--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: never having seen any authentic record…" description: "\"“never having seen any authentic record containing it. By far the larger part of the slaves know as little of their ages as horses know of theirs, and ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8b4/frederick-douglass-859_slave_never-having-seen-any-authentic-record-c_2029376.jpg" --- # never having seen any authentic record containing it. By… ![“never having seen any authentic record containing it. By far the larger part of the slaves know as little of their ages as horses know of theirs, and it is the wish of most masters within my knowledge to keep their slaves thus ignorant. I do not remember to have ever met a slave who could tell of…” quote by Frederick Douglass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8b4/frederick-douglass-859_slave_never-having-seen-any-authentic-record-c_2029376.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8b4/frederick-douglass-859_slave_never-having-seen-any-authentic-record-c_2029376.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8b4/frederick-douglass-859_slave_never-having-seen-any-authentic-record-c_2029376.jpg) > ““never having seen any authentic record containing it. By far the larger part of the slaves know as little of their ages as horses know of theirs, and it is the wish of most masters within my knowledge to keep their slaves thus ignorant. I do not remember to have ever met a slave who could tell of his birthday. They seldom come nearer to it than planting-time, harvesttime, cherry-time, spring-time, or fall-time. A”” [Frederick Douglass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-douglass/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Slaves were deliberately kept ignorant of basic personal facts like birthdays, reinforcing control and dehumanization. **In simple terms:** Slaves were kept ignorant of birthdays to control them. Key Takeaway Recognize how denial of identity dehumanizes. Themes oppression identity knowledge control Mood somber reflective Type historical critical When to use this quote - historical analysis - social justice work Key Concepts historical oppression human rights education Questions to Reflect On - What modern systems keep people uninformed about their identity? - How does knowledge empower the oppressed? ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Slave](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/slave/) [Slave Tell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/slave-tell-966552/) [Slaves](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/slaves/) [Slaves Ignorant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/slaves-ignorant-727234/) [Slaves Know](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/slaves-know-3084498/) ## Related quotes > [“That was when I realized we weren’t born to be slaves. It was ignorant for any man to think he could be the master…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-grewal/that-was-when-i-realized-we-weren-t-born-to-be-slaves-it-was-ignorant/) [Jay Grewal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-grewal/) > [In the old patrician world there was a custom once a week you had to eat a meal with your slaves and get to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jared-harris/in-the-old-patrician-world-there-was-a-custom-once-a-week-you-had-to/) [Jared Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jared-harris/) > [True Christians are made to be slaves, and they know it and do not mind; this short life counts for too little in their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-jacques-rousseau/true-christians-are-made-to-be-slaves-and-they-know-it-and-do-not/) [Jean-Jacques Rousseau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-jacques-rousseau/) > [“Who ain’t a slave? Tell me that. Well, then, however the old sea-captains may order me about — however they may thump and punch…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herman-melville/who-ain-t-a-slave-tell-me-that-well-then-however-the-old-sea-captains/) [Herman Melville](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herman-melville/) > [“And you,” continued he, “you have in your camp some Obi, I hear — some impostor like this Romaine the Prophet. I well know…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victor-hugo/and-you-continued-he-you-have-in-your-camp-some-obi-i-hear-some/) [Victor Hugo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victor-hugo/) > [“His words lacked the confidence of truth and Kerr seized the opportunity to teach a valuable lesson. "No, that would make them our slaves.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/his-words-lacked-the-confidence-of-truth-and-kerr-seized-the/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“You are not keeping slaves in your household.’ ‘I can’t imagine why,’ said Damen. ‘If you’ve forgotten what to do with a slave, I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-pacat/you-are-not-keeping-slaves-in-your-household-i-can-t-imagine-why-said/) [C.S. Pacat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-pacat/) > [Keep a secret, it's your slave. Tell it, and it's your master.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-wilson-allen/keep-a-secret-it-s-your-slave-tell-it-and-it-s-your-master/) [Henry Wilson Allen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-wilson-allen/) > [If love is labor, ill slave in tell the end.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rise-against/if-love-is-labor-ill-slave-in-tell-the-end/) [Rise Against](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rise-against/) > [“If any one thing in my experience, more than another, served to deepen my conviction of the infernal character of slavery, and to fill…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-douglass/if-any-one-thing-in-my-experience-more-than-another-served-to-deepen/) [Frederick Douglass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-douglass/) > [“their base ingratitude to my poor old grandmother. She had served my old master faithfully from youth to old age. She had been the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-douglass/their-base-ingratitude-to-my-poor-old-grandmother-she-had-served-my/) [Frederick Douglass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-douglass/) > [Who would be free themselves must strike the blow. Better even to die free than to live slaves.