Frederick Douglass in Talbot County

Born a slave in Talbot County, Frederick Augustus Washington Bailey escaped to freedom in 1838 and went on to become Frederick Douglass, the great 19th century abolitionist and civil rights reformer.

Much of the landscape of Douglass’s youth in Talbot County, which he so vividly describes in his writing, remains intact today. As you tour, imagine what this area would have looked like before the Chesapeake Bay Bridge and U.S. Route 50 brought modern traffic. Waterways were the primary highways of 19th century Talbot County. The tour routes include stops at publicly accessible landings so you can see the Chesapeake waters so important to Douglass’s early experiences. Canoes and kayaks are perfect for further exploration of these areas.