left me ambivalent. And in the case of...more This is a great book, by a great American. Skeptics looking at that statement might think, well sure you think that reading his own account. Except I've found autobiographies unintentionally revealing in fascinating ways. Within the last year I read autobiographies and memoirs by Ghandi, Dian Fossey and Booker T. Washington. The first book lessened my admiration and liking, the second made me absolutely hate the woman because of her own words, and the last left me ambivalent. And in the case of others, I've become disillusioned afterwards reading other accounts of their lives. Neither is the case with Frederick Douglass--after reading this--and even, hell especially, after reading further about him, I have a new hero. I couldn't help but admire him given so much related here--particularly how, after his experience of being treated with dignity and respect in Britain, he decided to come back to America to fight to end slavery. And reading beyond this book, I learned he was a staunch supporter not just of civil rights for African Americans, but equal rights for women as well. Hardly a popular cause or common attitude back then.

And simply in terms of content, this book was riveting. The 1855 introduction by James M'Cune Smith did give me momentary pause. It read, like so much 19th century literature I've encountered, as tedious, overly religious and stuffy. Once you reach Douglass' own account however, that's no longer the case. Yes, there is a formal tone that is characteristic of the age, but there wasn't one line of this entire book that wasn't fascinating; he's a master storyteller. After purchasing this book, I learned this is actually the second of three autobiographies written by Douglass. The first, Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, published in 1845, is the most famous and arguably of the three the most influential and historically important. Yet an introduction by Brent Hayes Edwards in the edition I read makes the case for the second biography as the better, more strongly written book. Which makes sense--after all, in the decade since that first biography Douglass had spent years as editor of The North Star, which would have honed his thinking and writing.

I also have read that this middle book includes the most expansive account of his time in slavery. And that account is full of insights, not simply into slavery, but how power over others corrupts victim and perpetrator alike. And I've never read a more moving account of the liberating power of literacy. I wish young people could read this early in their schooling, and read of how young Frederick heard his master talk of how reading makes a man unfit for slavery--and understand the importance of reading for setting a mind alight. The appendix contains other items of interest--the gem I think is Douglass' "Letter to his Old Master." Truly, this is a wonderful read.(less)

3 likes · like · see review

Jul 28, 2011 Rd rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: classics

Unbelievable his ability to connect the wrongs of slavery to natural rights. Made all the right arguments for natural rights - not based on personal experience but on the natural order of things. His ability to detach his personal experience form what is right and wrong is simply unheard of today. A remarkable man that proves common sense and intelligence is not necessarily synonymous with educated.

His insight on how society was able to develop the slave mindset to keep slaves in check is quite...more

1 like · like · see review

Aug 18, 2008 Sumeyya rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: EVERYONE. Seriously, I mean it.

Recommended to Sumeyya by: professor

Shelves: favorites, re-reads

My Bondage and My Freedom is unparalleled in its complete scope of the utter destructive effects of slavery upon individuals and the larger group. There is NO other narrative, fiction or non, that describes the African American experience of bondage quite like this -- or in fact, at all. Other great African American thinkers (such as Du Bois or Washington) are able to examine the effects of slavery on society through observation; their accounts are mostly of African Americans' experience post-em...more My Bondage and My Freedom is unparalleled in its complete scope of the utter destructive effects of slavery upon individuals and the larger group. There is NO other narrative, fiction or non, that describes the African American experience of bondage quite like this -- or in fact, at all. Other great African American thinkers (such as Du Bois or Washington) are able to examine the effects of slavery on society through observation; their accounts are mostly of African Americans' experience post-emancipation and the subsequent period of assimilation into white society. None describes what slavery was like with the detail and insight that Douglass does. While other writers used ample metaphors (usually of Christianity, like Du Bois) and difficult "academic" language, Douglass writes for the larger audience. His story is therefore, more easily understood, and in my opinion, profoundly more insightful because it delves into the minds of rational "good" people who happened to be slave owners, and discusses the economic conditions that encouraged, moreover sanctioned, slavery's continued existence -- several hundred years more than what the framers of the Constitution may have intended.**

Besides all that, Douglass's narrative is the ultimate example of the endearing quality of the human spirit, and as cliché as it may sound, it is absolutely true. One has to wonder, after all the inhumane, brutal, and completely destroying effects of slavery (which were systematically administered, mind you), how an entire RACE of people were able to retain some dreg of their dignity and survive. It is even more phenomenal then, that a boy who grew up and was conditioned in in this system, was not only able to retain 'dignity,' but was also able to use his natural ability of words to become an advocate in the cause of racial injustice. This is why I would recommend this book to everyone (seriously, if you can read, read this book!) – surely, in Douglass’s words, there’s a lesson we can apply to solving (or at least clearing up) many of the problems of social injustice (whether racial or otherwise) going in the world today.

