SANKOFA'S SLAVERY DATA COLLECTION
Auld Farm
Location: Near St. Michaels, Talbot Co., MD
History:
Frederick Douglas (Frederick Baily)
Frederick Washington Bailey, the son of a white man and a black slave, was born
on Holmes Hill Plantation near Easton, Maryland,
on February 7, 1818. Frederick's mother, Harriet Baily, worked the cornfields
surrounding Holmes Hill. As a child, he had heard rumors that the master, Aaron
Anthony, was his father. At age six, Frederick was sent to live and work at
the Lloyd Plantation. After the deaths of Aaron Anthony
and Lucretia Anthony Auld, his ownership went to Lucretia's husband Thomas Auld.
In March of 1833, the 15 year old Frederick was sent to live at Thomas Auld's
new farm near the town of Saint Michaels, a few miles from the Lloyd plantation.
Frederick was again put to work as a field hand. Thomas Auld starved his slaves,
who stole food from neighboring farms to survive. Frederick received many beatings
and saw worse ones given to others. As a result, he organized a Sunday religious
service for the slaves in nearby Saint Michaels. A mod led by Thoas Auld had
stopped the meetings. In a final attempt to subdue the willful Frederick, Auld
arranged for the infamous slave breaker Edward Covey tame him (1834). After
working for Covey for a year, Frederick was sent to work for a farmer named
William Freeland, a relatively kind master. Preferring freedom to any kind of
slavery, Frederick planned an escape North with five other slaves. The plot
was exposed and an armed mob jailed the conspirators. Thomas Auld released Frederick,
then sent him to Hugh Auld in back Baltimore to work as a ship caulker. Due
to unfair treatment by his owner Hugh Auld, Frederick decided to escape North
and finally succeeded. Upon his arrival in New York City, he changed his name
from Frederick Bailey to Frederick Douglas.
Associated Surnames: Auld, Baily, Covey, Freeland
Associated Plantations: Lloyd Plantation (Talbot Co., MD)
Associated Free White Names
Associated Black Slave Names
Agriculture
Description of Associated Architecture
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