Frederick Douglass: Young Defender of Human Rights

Young Patriots

by Elisabeth P. Myers, Harold D. Underdown, Cathy Morrison

The inspiring story of Frederick Douglass’s rise from slavery to prominence as an early abolitionist and civil rights champion is featured in this volume of the Young Patriots series. Focusing on Douglass’s early years, this profile details his difficult upbringing as a slave on a Maryland plantation, his early separation from his mother, and his move as an adolescent to the home of the Auld family in Baltimore. From a young age, Douglass knew that knowledge was a passport out of slavery, and this biography reveals his fierce dedication to education. Lively drawings illustrate the climate in which he grew up and the hurdles faced on the road to equality and freedom. Special features include a summary of Douglass’s adult accomplishments, including his position as advisor to President Lincoln; little-known facts about him; and a time line of his life.

116 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1970

About the author

I began to write stories for my son, Tom, and all of them had a 'hero' named Tom. A friend suggested I send some to a children's publication, where they were accepted and published. I began to write biographies when my son showed a preference for borrowing the Bobbs-Merrill "Childhood of Famous Americans" books from the library. I currently live in Bloomington, Indiana.

Reviews

[Terry]

Like all the other books in this series, the story, illustrations, writing, editing, and topics are all geared to the 8-12 year old. One cannot find a more wholesome and informative biographical series. See the review of Frederick Douglass (and others) at the Reading Tub.

[Jennie]

Age: 9-12

Genre: Biography

Diversity: Ethnicity/race

Illustrations: Black and white drawings depicting scenes from the book.

Personal response: I enjoyed reading this book despite the depressing reality of Douglass' life as a slave. The story is well told and captures the interest of the reader who is rooting for Douglass to escape to the north for a life of freedom.

Curriculum: This would be a great source to use in conjunction with a lesson about slavery and the Civil War from the fifth grade on. This book could also be used in a teaching unit about diversity and the history of race relations in the United States.

[Russ Bruxvoort · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting, short biography focusing on his upbringing until about age 20.