Like many slaves,
he was denied a father, almost denied a mother, and largely denied any
meaningful identity. After working for several years as a
slave both on the plantation and in the city, he determined to
run away. Although an earlier attempt had failed, he now made his way
north to New Bedford, Massachusetts. There he was shocked to
discover that, while some whites gave him protection and help,
race prejudice was still rampant. A skilled craftsman, he was
unable to find work. When an employer was willing to accept him,
his fellow workers threatened to walk off the job. For the next
three years, he worked as servant, coachman, and common laborer
earning about a dollar a day.
Then, he met William Lloyd Garrison, the famous white
abolitionist, who was impressed with his slave experiences and
his ability to describe them. At one meeting, after Douglass had
spoken, Garrison asked the audience whether this was a beast or
a man. Douglass soon became a regular lecturer in the
abolitionist movement. As he traveled throughout the North, he
was continually harassed by racial discrimination in trains,
coaches, boats, restaurants hotels, and other public places.
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