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Collected Articles of Frederick Douglass

by Frederick Douglass




Contents

My Escape from Slavery
Reconstruction




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, which gave it the appearance at once of an authorized document.
This protection, when in my hands, did not describe its bearer very
accurately. Indeed, it called for a man much darker than myself, and
close examination of it would have caused my arrest at the start.

In order to avoid this fatal scrutiny on the part of railroad
officials, I arranged with Isaac Rolls, a Baltimore hackman, to bring
my baggage to the Philadelphia train just on the moment of starting,
and jumped upon the car myself when the train was in motion. Had I gone
into the station and offered to purchase a ticket, I should have been
instantly and carefully examined, and undoubtedly arrested. In choosing
this plan I considered the jostle of the train, and the natural haste
of the conductor, in a train crowded with passengers, and relied upon
my skill and address in playing the sailor, as described in my
protection, to do the rest. One element in my favor was the kind
feeling which prevailed in Baltimore and other sea-ports at the time,
toward “those who go down to the sea in ships.” “Free trade and
sailors’ rights” just then expressed the sentiment of the country. In
my clothing I was rigged out in sailor style. I had on a red shirt and
a tarpaulin hat, and a black cravat tied in sailor fashion carelessly
and loosely about my neck. My knowledge of ships and sailor’s talk came
much to my assistance, for I knew a ship from stem to stern, and from

Collected Articles of Frederick Douglass

by Frederick Douglass

Contents

My Escape from Slavery

Reconstruction

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, which gave it the appearance at once of an authorized document.

This protection, when in my hands, did not describe its bearer very

accurately. Indeed, it called for a man much darker than myself, and

close examination of it would have caused my arrest at the start.

In order to avoid this fatal scrutiny on the part of railroad

officials, I arranged with Isaac Rolls, a Baltimore hackman, to bring

my baggage to the Philadelphia train just on the moment of starting,

and jumped upon the car myself when the train was in motion. Had I gone

into the station and offered to purchase a ticket, I should have been

instantly and carefully examined, and undoubtedly arrested. In choosing

this plan I considered the jostle of the train, and the natural haste

of the conductor, in a train crowded with passengers, and relied upon

my skill and address in playing the sailor, as described in my

protection, to do the rest. One element in my favor was the kind

feeling which prevailed in Baltimore and other sea-ports at the time,

toward “those who go down to the sea in ships.” “Free trade and

sailors’ rights” just then expressed the sentiment of the country. In

my clothing I was rigged out in sailor style. I had on a red shirt and

a tarpaulin hat, and a black cravat tied in sailor fashion carelessly

and loosely about my neck. My knowledge of ships and sailor’s talk came

much to my assistance, for I knew a ship from stem to stern, and from