**PS. -- There is also a quick chapter (more like part of a chapter) that includes Douglass's view of the Framers and the Constitutional legality, or lack thereof, of the slave system, and why Douglass changed his views (at the beginning of his 'career' if we can call it that, Douglass believed that the Constitution and its Framers supported slavery. Later in his career, he changed his views saying that the Constitution, if interpreted by the actual written text of the document [and only that], is decisively anti-slavery, and thus [at that time], to continue the system of slavery was indeed un-constitutional...)

(less)

3 likes · like · see review

Jan 21, 2011 Thorin rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: favorites

This is a very heavy read. Frederick Douglass has an amazing gift of language and he uses it well in describing his story. I wish everyone would read this. It was at times so tragic that I could hardly stand it and I felt my heart breaking in my chest. Other times I was thrilled with his soaring words from excerpts of his speeches that were included in the book. Douglass' observations about the institution of slavery are absolutely spot on and really helped me understand much more about both the...more

1 like · like · see review

Jan 02, 2013 Nafis Faizi rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

'The stunning document of intellectual transformation and human independence.' This caption on the back cover compelled me to think again, would this book or any book be able to do full justice to that kind of caption ! But I was happy to be proven wrong..
I have re read this book many a times for the past 3 years and I still see the transformation..I would gladly admit my obsession with some of these lines..which any Douglass fan would instantly relate with..

1. To his uncommon memory, then, we...more 'The stunning document of intellectual transformation and human independence.' This caption on the back cover compelled me to think again, would this book or any book be able to do full justice to that kind of caption ! But I was happy to be proven wrong..
I have re read this book many a times for the past 3 years and I still see the transformation..I would gladly admit my obsession with some of these lines..which any Douglass fan would instantly relate with..

1. To his uncommon memory, then, we must add a keen and accurate insight into men and things; an original breadth of common sense which enabled him to see, and weigh, and compare whatever passed before him, and which kindled a desire to search out and define their relations to other things not so patent, but which never succumbed to the marvelous nor the supernatural; a sacred thirst for liberty and for learning, first as a means of attaining liberty, then as an end in itself most desirable; a will; an unfaltering energy and determination to obtain what his soul pronounced desirable; a majestic self hood; determined courage; a deep and agonizing sympathy with the embruted, crushed and bleeding fellow slaves, and an extraordinary depth of passion, together with that rare alliance between passion and intellect, which enables the former, when deeply roused, to excite, develop and sustain the latter. (pg 11).

2. Prejudice was the result of condition, and could be conquered by the efforts of the degraded themselves. (pg 21)

3.Men do not love those who remind them of their sins - unless they have a mind to repent – and the mulatto child’s face is a standing accusation against him who is a master and father to the child (p46)

4. Human nature is so constituted, that it cannot honor a helpless man, although it can pity him; and even this it cannot do long if the signs of power do not arise (p180).

5. The thought of only being a creature of the present and the past, troubled me, and I longed to have a future- a future with hope in it. (p200).

6. To make a contented slave, you must make a thoughtless one. It is necessary to darken his moral and mental vision, and, as far as possible, to annihilate his power of reason. He must be able to detect no inconsistencies in slavery. (p233).

7. The time is but a speck, yet large enough to justify a pause for introspection (p265).

8. A man is sometimes made great, by the greatness of the abuse a portion of mankind may think proper to heap on him (p281).

