Collected Articles of Frederick Douglass, a Slave | Page 3

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Here are several articles by Frederick Douglass, whose larger work was
presented in book form as a January, 1993 Project Gutenberg Etext to
commemorate Martin Luther King Jr. Day last year. We hope people
will continue to contribute works such as this to commemorate this and
other holidays.

Douglass, Frederick. "My Escape from Slavery." The Century
Illustrated Magazine 23, n.s. 1 (Nov. 1881): 125-131.

MY ESCAPE FROM SLAVERY
In the first narrative of my experience in slavery, written nearly forty
years ago, and in various writings since, I have given the public what I
considered very good reasons for withholding the manner of my escape.
In substance these reasons were, first, that such publication at any time
during the existence of slavery might be used by the master against the
slave, and prevent the future escape of any who might adopt the same
means that I did. The second reason was, if possible, still more binding
to silence: the publication of details would certainly have put in peril
the persons and property of those who assisted. Murder itself was not
more sternly and certainly punished in the State of Maryland than that
of aiding and abetting the escape of a slave. Many colored men, for no
other crime than that of giving aid to a fugitive slave, have, like Charles
T. Torrey, perished in prison. The abolition of slavery in my native
State and throughout the country, and the lapse of time, render the
caution hitherto observed no longer necessary. But even since the
abolition of slavery, I have sometimes thought it well enough to baffle

curiosity by saying that while slavery existed there were good reasons
for not telling the manner of my escape, and since slavery had ceased to
exist, there was no reason for telling it. I shall now, however, cease to
avail myself of this formula, and, as far as I can, endeavor to satisfy this
very natural curiosity. I should, perhaps, have yielded to that feeling
sooner, had there been anything very heroic or thrilling in the incidents
connected with my escape, for I am sorry to say I have nothing of that
sort to tell; and yet the courage that could risk betrayal and the bravery
which was ready to encounter death, if need be, in pursuit of freedom,
were essential features in the undertaking. My success was due to
address rather than courage, to good luck rather than bravery. My
means of escape were provided for me by the very men who were
making laws to hold and bind me more securely in slavery.
It was the custom in the State of Maryland to require the free colored
people to have what were called free papers. These instruments they
were required to renew very often, and by charging a fee for this
writing, considerable sums from time to time were collected by the
State. In these papers the name, age, color, height, and form of the
freeman were described, together with any scars or other marks upon
his person which could assist in his identification. This device in some
measure defeated itself--since more than one man could be found to
answer the same general description. Hence many slaves could escape
by personating the owner of one set of papers; and this was often done
as follows: A slave, nearly or sufficiently answering the description set
forth in the papers, would borrow or hire them till by means of them he
could escape to a free State, and then, by mail or otherwise, would
return them to the owner. The operation was a hazardous one for the
lender as well as for the borrower. A failure on the part of the fugitive
to send back the papers would imperil his benefactor, and the discovery
of the papers in possession of the wrong man would imperil both the
fugitive and his friend. It was, therefore, an act of supreme trust on the
part of a freeman of color thus to put in jeopardy his own liberty that
another might be free. It was, however, not unfrequently bravely done,
and was seldom discovered. I was not so fortunate as to resemble any
of my free acquaintances sufficiently to answer the description of their
papers. But I had a 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.
The instrument had at its head the American eagle,