Chapter 2:
Frederick Douglass.
Hugh Auld.
Edward Covey.
Sandy Jenkins.
Captain Thomas Auld.
Betsy Bailey.
All:
William Lloyd Garrison A leading abolitionist in the North, and Douglass' patron. Garrison and his followers advocated the abolition of slavery on moral grounds but did not support armed resistance.
Wendell Phillips Another leading figure in the abolitionist movement. After the Civil War, Phillips supported Douglass' position regarding the enfranchisement of freed slaves. The Phillips-Douglass alliance was in direct opposition to Garrison and his supporters, who advocated a slower pace of reform.
Harriet Bailey Douglass' mother; little is known about her. Years after her death, Douglass learned that she was a literate slave. He was never able to determine, though, how a field hand had the opportunity to learn to read.
Captain Anthony Douglass' first master and possibly his father. Captain Anthony was Colonel Lloyd's clerk and superintendent. His children were Andrew, Richard, and Lucretia.
Colonel Lloyd Lloyd was reportedly the richest slave holder in Talbot County, Maryland. The Lloyd family had been in Maryland for over two hundred years, and many of its members were politicians and prominent people in Maryland society. Colonel Lloyd behaved almost like a feudal lord of the region.
Mr. Severe A cruel and profane overseer; his early death was considered an act of divine providence by the slaves.
Mr. Gore Another exceptionally cruel overseer; he had no qualms about executing a slave who disobeyed him.
Mrs. Lucretia Auld Daughter of Captain Anthony. In The Life and Times of Frederick Douglass, Douglass describes Lucretia as a kind woman who protected him from being beaten by Aunt Katy, another slave. In his old age, Douglass became a good friend of Lucretia's daughter, Amanda Auld. Lucretia had died when Amanda was still a child.
Thomas Auld Upon the death of his wife, Thomas took control of all of her property, including Douglass. Douglass recalls him as a hypocritical and cruel master. Thomas loaned Douglass to his brother Hugh Auld in Baltimore, as well as to Covey, a slave-breaker. On his death bed, Thomas asked to see Douglass.
Hugh Auld A ship-builder in Baltimore. Douglass portrays him as a greedy slave master who exploited Douglass as a day worker. Hugh prohibited Douglass from learning to read because he felt a knowledgeable slave was a dangerous one.
Sophia Auld The wife of Hugh Auld. At first, she was exceedingly kind to Douglass, but owning slaves corrupted her and eventually led her to treat him as mere property.
Edward Covey Thomas Auld loaned Douglass to Covey, a poor farmer famous in Talbot County as an unparalleled breaker of slaves. Covey's duty was to crush Douglass' rebellious spirit. In return, Covey acquired free use of Douglass for a year. Covey was sneaky and cruel, nicknamed "the snake" by his slaves. Eventually Douglass successfully confronted Covey and was never whipped again.
Sandy Jenkins A superstitious slave who showed Douglass how to protect himself from Covey with a magical root. Following Jenkins' instruction, Douglass found himself able to confront Covey. This is a puzzling episode because Douglass does not really explain whether he believed the magical root worked or whether it simply gave him a psychological boost.