"Using the 1845 first edition of the text, Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave, Written by Himself, is the memoir of orator and abolitionist, Frederick Douglass. This narrative follows Douglass from his enslaved youth through his escape to freedom. The text comes paired with explanatory footnotes, headnotes, and an introduction by the editors. "Contexts" includes background and source materials written by Frederick Douglass and his contemporary peers, such as Elizabeth Cady Stanton and James Monroe Gregory. "Criticism" includes six varied selections by William L. Andrews, Robert D. Richardson, Houston A. Baker, Deborah McDowell, Jannine DeLombard, and Henry Louis Gates, Jr., that examine the influence of the narrative in literary and cultural spheres. A Chronology and a revised Selected Bibliography are also included." -- Provided by publisher.