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-douglass/who-would-be-free-themselves-must-strike-the-blow-better-even-to-die/) [Frederick Douglass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-douglass/) > [“She had been the source of all his wealth; she had peopled his plantation with slaves; she had become a great grandmother in his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-douglass/she-had-been-the-source-of-all-his-wealth-she-had-peopled-his/) [Frederick Douglass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-douglass/) > [“The master doesn’t need to chain his slaves; their needs will chain them to him. You can end slavery by the stroke of a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bangambiki-habyarimana/the-master-doesn-t-need-to-chain-his-slaves-their-needs-will-chain/) [Bangambiki Habyarimana](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bangambiki-habyarimana/) > [We know, Southern men declare that their slaves are better off than hired laborers amongst us. How little they know, whereof they speak! There…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abraham-lincoln/we-know-southern-men-declare-that-their-slaves-are-better-off-than/) [Abraham Lincoln](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abraham-lincoln/) ## More by Frederick Douglass > [“A treacherous President stood in the way; and it can be easily seen how reluctant good men might be to admit an apostasy which…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-douglass/a-treacherous-president-stood-in-the-way-and-it-can-be-easily-seen/) [Frederick Douglass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-douglass/) > [I have observed this in my experience of slavery, - that whenever my condition was improved, instead of its increasing my contentment, it only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-douglass/i-have-observed-this-in-my-experience-of-slavery-that-whenever-my/) [Frederick Douglass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-douglass/) > [“But I should be false in the earliest sentiments of my soul, if I suppressed the opinion. I prefer to be true to myself,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-douglass/but-i-should-be-false-in-the-earliest-sentiments-of-my-soul-if-i/) [Frederick Douglass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-douglass/) > [A man who will enslave his own blood, may not be safely relied on for magnamity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-douglass/a-man-who-will-enslave-his-own-blood-may-not-be-safely-relied-on-for/) [Frederick Douglass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-douglass/) > [“I assert most unhesitatingly, that the religion of the south is a mere covering for the most horrid crimes, - a justifier of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-douglass/i-assert-most-unhesitatingly-that-the-religion-of-the-south-is-a-mere/) [Frederick Douglass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-douglass/) > [I assert most unhesitatingly, that the religion of the South is a mere covering for the most horrid crimes—a justifier of the most appalling…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-douglass/i-assert-most-unhesitatingly-that-the-religion-of-the-south-is-a-mere-2/) [Frederick Douglass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-douglass/) > [The limits of tyrants are prescribed by the endurance of those whom they oppose.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-douglass/the-limits-of-tyrants-are-prescribed-by-the-endurance-of-those-whom/) [Frederick Douglass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-douglass/) > [Power concedes nothing without a demand. It never did and it never will.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-douglass/power-concedes-nothing-without-a-demand-it-never-did-and-it-never-will/) [Frederick Douglass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-douglass/) > [“We have all met a class of men, very remarkable for their activity, and who yet make but little headway in life; men who,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-douglass/we-have-all-met-a-class-of-men-very-remarkable-for-their-activity-and/) [Frederick Douglass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-douglass/) > [“The fatal poison of irresponsible power was already in her hands, and soon commenced its infernal work. That cheerful eye, under the influence of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-douglass/the-fatal-poison-of-irresponsible-power-was-already-in-her-hands-and/) [Frederick Douglass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-douglass/) > [A battle lost or won is easily described, understood, and appreciated, but the moral growth of a great nation requires reflection, as well as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-douglass/a-battle-lost-or-won-is-easily-described-understood-and-appreciated/) [Frederick Douglass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-douglass/) > [Knowledge makes a man unfit to be a slave.