Frederick Douglass: Anti-Educated American Icon

Frederick Douglass, 1818-1895
Image credits: Wikipedia

When I started the project, Top of the Class, which spotlights the world’s highest achievers and their experiences in the classroom, my mind invariably turned to an iconic figure in American history who challenges the conventional understanding of education’s role in human success, Frederick Douglass. Born into slavery, Douglass did not have the opportunity to go to school; he had to fight tooth and nail to learn how to read, and yet emerged as one of the nineteenth century’s most influential voices on liberation, equal rights, and expanded access to education.

Douglass’ educational odyssey is so diametrically opposed to prevailing norms, it embodies a kind of “anti-education” narrative. Deprived of formal education, Douglass seized every learning opportunity that came his way like each was a piece of driftwood that would carry him to safety. His hard-won literacy, years of activism, and resistance to the corrosive misinterpretations of his status as a “self-made man,” mark Douglass as a symbol of the transformative power of learning. Join me as we explore the ways in which Douglass’ unorthodox education illuminated his path to liberation and influenced his enduring legacy.

Learning the rhetoric of freedom in the shadows: Douglass’ early years

After his mother’s death in 1826, Douglass was sent to work for Hugh Auld in Baltimore. There, he encountered Hugh’s wife, Sophia Auld. Unaware of the laws forbidding the education of enslaved people, Sophia taught the eight-year-old Douglass how to read. However, when Hugh discovered what was happening, he ordered Sophia to stop giving lessons, insisting that literacy would make Douglass, “forever unfit to be a slave.” While this interruption had the potential to crush Douglass’ spirit, it kindled a thought of resistance in the young child’s mind—if his master was so determined to keep him illiterate, perhaps literacy was a powerful tool for liberation that he should pursue.

Undeterred by Hugh, Douglass continued to read covertly. He saved pieces of bread at mealtimes and traded them with poor white children in the neighborhood for reading lessons. He also scavenged old newspapers, hiding them where he slept so that he could scour them secretly at night. One of the popular publications at the time was The Columbian Orator, comprising political essays and moral stories on liberty and justice, which Douglass devoured, “every opportunity [he] got.” While Douglass learned in the same ways a child typically would outside of the classroom, such as observing the behavior of adults, he was also able to step into a world beyond his immediate environment through the act of reading.

Literacy not only helped Douglass discover new ideas, it also helped him refine his own. As he puts it, “the reading of these documents enabled me to utter my thoughts.” Early childhood development experts recognize the crucial role language acquisition plays in cognitive development—that each improves the other. As Douglass used words to categorize and express his ideas, his thinking became more organized, and he was therefore able to assimilate new information. Indeed, when Douglass stumbled upon the word, “abolition,” for the first time in The Columbian Orator, one wonders if this word articulated something that he already felt but had not yet named, which would explain why it resonated so deeply with him.

Douglass also recounts how reading helped him formulate arguments against slavery. As Douglass writes about Hugh’s opposition to Sophia’s reading lessons in Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, “This was just what I needed; and got it at a time, and from a source, whence I least expected it.” It was strange kind of gift when Hugh chose the cold, harsh words, “If you teach that [slave] to read, there would be no keeping him.” Whether intentionally or not, Hugh set up two mutually exclusive states: slavery and literacy. This encouraged Douglass to equate literacy with freedom quite literally, as he plotted his metaphysical escape from slavery through reading, in addition to his physical escape by fleeing Baltimore.

The experiences Douglass narrates in his memoirs sometimes seem divinely orchestrated, as though they were deliberately shaping him into a leader for the abolitionist movement. Douglass gained an indirect education in the principles of logic, debate, and rhetoric through The Columbian Orator; and he not only learned to communicate through reading and discussing ideas with sympathetic white children in the neighborhood, he also developed an understanding of how language can be used as a tool for persuasion and inciting action. One event that did not fit this preordained narrative, however, was the death of Douglass’ mother, Harriet Bailey. This loss severed the connection he had with the first person who instilled in him a sense of love and belonging. It is worth remembering that Douglass’ mother, not Sophia, gave Douglass his first language lessons, talking to him while he was growing inside her, and after his birth, singing him songs and telling him stories.

An artist’s rendering of young Frederick Douglass overlooking the Baltimore harbor
Image credits: HBO, Frederick Douglass: In Five Speeches, 2022, based on View of Baltimore by William Henry Bartlett (1809–1854)

Leveraging the power of the pen: Douglass’ years of teaching and activism

After his daring escape from enslavement in 1838, Douglass became a famous orator, using his voice to advocate for black education, black educators, and education about slavery in general. Many enslavers not only suppressed the education of slaves, they also lobbied against education about slavery. Douglass believed this was because slavery thrived in darkness, and that any education about the injustices of slavery would automatically lead to its critique: “Slavery is one of those monsters of darkness to whom the light of truth is death.” He founded and published his own anti-slavery newspaper, The North Star, in 1847, which served as a platform for advocating abolition and discussing issues of social justice. He wrote 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, revised 1892), which served as powerful tools for the abolitionist movement, exposing the barbarity of slavery. Douglass’ impact was wide-reaching, helping establish schools that provided academic and vocational training for black communities, and ultimately helping the U.S. government stipulate that slavery was “unconsitutional” in 1865.