Read it for once..at least..(less)

like · see review

Nov 11, 2012 Keith rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

An excellent account of a man's life journey from absolute oppression to self-fulfillment. Unlike the Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, this is not simply an abolitionist pamphlet detailing the facts of slavery, it's a fully realized autobiographical sketch and an excellent work of literature in its own right. We are treated, of course, to the harrowing accounts of life as a slave, climaxing with his year long residency with the slave master who is assigned to break him. I think, just...more

like · see review

Sep 20, 2012 Abbe added it · review of another edition

Shelves: in-library

Review

Professor John S. Wright My Bondage and My Freedom is Frederick Douglass's most accomplished rendering of his life on literary and philosophical terms. It is also his most acutely romanticist and 'transcendental autobiography'...can provide yet another chance for us readers to think more closely with a dedicated thinking man about how we might grapple with the complexly interwoven meanings of his life and our own. -- Review

Product Description

My Bondage and My Freedom, by Frederick Doug

...more

Review

Product Description

My Bondage and My Freedom, by Frederick Douglass, is part of the Barnes & Noble Classics series, which offers quality editions at affordable prices to the student and the general reader, including new scholarship, thoughtful design, and pages of carefully crafted extras. Here are some of the remarkable features of Barnes & Noble Classics:

All editions are beautifully designed and are printed to superior specifications; some include illustrations of historical interest. Barnes & Noble Classics pulls together a constellation of influences—biographical, historical, and literary—to enrich each reader's understanding of these enduring works.

Born a slave, Frederick Douglas educated himself, escaped, and became one of the greatest social leaders in American history. Although usually identified with the monumental Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, An American Slave, Douglass produced two additional autobiographies, the second of which he called My Bondage and My Freedom.

A richer, deeper, and far more ambiguous work than the earlier Narrative, My Bondage and My Freedom reveals Douglass’s increased intellectual sophistication and maturity. In the decade that had elapsed since Douglass wrote_ Narrative_, he had broken away from his antislavery mentors, successfully toured England, and established himself as an inspired speaker and writer. With the publication of My Bondage and My Freedom in 1855, Douglass became the country’s foremost spokesman for American blacks—free and enslaved—during the tense and politically charged years preceding the Civil War.

One of the highlights of My Bondage and My Freedom is the appendix, which contains excerpts from several of Douglass’s speeches, including perhaps his most famous, “What to the Slave Is the Fourth of July?”

Brent Hayes Edwards is Associate Professor in the Department of English at Rutgers University. He is the author of The Practice of Diaspora: Literature, Translation, and the Rise of Black Internationalism (Harvard University Press, 2003) and of numerous articles on twentieth-century African-American literature, contemporary poetry, Francophone Caribbean literature, surrealism, and jazz.

(less)

like · see review

Feb 06, 2010 Howard Olsen rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This is Frederick Douglass' story of his life as a slave, and his subsequent escape to the North. Douglass doesn't just describe the physical cruelty of southern slavery, although there's plenty of harrowing detail about that. He emphasizes the psychological pain suffered by slaves. We speak now of grinding poverty, but slaves like Douglass had to suffer through something even worse; the knowledge that their lives were not their own. This is brought home when Douglass' master - a man Douglass ha...more

1 like · like · see review

Jan 18, 2013 Jesse rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Douglass revises / refashions the original account of his slave years into a more persuasive instrument, adding detail about specific incidents and establishing a clear through-line dedicated to highlighting the logical inconsistencies of slavery. He downplays the rhetoric in this respect, going for a plain-spoken simplicity in the way he makes these points (he describes stealing meat from the smokehouse without compunction, since he was just transferring it from one unit of the master’s propert...more

like · see review

Dec 03, 2011 Sinai rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Honestly, the only reason this got 3 stars was because of my own failing as a reader to understand everything that was going on and his sophistication as a writer was beyond my own in reading. I found it hard to believe everything that was going on, and I had to keep reminding myself--this isn't just another fiction story on slavery--this actually happened to those people and to him. I honestly felt as if I knew who Fredrick Douglass was; one of the most famous abolitionists and here I am, readi...more

like · see review

May 19, 2013 Elisa rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: memoir, history

Impossible to read this book without falling in love with its author.

Frederick Douglass was an astoundingly brilliant and logical writer, an incredibly brave man, and a fearless defender of human rights. It's weird that he doesn't hold a place up there with Martin Luther King, Jr., because he is the rightful predecessor of the famous reverend.

