Frederick Douglass

have no accurate knowledge of my age, never having seen any authentic record containing it.

allowed to make any inquiries

part children from their mothers at a very early age

never saw my mother, to know her as such, more than four or five times in my life;

was not allowed to be present during her illness, at her death, or burial. She was gone long before I knew any thing about it.

seem to take great pleasure in whipping a slave

used to tie up to a joist, and whip upon her naked back till she was literally covered with blood

it was no small affair, in the eyes of the slaves, to be allowed to see Baltimore.

convicted of any high misdemeanor, became unmanageable, or evinced a determination to run away, he was brought immediately here, severely whipped, put on board the sloop, carried to Baltimore, and sold to Austin Woolfolk, or some other slave-trader, as a warning to the slaves remaining.

yearly clothing consisted of two coarse linen shirts, one pair of linen trousers, like the shirts, one jacket, one pair of trousers for winter, made of coarse negro cloth, one pair of stockings, and one pair of shoes; the whole of which could not have cost more than seven dollars.