American Literature / Unit 9 AML 0804 short lesson, about 20 seconds
The *Narrative* of 1845 and Its Authenticating Letters
Captions available
The idea
Douglass's Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave appeared in eighteen forty-five with prefaces by white abolitionists testifying that he wrote it. Publishing it named his owner and put him at risk, which is why he sailed for Britain soon after.
In practice
A book that endangered its author.
Where people slip
The prefaces exist because his authorship was doubted.
Your place on the trail
Every lesson rests on earlier ones and opens later ones. Tap any to jump.
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