The very fact that he learned the basics of reading and writing and then took off, SOARING, by himself, fueled by his own passion for knowledge and lette...more

like · see review

Aug 26, 2010 Daphna Heisler rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Douglass's A Slave Narrative is one of my favorites and this book is an expansion on that, so I was very excited to embark on this read. Douglass will forever be one the greatest writers in American history; notable for his honesty, depth, and natural brilliance. I (impatiently) waited to read about how Douglass managed his escape - an issue not discussed in A Slave Narrative, and when the time finally came, he confessed that he could not divulge the details. ARGH! The frustration! Oh well, noth...more

like · see review

Mar 01, 2012 Iris rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: biography, history

"Our house stood within a few rods of the Chesapeake Bay, whose broad bosom was ever white with sails from every quarter of the habitable globe. Those beautiful vessels, robed in purest white, so delightful to the eye of freemen, were to me so many shrouded ghosts, to terrify and torment me with thoughts of my wretched condition. I have often, in the deep stillness of a summer's Sabbath, stood all alone upon the lofty banks of that noble bay, and traced, with saddened heart and tearful eye, the...more "Our house stood within a few rods of the Chesapeake Bay, whose broad bosom was ever white with sails from every quarter of the habitable globe. Those beautiful vessels, robed in purest white, so delightful to the eye of freemen, were to me so many shrouded ghosts, to terrify and torment me with thoughts of my wretched condition. I have often, in the deep stillness of a summer's Sabbath, stood all alone upon the lofty banks of that noble bay, and traced, with saddened heart and tearful eye, the countless number of sails moving off to the mighty ocean. The sight of these always affected me powerfully. My thoughts would compel utterance; and there, with no audience but the Almighty, I would pour out my soul's complaint, in my rude way, with an apostrophe to the moving multitude of ships..."
- Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, Chapter X

Like Flaubert, Douglass allots himself very few sentimental passages like that one, and their rarity makes them especially noteworthy. In his speeches and autobiographies, his strikingly modern, rolling prose exercises such pull that such a painterly scene isn't necessary. With a life so extraordinary, Douglass was pressured to write about his strong-willed journey several times, each one with a wider scope: the quick read "Narrative", a staple on syllabi (1845); this one, from 1855, and finally, his 1881 "Life and Times of Frederick Douglass" which covers the same territory but also the Civil War, his friendships with John Brown and Abraham Lincoln, and his work in Washington DC and New York for abolitionism and feminism.

I chose the second work, "My Bondage and My Freedom," and recommend it hugely for its insight into everyday life of slaves and the politics of individual slaveowners. The focus is on the bondage, not the freedom; for one, he wrote when his freedom was still legally shaky. After being free for several years, he achieved reknown as a speaker, but was considered to be in such danger as a publicly escaped slave that he lived several years abroad, in Scotland and England, to escape attacks in the US and to be received with great pomp by UK dignitaries.

Douglass reveals unparalleled insight into slave life and slaveowners, setting the reader on edge even today: Douglass, a master of rhetoric, knows how to wield information for dramatic tension. He acknowledges how greatly he wants to reveal how he broke out of slavery, but knows that he mustn't utter a word for fear of endangering the people who helped him escape. By the time of his 1881 autobiography, he was free to tell all about his enfranchisement, about which I will only say that it involves a sailor suit and a one-way train ticket.(less)

like · see review

Jun 27, 2008 Robin Evans rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

An amazing true story of a slave who fought to become a free man. Douglass tells his story in an unflinching manner, and you feel his pain. His vocabulary is impressive and makes it a difficult read at times. But totally worth the effort!

1 like · like · see review

Aug 17, 2009 Amber rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This book was wierd it was also disturbing bc it was gross. and also it would have been a lot shorter if he hadnt explained so much that which was all about nothing but it was alot better than Mountains beyond mountains.

