My Bondage and My Freedom

My Bondage and My Freedom is an autobiographical work by the famous American abolitionist Frederick Douglass. It was first published in 1855, and describes his experiences as a slave before he became a leading advocate of the abolition of slavery in the United States. The book details his time spent under brutal conditions on plantations, and his eventual escape to freedom.

The book is written in three parts: Life as a Slave, Escape from Slavery, and Abolitionism. He recounts in precise detail the conditions he lived under during the time, often coming close to breaking down in anguish while recalling some of his most difficult memories. A complex picture emerges of Douglass' multi-layered existence: that of a literate slave separated from his family, who must still try to make sense of the world around him despite his lack of freedom.

He relates much about the hypocrisy of slavery, especially with regard to how slaves are underfed yet expected to work for long hours in hot sun; how children were taken from their mothers at an early age and exploited as servants without any real education or affection from their owners; how slaves were not allowed to possess a Bible lest they learn to read and gain a semblance of power, yet plantation owners invoked religion as a means of justifying the practice.