In the shadows of adversity and cruelty, a powerful tale of determination and resilience unfolds.

United States, early 1800’s. On a Maryland plantation, a young child is cruelly separated from his mother, setting the stage for the dehumanizing conditions of slavery that would define his early life. The brutal attempts to break Douglass's spirit only serve to strengthen his resolve to escape from that life. Despite the obstacles, the young boy is determined to educate himself, and he secretly learns to read and write.

His secret self-education attempts become a source of both empowerment and danger, as it enables him to understand the injustice of his situation and dream of a life beyond slavery. Over the years, his resistance to slavery grows, and he is eventually moved to several different owners, each with their own brand of cruelty.

What follows is an intense and uplifting autobiographical account written by Frederick Douglass, an African American whose unwavering determination and resilience enabled him to overcome the dehumanizing effects of slavery and become a prominent figure in the abolitionist movement and the equal rights for African Americans.

Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass: An American Slave is a true story of the triumph of the human spirit.