1 like · like · see review

Oct 27, 2011 Laura rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

like · see review

Nov 07, 2010 Vickie added it · review of another edition

This is book is one of my all time favorite books. I think Frederick Douglas is so articulate. He has such a bright mind! I believe if he had not been held back by his color, he would have been one of our countries great leaders. As it is, I believe he came to earth with the great spirit he was, to help save his people from slavery and oppression. Someone had to do it, and he was up for the fight. The Lord endowed him with a mind greater than those around him, including those who thought he was...more

like · see review

Mar 10, 2013 Aapo rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Kirjakerhossamme ei luettu kevyttä kesäkirjallisuutta: holokaustikirjan jälkeen kirjakerhossa tartuttiin yhdysvaltalaista orjuutta käsittelevään kirjaan. Tämän päivän näkökulmasta tällaisen orjuudenvastaisen puheenvuoron tarpeellisuus tuntuu uskomattomalta, onneksi. Onhan toki orjuutta edelleen, mutta ei kai institutionaalista, valtiollisilla laeilla suojattua? Orjien kokemat kauheudet ovat toki järkyttäviä, mutta vaikuttavinta kirjassa oli kuitenkin Douglassin kiistaton lahjakkuus ja henkinen j...more

like · see review

Feb 18, 2013 Julius rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Slavery. Truly one of the darkest stains of American history. But through its black holds comes to us a shining example.
Mr. Frederick Douglas is, without a doubt, one of the greatest writers of all time. From slavery he arose to be counted among the distinguished, respected, and renowned. Yet it was not always so.
Douglas brings his skill as a writer and historian to bear in ‘My Bondage and My Freedom’ with such brilliant elegance as to enthrall the reader, and yet there is something so down to e...more

like · see review

Jul 12, 2011 Ij rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: african-american, american-history, autobiography, classics, history, non-fiction, slavery, free, kindle, 2011

My Bondage My Freedom

Written By: Frederick Douglass

Published By: Public Domain (Amazon) Kindle Edition

My Bondage My Freedom

I have read in the past about Frederick Douglass the famed abolitionist, orator, statesman, and writer. However, until reading this autobiography I knew nothing about him before he became famous.

This autobiography was published in 1855 and thus covered approximately thirty-seven (37) of his early years. Being born a slave, Douglass could only approximate the year of his bir...more

3 likes · like · see review

Mar 22, 2010 David Rooker rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

We, generally, don't have slavery like we used to have in the 18th and 19th century in the US. But I believe we still DO have forms of INSTITUTIONAL slavery recognized and supported by the laws of this land. Is that a narcissistic statement making a false comparison? Perhaps, but as Douglass noted, his treatment by Auld in Baltimore was markedly better than in the field under Covey, but more time to read, think, and freedom from physical burdens, stirred in him only a greater fire to win his ind...more

like · see review

Jul 12, 2009 Nicholas rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: biography-memoir

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Quotes:

"Douglass was determined to let facts and theory, not personal pleading, bury slavery."

"A man who was born and brought up in slavery, a living witness of its horrors; who often himself experienced its cruelties; and who, despite the depressing influences surrounding his birth, youth and manhood, has risen, from a dark and almost absolute obscurity, to the distinguished position which he now occupies."

"There is not, beneath the sky, an enemy to filial affection so destructive as slavery. I...more

like · see review

Mar 11, 2008 Christian rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: everyone

Shelves: classics, non-fiction

An incredible story and insight into the personal and perennial fight for the freedom and escape from physical and mental slavery. Writing elequotenly from the hands and mind of a slave that was in a system that systematically was suppose to prevent niggers to read or write (or think), let alone write a bestseller book and an indelible page in history with his later abolitionist activties. Douglas is an incredible person and figure in American History and is also a remarkable writer and orator,...more

like · see review

Apr 26, 2013 David Powell rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I read this (finally) after teaching an excerpt from it for many years in my American literature classes. Douglass is wonderfully articulate and should stand as an inspiration for anyone, regardless of race. To me, the unquenchable desire to read and learn from it, based upon Douglass's early epiphany that equality comes from knowledge and learning, is the most compelling element for readers of today--one that is often sadly overlooked by young Black males of today.

like · see review

Jun 22, 2011 Jonathan Schmitt rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: history-autobiography-slavery-sl

I have to go to work, so I don't have the time to write the words I should. But, essentially, I have been interested with slavery as a concept for a long time, and this book was more than enough to fill in the gaps. It was an education on human spirit, and what it is to be free. I found many parallels with modern society, of which I will describe another time... This is a gripping, excellent autobiography.

