cover image FREDERICK DOUGLASS: For the Great Family of Man

FREDERICK DOUGLASS: For the Great Family of Man

Peter Burchard, . . S&S/Atheneum, $18.95 (240pp) ISBN 978-0-689-83240-6

Burchard's (One Gallant Rush; Lincoln and Slavery) biography begins with a momentous event in Douglass's life—his chance meeting with William Lloyd Garrison, editor of the abolitionist paper, The Liberator, whose articles had already greatly influenced Douglass. The author then chronicles Douglass's life from childhood, citing specific examples that would lead to his escape from slavery and his fight for its abolition, as well as for the rights of what he called "the great family of man." The author compellingly demonstrates Douglass's influence not only within the abolitionist movement but also the suffrage and international labor movements. The narrative incorporates quotes liberally, from Douglass's own newspaper, memoirs and speeches, and to great effect. To demonstrate Frederick's realization at the age of six or seven that he would eventually have to leave the shelter of his grandmother's modest home, the author cites this quote from Douglass: "The fact is, such was my dread of leaving the little cabin, that I wished to remain little forever, for I knew the taller I grew the shorter my stay." Black-and-white photographs and primary documents (e.g., advertisements for runaways) highlight the risks undertaken by young Frederick, who covertly learned to read and write from his master's wife, challenged an overseer and eventually escaped, disguised as a merchant sailor. Burchard lays bare the complexities of the times, exposing the blemishes of the antislavery leaders, some of whom used Douglass to further their own prominence, plus Douglass's personal struggles, such as his increasingly loveless marriage. Though Burchard provides an effective survey of the events leading up to the Civil War, this wider scope occasionally distracts from the fascinating subject of Douglass himself. However, an epilogue brings this compelling volume sharply back into focus. Ages 12-up. (Jan.)