Why wasn't Douglass allowed to live with his mother?

Answer 1

Frederick Douglass was not allowed to live with his mother because enslaved children were typically separated from their parents shortly after birth. His mother, Harriet Bailey, was assigned to a different plantation, and the system of slavery prioritized the economic interests of slave owners over family bonds. This separation was a common practice designed to disrupt familial ties and maintain control over enslaved individuals. Douglass only had limited interactions with his mother before her death when he was around seven years old.