Douglass’ activism can be characterized by his ability to make decisions based on his long-term desire for emancipation for Americans, and not getting mindlessly swayed by the influence of others, even if their agendas coincided with his. When giving speeches in the early 1840s, Douglass was told by other (white) abolitionists to use the “plantation manner of speech” in order not to appear too educated (they were concerned that Douglass’ ostensible command of the English language would erode his credibility). Indeed, Douglass recalls people in his audience saying, “He's never been a slave, I'll warrant ye.” However, instead of contriving a way of communicating that abolitionists wanted and audiences expected, Douglass communicated elegantly and with rhetorical flair. He would create vivid metaphors and imagery, reference leading Enlightenment ideas, and use biblical references to criticize the hypocrisy of an American Christianity that supported slavery. Furthermore, when Douglass was eventually praised for his writing, he emphasized the fact he was not exceptional—that any black person could be educated. This helped solidify his argument that it was a lack of opportunity rather than ability that prevented the enslaved from reading.

Douglass favored a standardized system of schooling as a tool for emancipation, saying, “let the children be educated and grow up side by side with white children, come up friends unsophisticated and generous childhood together, and it will require a powerful agent to convert them into enemies.” However, as David W. Blight tells us in Frederick Douglass: Prophet of Freedom, Douglass’ belief in the power of education for all stemmed from his own positive experience of education; his passion for education wasn't only strategy, it was deeply personal. According to Brigitte Fielder, Douglass participated in a Sabbath school while still living with the Aulds, and later, while hired to William Freeland, taught enslaved people from his plantation and surrounding neighborhood how to read. Douglass enjoyed playing the educational role as teacher immensely, saying, “the work of instructing my dear fellow-slaves was the sweetest engagement with which I was ever blessed.” It is clear that his view of national, public education as a way to foster social harmony was informed by his own life story. When considering Douglass’ life work—his speeches, writing, and political efforts—it’s clear to see that he was a teacher at his core.

Title page of Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave, 1845. Image credits: The Huntington Library.

Literacy as the cornerstone of freedom: Douglass’ philosophy of education

Douglass believed that the fight for educational access was integral to the broader movement for civil rights and social justice, with literacy as its foundation, famously stating, “Once you learn to read, you will be forever free.” Douglass advocated for a holistic approach to education that not only taught literacy and imparted knowledge to students, but also helped them foster critical thinking, ethical reasoning, and social responsibility. Douglass passionately supported the opening of industrial schools in the 1890s, praising them for promoting both the intellectual and physical development of its pupils, such as at the 1893 opening of the Colored Industrial School in Manassas, Virginia, in his dedication.

While Douglass consistently viewed education as a tool for social good, his views became more nuanced over time. He initially championed nationwide integrated education for both black and white children but ultimately recognized that schools often perpetuated racism. While serving on Howard University’s board of trustees, he lobbied alongside other trustees to decrease paternalistic white influence. In his 1879 speech, “Black Teachers for Black Pupils,” he highlighted the overrepresentation of white teachers in black classrooms, arguing that not only were there thousands of unemployed qualified black teachers available, their presence in the classroom was crucial for fostering a sense of pride and identity among students.

Additionally, Douglass originally believed that by simply exposing the horrors of slavery, American society would want to end it: “All that the American people needed, I thought, was light. Could they know slavery as I knew it, they would hasten to the work of its extinction.” He worked as a prolific abolitionist speaker for William Lloyd Garrison’s American Anti-Slavery Society, recounting his personal experience for audiences across the nation. However, Douglass soon realized that his message was not persuasive enough to get others to act, eventually saying that it was the civil war, not speeches, that offered American society the immediate and terrifying lesson it needed to acknowledge freedom as a fundamental human right.

With Douglass’ increasing influence as a moral leader, he became heralded as one of the nineteenth century’s “self-made men,” a popular ideal at the time, celebrating the men who rose from humble beginnings to achieve success through hard work, perseverance, and strength of character. In some ways, Douglass embodied this ideal, having overcome a system that was specifically designed to deny him agency and opportunity to become one of the most influential thinkers of the nineteenth century. He was someone the public looked to in order to form opinions on current debate in politics. He was the first African American to be invited to run as Vice President and to hold the office of United States Marshal for the District of Columbia.

