When it comes to Frederick Douglass books, many of us remember his autobiography. It is one of the most famous autobiographies in US history. When I taught American History in college, I had my students read it each year.

If you need a reminder, Frederick Douglass was the most famous African American in the United States during the 1800s. He was born a slave. But in 1838 he escaped slavery and became a free man. A few years later, in 1845, he wrote the autobiography of his life.

The Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass

Of all the Frederick Douglass books, The Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass remains the most popular. Many consider it a classic. It describes Douglass’s life, first as a slave, then up until his escape to freedom. The book captures the struggles, the pain, and the humanity of enslaved people in the US before the Civil War. It is psychological yet straightforward. The autobiography is not terribly long—you can probably read it in two or three hours. Luckily, it’s also free in numerous places online. (Here’s one example if you’re curious.)

The blunt way in which Douglass relates his terrors and struggles still stings the reader nearly two hundred years later. On page 1, he writes, “I have no accurate knowledge of my age . . .” On the next page he states, “My mother and I were separated when I was but an infant. . .” Douglass then describes how both of these things were intentional. Talk about a rough start to life.

The other hundred pages of the book help the modern reader to understand a number of things about slavery in America. One learns the difference between slaves on farms and those who lived in towns and cities. The reader learns what made a “good” owner or overseer in the eyes of a slave. And of course, the reader finds out how Douglass resisted slavery and decided to escape to freedom. If you’re looking for something to read, it’s well worth the time.

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When Were the Other Frederick Douglass Books Published?

Although his first autobiography remains the most famous, Douglass wrote other things. Two more autobiographies followed, one in 1855 and the other in 1881. Their titles were My Bondage and My Freedom and Life and Times of Frederick Douglass.

My Bondage and My Freedom gives readers greater detail about how Douglass escaped slavery and gained his freedom. This is important because his first autobiography is notably brief on how Douglass actually got out of bondage in Maryland. Douglass admits this. He claims it is to protect other slaves who might attempt to escape in a similar way to what he had done. This was probably wise, given the Fugitive Slave Laws that were in place by 1855.

The third and last autobiography, the Life and Times of Frederick Douglass, came much later in life. By 1881, the Civil War was long over. So was Reconstruction. America now had the 13th, 14th, and 15th Amendments to its Constitution. It contains the most detailed account of how Douglass gained his liberty, since the people who had helped him were no longer in danger of violent reprisals. It also mentions events from later in Douglass’s life. These include becoming a US Marshall and advising several presidents.

Finishing the List of Frederick Douglass Books

Douglass himself wrote just one piece of fiction, published in 1852. It was a contribution to a collection of short stories. Perhaps predictably, Douglass titled his piece The Heroic Slave, and the main character helps a ship carrying slaves seize their ship and reach freedom in the Bahamas.

Authors have written a great many books about Frederick Douglass over the years, however. His stature and fame ensure that he’ll remain a popular topic for historians. Although these books are too numerous to list and describe here, any search on a book website should provide plenty of choices.

Douglass did write for one other important publication, however. For several years, 1847-51, he published The North Star, an anti-slavery newspaper. The paper’s motto proclaimed “Right is of no sex—truth is of no color—God is the father of us all, and all we are brethren.” After 1851 Douglass’s paper merged with others, going by titles such as Frederick Douglass’s Paper and Douglass’ Monthly.

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More About Frederick Douglass’s Accomplishments

Douglass was, without doubt, the most famous African American in the US in the 1800s. He regularly advised presidents on racial matters. He later became a US Marshall for the District of Columbia and US consul-general to Haiti, although this was short-lived. Douglass was a lifelong supporter of rights for women, too, attending the famous Seneca Falls Convention in 1848. He even gained the vice presidential nomination of the Equal Rights Party in 1872. (I’ve planned a future post on this bizarre event. Suffice it to say here that Douglass didn’t want the nomination. He didn’t campaign for his own ticket even after his nomination.)

Douglass died at age (we think) 77 in 1895. Appropriately, he’d just finished addressing a meeting of the National Council of Women. His body rests in the same cemetery as that of Susan B. Anthony, another tireless figure in the women’s movement in the US.

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