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-douglass/knowledge-makes-a-man-unfit-to-be-a-slave/) [Frederick Douglass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-douglass/) > [I was broken in body, soul, and spirit. My natural elasticity was crushed, my intellect languished, the disposition to read departed, the cheerful spark…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-douglass/i-was-broken-in-body-soul-and-spirit-my-natural-elasticity-was/) [Frederick Douglass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-douglass/) > [I have observed this in my experience of slavery, that whenever my condition was improved, instead of increasing my contentment; it only increased my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-douglass/i-have-observed-this-in-my-experience-of-slavery-that-whenever-my-2/) [Frederick Douglass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-douglass/) > [At a time like this, scorching irony, not convincing argument, is needed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-douglass/at-a-time-like-this-scorching-irony-not-convincing-argument-is-needed/) [Frederick Douglass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-douglass/) [Explore all 348 Frederick Douglass quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-douglass/) ## More Slave quotes > [I have observed this in my experience of slavery, - that whenever my condition was improved, instead of its increasing my contentment, it only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-douglass/i-have-observed-this-in-my-experience-of-slavery-that-whenever-my/) [Frederick Douglass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-douglass/) > [“In American terms, the accomplishment of Genghis Khan might be understood if the United States, instead of being created by a group of educated…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-weatherford/in-american-terms-the-accomplishment-of-genghis-khan-might-be/) [Jack Weatherford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-weatherford/) > [The minimum that most minimalists want leaves in place just the institutions who protect their interests. That's libertarians for you - anarchists who want…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kim-stanley-robinson/the-minimum-that-most-minimalists-want-leaves-in-place-just-the/) [Kim Stanley Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kim-stanley-robinson/) > [Perhaps no order of mammals presents us with so extraordinary a series of gradations as this \[step by step, from humans to apes to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-huxley/perhaps-no-order-of-mammals-presents-us-with-so-extraordinary-a/) [Thomas Huxley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-huxley/) > [I didn't want to be a slave to any passion anymore. I gave up card playing altogether, even bridge and gambling - more or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/omar-sharif/i-didn-t-want-to-be-a-slave-to-any-passion-anymore-i-gave-up-card/) [Omar Sharif](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/omar-sharif/) > [“We are at the mercy of whoever wields authority over the things we either desire or detest. If you would be free, then, do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/epictetus/we-are-at-the-mercy-of-whoever-wields-authority-over-the-things-we/) [Epictetus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/epictetus/) > [“Freedom is for the educated people who fought for it. We were slaves of the English, now we will be slaves of the educated…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/khushwant-singh/freedom-is-for-the-educated-people-who-fought-for-it-we-were-slaves/) [Khushwant Singh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/khushwant-singh/) > [My favorite Founding Fathers, Christians like John Adams, were absolutely appalled by slavery, and did not own slaves. I think we're going to have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ann-coulter/my-favorite-founding-fathers-christians-like-john-adams-were/) [Ann Coulter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ann-coulter/) > [We know, Southern men declare that their slaves are better off than hired laborers amongst us. How little they know, whereof they speak! There…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abraham-lincoln/we-know-southern-men-declare-that-their-slaves-are-better-off-than/) [Abraham Lincoln](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abraham-lincoln/) > [“Being a slave is to have nothing but still having something left to lose.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lalita-tedemy/being-a-slave-is-to-have-nothing-but-still-having-something-left-to/) [Lalita Tedemy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lalita-tedemy/) > [“Whoever then would be free, let him wish for nothing, let him decline nothing, which depends on others; else he must necessarily be a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/epictetus-epictetus/whoever-then-would-be-free-let-him-wish-for-nothing-let-him-decline/) [Epictetus Epictetus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/epictetus-epictetus/) > [Man preys on man; and you mourn for the idle tapestry that decorated a gothic pillar, and the dronish bell that summoned the fat…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-wollstonecraft/man-preys-on-man-and-you-mourn-for-the-idle-tapestry-that-decorated-a/) [Mary Wollstonecraft](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-wollstonecraft/) > [Don't become a slave to non-crucial matters.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-ringer/don-t-become-a-slave-to-non-crucial-matters/) [Robert Ringer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-ringer/) > [“People think blood red, but blood don't got no colour. Not when blood wash the floor she lying on as she scream for that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marlon-james/people-think-blood-red-but-blood-don-t-got-no-colour-not-when-blood/) [Marlon James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marlon-james/) > [It's so Canada. On some level, you laugh, but on another level, it's just depressing. We pride ourselves: We're not like the bad old…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/constance-backhouse/it-s-so-canada-on-some-level-you-laugh-but-on-another-level-it-s-just/) [Constance Backhouse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/constance-backhouse/) [Browse all 2,844 Slave quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/slave/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“never having seen any authentic record containing it. By far the larger part of the slaves know as little of their ages as horses know of theirs, and it is the wish of most masters within my knowledge to keep their slaves thus ignorant. 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