At the urging of Garrison, Douglass wrote, and published his first autobiography Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave, in 1845. The book was a best-seller in the United States and was translated into several European languages. Although the work garnered Douglass many fans, some critics expressed doubt that a former slave with no formal education could have produced such elegant prose. Douglass published three versions of his autobiography during his lifetime, revising and expanding on his work each time. My Bondage and My Freedom appeared in 1855. Frederick Augustus Washington Bailey was born into slavery in Talbot County, Maryland, around 1818. The exact year and date of Douglass’ birth is unknown, though later in life he chose to celebrate it on February 14. Douglass initially lived with his maternal grandmother, Betty