Frederick Douglass Writes to His Former Owner: On This Day, 1857

On October 4, 1857, Frederick Douglass penned a letter to Hugh Auld, his former owner, hoping to begin a correspondence. “My heart tells me that you are too noble to treat with indifference the request I am about to make,” he begins. Noting that it has been twenty years since he ran away—“not from you but from Slavery”—Douglass inquires about Auld’s children, who he had grown up with, and seeks information about his own childhood

My dear Sir.

My heart tells me that you are too noble to treat with indifference the request I am about to make, It is twenty years since I ran away from you, or rather not from you but from Slavery, and since then I have often felt a strong desire to hold a little correspondence with you and to learn something of the position and prospects of your dear children. They were dear to me – and are still – indeed I feel nothing but kindness for you all – I love you, but hate Slavery.

Douglass escaped slavery in 1837, making his way to New York. By 1846, with the help of friends, he was able to raise money in order to buy his freedom from Auld. Like many born into slavery, Douglass never knew his exact birthday, but knew his approximate age by piecing together details of his life through inquiries such as the one made in the letter.