Frederick Douglass was born in Tuckahoe, Maryland, near Hillsborough. He doesn’t know for sure of his age, he has seen no proof and his master will not inform him.Most masters prefer for their slaves to stay ignorant. He believes that he was aroundtwenty-seven and twenty-eight when he began writing his narrative - he overheard hismaster say he was about seventeen years of age during 1835. His mother, Harriet Bailey,was separated from him when …showed first 75 words of 1294 total…

…showed last 75 words of 1294 total…Frederick’s age of seven hismother died. She had passed away and was buried before Frederick knew anythingaboutit. He remembers that time in his life as receiving "the tidings of her death with much thesame emotions I should have probably felt at the death of a stranger". She never oncementioned who his father was and rumors went around that his master was his father. Hewas unable, however, to find out the truth behind those rumors.