Why did Fredrick Douglass admit he escaped on his autobiography?

Answer 1

Actually, he had tried unsuccessfully to escape on several previous occasions. But the one time when he was successful, he was inspired by love. It was in 1837, and he had met a free black woman named Anna Murray in Baltimore. The fact that she was free was an inspiration; but there is also evidence that she encouraged him. Some sources say she also helped to finance his escape, as well as providing him with a sailor's clothes to wear so that he would not be identified as a runaway slave. In 1838, he was able to board a north-bound train and persuade the conductor that he was in fact a free man and a sailor. He was reunited with Anna Murray and they were able to get married. Note that in early versions of his life story, he did not say much about how much she had helped him, nor did he name other names of those who assisted, for fear of causing law enforcement to investigate them (it was still illegal to help a fugitive slave). He simply talked about being determined to get away so that he would not have to live as a slave forever. It was not till much later when he finally told the complete story of how he escaped.