| My Escape from Slavery |
| Reconstruction |
Douglass, Frederick. “My Escape from Slavery.”
The Century Illustrated Magazine 23, n.s. 1 (Nov. 1881): 125-131.
In the first narrative of my experience in slavery, written nearly forty yearsago, and in various writings since, I have given the public what I consideredvery good reasons for withholding the manner of my escape. In substance thesereasons were, first, that such publication at any time during the existence ofslavery might be used by the master against the slave, and prevent the futureescape 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 wouldcertainly have put in peril the persons and property of those who assisted.Murder itself was not more sternly and certainly punished in the State ofMaryland than that of aiding and abetting the escape of a slave. Many coloredmen, for no other crime than that of giving aid to a fugitive slave, have, likeCharles T. Torrey, perished in prison. The abolition of slavery in my nativeState and throughout the country, and the lapse of time, render the cautionhitherto observed no longer necessary. But even since the abolition of slavery,I have sometimes thought it well enough to baffle curiosity by saying thatwhile slavery existed there were good reasons for not telling the manner of myescape, and since slavery had ceased to exist, there was no reason for tellingit. I shall now, however, cease to avail myself of this formula, and, as far asI can, endeavor to satisfy this very natural curiosity. I should, perhaps, haveyielded to that feeling sooner, had there been anything very heroic orthrilling in the incidents connected with my escape, for I am sorry to say Ihave nothing of that sort to tell; and yet the courage that could risk betrayaland the bravery which was ready to encounter death, if need be, in pursuit offreedom, were essential features in the undertaking. My success was due toaddress rather than courage, to good luck rather than bravery. My means ofescape were provided for me by the very men who were making laws to hold andbind me more securely in slavery.
It was the custom in the State of Maryland to require the free colored peopleto have what were called free papers. These instruments they were required torenew very often, and by charging a fee for this writing, considerable sumsfrom 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 scarsor other marks upon his person which could assist in his identification. Thisdevice in some measure defeated itself—since more than one man could befound to answer the same general description. Hence many slaves could escape bypersonating 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 thepapers, would borrow or hire them till by means of them he could escape to afree State, and then, by mail or otherwise, would return them to the owner. Theoperation was a hazardous one for the lender as well as for the borrower. Afailure on the part of the fugitive to send back the papers would imperil hisbenefactor, and the discovery of the papers in possession of the wrong manwould imperil both the fugitive and his friend. It was, therefore, an act ofsupreme trust on the part of a freeman of