A group of Frederick Douglass's friends paid $711.66 to obtain his freedom from slave owner Thomas Auld in 1846. Douglass had escaped from Auld in 1838, but his friends were concerned that Douglass's growing popularity would gain Auld's attention and lead to his re-enslavement. The bill of sale from this transaction is currently on display at the National Geographic Museum in Washington D.C. This was certainly a great deal of money in 1846 and puts some perspective on the monetary value of slavery.
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| Frederick Douglass |
