Life and Times of Frederick Douglass

How or why do you think Douglass succeeded in escaping from slavery while millions of others remained enslaved?

What kind of man was John Brown? Why did Douglass admire him?

Douglass describes “the cause of the slave” as “peculiarly woman’s cause” (197). What does he mean?

How did Douglass respond to his many encounters with color prejudice?

Why does Douglass describe Abraham Lincoln as a “GREAT MAN”?

Martin Luther King Jr. once wrote that “time itself is neutral” (Martin Luther King Jr. “Letter from a Birmingham Jail.” African Studies Center, University of Pennsylvania), meaning that progress is not always linear, for equality and justice do not necessarily develop over time. How might this quotation apply to Douglass’s book?

What did Douglass experience on his multiple trips to Europe? What did he learn from those experiences?

What role did religion play in Douglass’s life and in the lives of others he observed?