While Douglass acknowledged his self-education, he did not romanticize it; instead, he argued that education would have made his life significantly easier and more enjoyable. His lecture, “Self made men,” which he gave 1859-90, insisted that there never was a self-educated man who, with the same exertion, would not have been better educated by the aid of schools and colleges. He often emphasized that education could bridge social gaps, helping individuals participate fully in American life, something that became more significant after emancipation when we was considering how African Americans could assimilate into every day life as freed people and wanted to experience everything society has to offer.

Douglass’ evolving views reflect his ability to adapt to current circumstances. There are certain principles that he valued, such as the importance of literacy, but his outlook was ultimately rooted in the realities of what was possible. Though he favored a holistic education, and later classical education, he was also keenly aware of the responsibility of newly freed black Americans in the North to show they were capable of learning: “The most telling refutation of slavery is the presentation of an industrious, enterprising, thrifty and intelligent free black population.” Never taking his eyes off the prize, he did not worship unattainable education ideals at the expense of fostering positive change.

Left: A Frederick Douglass School in Cincinnati, rebuilt to meet local demand, 1911
Right: The school faculty in 1914
Image credits: Cincinnati Historical Society via Walnut Hills Redevelopment Foundation

A lifelong commitment to learning: Douglass’ legacy

Douglass was the young boy who overcame the obstacles of institutionalized slavery and racism to learn how to read; he became a towering figure in the anti-abolitionist movement, symbolizing the triumph of justice over oppression. Celebrated in his own time and still honored today through numerous schools, streets, and monuments bearing his name, Douglass' speeches and writings remain pillars in the study of American history and civil rights. His life story continues to inspire educational initiatives, particularly for black children in America, a cause he would have undoubtedly championed, given how he crafted his own narrative to ignite the flames of emancipation and educational empowerment.

Douglass' shifting views on education—from advocating integrated to segregated systems and from favoring industrial to classical education—illustrate his nuanced understanding of the challenges faced by newly freed black Americans who, in Douglass’ opinion, had the heavy burden of repudiating those who doubted black people could be educated. He continually defied expectations, refusing to be a mere mouthpiece for the abolitionists, and holding American society to task whenever he had the opportunity. His lifelong dedication to fostering change underscores that he was not a static symbol but a dynamic individual whose perspectives continued to evolve throughout his life who listened to his inner voice before anyone else’s.

Douglass’ acquisition of language accelerated his intellectual growth, but seemed essentially driven by an innate yearning for knowledge, as historians Blight and Chesnutt argue. This implies that Douglass’ character was formed at an early age. His relentless pursuit of education also demonstrates his own agency in his learning—that he had to do the work in order to succeed. Despite his well-earned reputation for being “self-educated”, he grew up without fundamental knowledge about his own life, such as the identity of his father and his birth date, a loss he laments in his autobiography. Fielder writes, “Family separation has prevented a particular form of historical and personal education central to what Douglass’ self-writing reclaims.”

In contemplating Douglass' resolute spirit, one wonders if it was an innate character trait or a quality nurtured amid the trials of his youth. The love of his mother undoubtedly helped forge the bedrock of his resilience, and he often credited his mother for instilling in him the fortitude and determination that propelled him forward. Though parted at Douglass’ birth, Bailey would walk the twelve miles from her plantation to his so that she could spend time with him. You can imagine the sacred moments they got to spend together. While Bailey’s visits were always brief, as she had to return before dawn to avoid punishment, she filled Douglass with a warmth that would sustain him through great hardship.

While Douglass is often commemorated as an icon of early childhood literacy, reducing him to a legend risks overlooking the true essence of his greatness: his humanity. Douglass’ writings reveal a man of deep complexity, with evolving and often conflicting ideas, and the remarkable ability to adapt to change while also catalyzing it. Embedded within this tale of courage and conviction lies the subtle yet profound influence of a mother's love—a love that bridged distances and fueled the fires of resilience in Douglass' heart. His words continue to inspire, his deeds continue to galvanize, and his legacy endures as a beacon of hope in the pursuit of a more just and enlightened society. Overall, Douglass’ unwavering commitment to learning and advocacy for educational equality resonate profoundly in today's world, where access to education is still a fundamental human right. Reflecting on his own life, Douglass acknowledged both the progress made and the work still needed, reminding us of the ongoing struggle for equality and justice.

Sources

Brigitte Fielder, “Chapter 19: Education,” Frederick Douglass in Context, 2021

Charles Waddell Chesnutt, Frederick Douglass: A Biography, 1899

David W. Blight, Frederick Douglass: Prophet of Freedom, 2018

Frederick Douglass, Life and Times of Frederick Douglass, (1881, revised 1892)

Frederick Douglass, My Bondage and My Freedom, 1855

Frederick Douglass, Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave, 1845