like · see review

May 17, 2010 Claire rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This should be required reading for everyone. I only wish that he could have detailed how exactly he made his escape. I'll have to look around and see if I can find it detailed elsewhere. One thing that he really emphasized in his narrative is the hypocrisy of the slave holders in their profession of Christian religion. How could they possibly think they were doing the right thing? Unbelievable.

like · see review

Aug 31, 2012 Yulonda rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I would still have to say The Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass is my favorite so far, but My Bondage and My Freedom is certainly worth a read. Douglass covers some of the same ground that he did in The Narrative when he discusses his bondage, but he also provides additional details on some events, like his first failed escape attempt. However, he does not provide details of his successful escape attempt and, as he does in The Narrative, criticizes those fugitives who published the det...more

like · see review

Jan 14, 2011 Rsoeffker rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

The review that most people expect is something about the awful institution of slavery. I submit to you that if that is all you got out of the book, you missed the point. This book is about Douglas' fortitude, honor, and intellect. This is a guy who could eat rocks and shit gunpowder. Think your life sucks? Learn something from Douglas and quit being lazy.

1 like · like · see review

Apr 27, 2012 Clint Morey rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

A must read. As a former history teacher, I believe students would be far better served reading this book instead of sitting through a couple of weeks of classes about slavery then taking meaningless quizzes and tests.

Frederick Douglass also brings a real understanding of human nature and many of his observations about people will ring true to situations in your life today.

Please read this book.

like · see review

Aug 03, 2011 Erik rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This is one of the greatest autobiographies I've ever read. It blends a story of triumph over adversity, a retelling of a man's education, and an almost-Tocquevillean analysis of a society and how its economic foundation, slavery, seeps into every aspect of that society from religion to family even to the calendar. This should be required reading

like · see review

« previous 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 … 99 100 next »

new topic
Discuss This Book

There are no discussion topics on this book yet. Be the first to start one »

Recommend it | Stats | Recent status updates

combine
Other Editions (64)

More editions...

Genres

History

61 users

Classics

53 users

Non Fiction

43 users

Biography

38 users

Cultural > African American

15 users

Autobiography > Memoir

12 users

Biography > Autobiography

12 users

Biography Memoir

9 users

Race

8 users

History > American History

7 users

See top shelves...

Readers also enjoyed similar books

About Frederick Douglass

Frederick Douglass (born Frederick Augustus Washington Bailey) was an American abolitionist, editor, orator, author, statesman and reformer. Called "The Sage of Anacostia" and "The Lion of Anacostia", Douglass is one of the most prominent figures in African-American history and United States history. In 1872, Douglass was nominated as the vice presidential candidate on the Equal Rights Party ticke...more

More about Frederick Douglass...

Books by Frederick Douglass

Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass

Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave & Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl

Autobiographies: Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave/My Bondage & My Freedom/Life & Times of Frederick Douglass (Library of America #68)

The Heroic Slave (African American Heritage Book)

More…

Share This Book

Facebook Twitter Your website

Trivia About My Bondage and My...

No trivia or quizzes yet. Add some now »

Quotes from My Bondage and My Freedom

“The marriage institution cannot exist among slaves, and one sixth of the population of democratic America is denied it's privileges by the law of the land. What is to be thought of a nation boasting of its liberty, boasting of it's humanity, boasting of its Christianity, boasting of its love of justice and purity, and yet having within its own borders three millions of persons denied by law the right of marriage?” — 20 people liked it

“A man who will enslave his own blood, may not be safely relied on for magnamity.” — 9 people liked it

More quotes…

title link	preview: My Bondage and My Freedom
avg rating	preview: My Bondage and My Freedom Goodreads rating: 4.16 (2490 ratings)
small image	preview: click here [close]
med image	preview: click here [close]
BBCode	[url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/124173.My_Bondage_and_My_Freedom?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book][img]http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1356441914l/124173.jpg[/img][/url] [url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/124173.My_Bondage_and_My_Freedom?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book]My Bondage and My Freedom by Frederick Douglass[/url]

My Bondage and My Freedom (Papers: Series 2: Autobiographical Writings, Vol 2)

Friend Reviews

Community Reviews

Share This Book

Share This Book on Your Website