Frederick Douglass is known as one of the most influential abolitionists and civil rights leaders in American history.
His life story, from his escape from slavery to his rise as an orator, writer, and statesman, has inspired generations of activists and reformers.
But what about his family? Who were his siblings, and what happened to them?
A Family Torn Apart by Slavery
Frederick Douglass was born Frederick Augustus Washington Bailey, around 1818, in Talbot County, Maryland.
His mother, Harriet Bailey, was an enslaved woman who worked as a field hand on a plantation.
His father was an unknown white man, possibly his master, Aaron Anthony.
Frederick had four sisters, Sarah, Eliza, Kitty, and Arianna, and one brother, Perry.
He was separated from most of them at a young age, as they were sold or hired out to different owners.
He only saw his mother a few times before she died when he was seven.
Frederick with his grandmother, Betsey Bailey, until he was sent to work for the Auld family in Baltimore at the age of eight.
Perry Bailey
Perry Bailey (1813-1878): He was possibly Frederick’s half-brother, as they shared the same mother but had different fathers.
He remained enslaved until the end of the Civil War, and then moved to Baltimore, where he worked as a laborer.
He married and had several children, some of whom became prominent members of the African American community in Baltimore.
Sarah Bailey
Sarah was Frederick’s eldest sister, and was sold to a plantation owner in Mississippi when she was a child.
She never saw her family again, and nothing more is known about her life or death.
Eliza Bailey
She was Frederick’s second sister, and was also sold to a plantation owner in Mississippi.
Eliza may have been the mother of Douglass’s nephew, Stephen Bailey, who joined him in Rochester, New York, after the Civil War.
Kitty Bailey
She was Frederick’s third sister, and was hired out to a farmer in Talbot County, Maryland.
Kitty married a man named Ned Roberts, and had a daughter named Maria.
She died before the Civil War, and her daughter was sold to Georgia.
Arianna Bailey
She was Frederick’s youngest sister, and was also hired out to a farmer in Talbot County, Maryland.
Arianna married a man named Jacob Dutton, and had a son named Charles.
She died before the Civil War, and her son was sold to Alabama.
FAQs
Did Frederick Douglass ever reunite with his siblings?
Frederick Douglass never saw his sisters again after they were sold to Mississippi.
He only met his brother Perry once, in 1878, shortly before Perry’s death.
He also met his nephew Stephen Bailey, who was the son of his sister Eliza, in Rochester, New York, after the Civil War.
How did Frederick Douglass’s siblings influence his life and work?
Frederick Douglass’s siblings inspired him to fight for the abolition of slavery and the rights of all people.
He wrote about his family in his autobiographies, and tried to find out what became of them after he gained his freedom.
He also helped and supported many of his relatives and associates who escaped from slavery or faced discrimination.
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CONCLUSION
Frederick siblings, though less known and less fortunate, also contributed to the cause of freedom in their own ways.
They endured the hardships and horrors of slavery, and some of them managed to survive and start new lives after emancipation.
They passed on their stories, their values, and their genes to their descendants, who continued the fight for equality and dignity.
Some of them became teachers, lawyers, doctors, ministers, and activists, following in the footsteps of their illustrious uncle.
The untold story of Frederick Douglass’s siblings is a story of tragedy and triumph, of loss and hope, of bondage and liberation.
It is a story that shows us the power of family, and the power of freedom.
