This volume contains the first and most famous of Frederick Douglass"s three autobiographies, Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass. First published in Boston in 1845, only seven years after Douglass"s escape from bondage, the Narrative provided the foundation for its author"s antebellum reputation as a writer. Douglass"s autobiographies provide an unparalleled record not only of the events of his life but also of his shifting perceptions of the complex worlds of slavery and freedom that he inhabited.This authoritative edition of Douglass"s first autobiography is comprehensively annotated and is accompanied by reproductions of historical documents relating to its publication and critical reception. The volume includes a series introduction, volume introduction, historical annotation, and appendixes.