My Bondage and My Freedom, Chapter 13 summary
Chapter 13 of 34 · 13 min to read the chapter
In Chapter 13, Fred faces appraisal after Capt. Anthony dies, returns to Baltimore under Mrs. Lucretia’s ownership, and describes his grandmother’s abandonment by her owners. A quarrel between Thomas and Hugh forces another removal, separating him from friends and pupils, while the journey toward St. Michael’s prompts an escape plan.
What happens
- After Richard and Capt. Anthony die, the estate’s enslaved people face appraisal and division between Andrew and Lucretia.
- Fred fears Andrew, who brutally attacks Perry, but is assigned to Mrs. Lucretia and returns to Baltimore.
- Lucretia and Andrew die; Fred describes his aging grandmother’s abandonment in an isolated woodland hut.
- After remarrying, Thomas quarrels with Hugh over Henny’s return and orders Fred to St. Michael’s.
- Fred regrets leaving his pupils, teachers, and Lawson, although Hugh’s household no longer offers its former kindness.
- While traveling down Chesapeake Bay, Fred watches steamers bound between Baltimore and Philadelphia and forms an escape plan.
Free for 3 months
Read the whole of My Bondage and My Freedom, free
- 200,000+ classics as eBooks and 15-minute summaries, and print and large print at cost
- Up to 5 readers in your home on one plan
Start freeRenews every year · Cancel anytime
In this chapter
What to notice
The appraisal sharpens his understanding of slavery’s power. His personal fear becomes an explicit judgment against a system that treats people as transferable possessions.
Quick check
Why does Thomas order Fred away from Hugh’s household?
Cite this page
“My Bondage and My Freedom, Chapter 13 summary.” Library of Alexandria, 2026, libraryofalexandria.com/pages/my-bondage-and-my-freedom-chapter-13-summary.
Library of Alexandria. (2026). My Bondage and My Freedom, Chapter 13 summary. https://libraryofalexandria.com/pages/my-bondage-and-my-freedom-chapter-13-summary
“My Bondage and My Freedom, Chapter 13 summary.” Library of Alexandria, 2026. https://libraryofalexandria.com/pages/my-bondage-and-my-freedom-chapter-13-summary.
@misc{my_bondage_and_my_freedom_chapter_13_summary_2026,
title = {My Bondage and My Freedom, Chapter 13 summary},
publisher = {Library of Alexandria},
year = {2026},
url = {https://libraryofalexandria.com/pages/my-bondage-and-my-freedom-chapter-13-summary}
}
Free for 3 months
Read the whole of My Bondage and My Freedom, free
- 200,000+ classics as eBooks and 15-minute summaries, and print and large print at cost
- Up to 5 readers in your home on one plan
Start freeRenews every year · Cancel anytime
Read Chapter 13 in the book
The whole book to read and hear, and the printed book, large print included, at cost.
Read free
