Frederick Douglass 1How did the early years of Frederick Douglass' life affect the beliefs of the man he would become? Frederick Douglass's adulthood was one of triumph and prestige. Yet he by no means acquired virtue without struggle and conflict. There was a lot of opposition and hostility towards him. To fully understand all of his thoughts and beliefs, we must first look at his childhood. Frederick Augustus Bailey was born in February 1818 to a black hand named Harriet. He grew up on the banks of Tuckahoe Creek, deep in the Maryland woods. Separated from his mother at a young age, he was raised by his grandparents Betsy and Isaac Bailey. Isaac and Betsy are not believed to be related. Isaac was a free man and a sawyer, while Betsy was a owned slave, but she kept her own rules. His owner trusted him to watch over and raise the slaves' children until they were old enough to begin their work. She was allowed to keep her own cabin and grow food for the children and herself. It was not an easy job. While all the mothers were busy working in the fields of their master, Aaron Anthony, she was busy watching over their children. Betsy Bailey was a real woman. She was a master fisherman and spent most of her days in the river or in the fields. She was very intelligent and physically able-bodied. Most historians attribute Frederick's intelligence to his extraordinary grandmother. Douglass later recalled not seeing his mother very often, just the few times she came to visit him later in life. At the age of six, Frederick's carefree days running and playing in the fields came to an abrupt end. He was taken from his grandmother to begin the toil and sweat of ... middle of paper ... the Civil War and afterward. He was the most influential of all black leaders throughout the mid-19th century. BibliographyBailey, Thomas A. The American Spirit. (Lexington: DC Health and Company, 1991), 666. Blight, David. The Civil War by Frederick Douglass. (Baton Rouge: Louisiana State University Press, 1989), 270. Bontemps, Arna. Finally free. (New York: Dodd, Mead and Company, 1971), 309.Martin, Waldo E. The Mind of Frederick Douglass. (Chapel Hill: The University of North Carolina Press, 1984), 333. McFreely, William S. Frederick Douglass. (New York: WW Norton and Company, Inc, 1991), 465. Meyer, Michael-ed., Frederick Douglass: The Narrative and Selected Writings. (New York: The Modern Library, 1984.), 391. Preston Dickson J. Young Frederick Douglass. (Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press, 1980.) , 242.