Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave

About this book

Frederick Douglass's firsthand account of his enslavement, his self-taught literacy, and his escape to freedom in the North. The narrative is among the most-assigned primary-source texts in Common Core ELA Appendix B, APUSH, AP Language, and state American Literature frameworks.

Why widely assigned

This Slave Narrative / Autobiography title, reads at young-adult to upper-middle-grade complexity, typically at grades 8–12. Written in the 1840s; pairs with curriculum units on slavery and literacy as freedom; cited across 3 curriculum frameworks.

Where this book is assigned

• AP English Language & Composition

  • recommended·11th gradesource: AP Lang rhetorical-analysis representative text

• AP United States History (APUSH)

  • required·11th gradesource: APUSH primary source — Period 5 (1844-1877)

• Common Core State Standards (ELA)

  • required·11th gradesource: CCSS ELA Appendix B, grades 11-CCR nonfiction exemplar

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Common questions

What grade level is Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave?

Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave is most commonly assigned in US schools in grades 8–12, with a Lexile measure of 1080L. Specific grade placement varies by curriculum — AP Literature and IB English Literature typically use it in grades 11-12.

What is the Lexile level of Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave?

Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave has a Lexile measure of 1080L according to MetaMetrics. Lexile measures text complexity, not content maturity — check the grade range and content notes separately for age-appropriateness.

How long does it take to read Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave?

It takes about 2h 20m to read Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave (128 pages) at an average adult reading pace of about 250 words per minute — roughly 140 minutes. Faster or slower readers will vary; the estimate is a planning guide for assigning the book.

Is Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave hard to read for 8th grade?

At 1080L, Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave falls within the typical 925–1185L text-complexity range for 8th grade (Common Core Appendix A) — a grade-appropriate reading challenge. Lexile measures text complexity, not thematic maturity — check the content notes for age-appropriateness separately.

What curricula assign Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave?

Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave appears on reading lists for AP English Language & Composition, AP United States History (APUSH), Common Core State Standards (ELA). Each assignment on this site links to its primary-source citation.