Frederick Douglass was a mulatto child. Children who have one black and one white parent are called mulatto children. Such mulatto children are born to white slaveholders who very often keep their black women slaves as their mistresses.

According to Frederick Douglass, such slaveholders are compelled to sell their mulatto children because such slaves invariably suffer greater hardships than others. They are a constant offence to their white mistress (wife of the white master). She is ever disposed to find fault with them; they can seldom do anything to please her; she is never better pleased than when she sees them under the lash, especially when she suspects her husband of showing to his mulatto children favours which he withholds from his black slaves. Consequently, the master is frequently compelled to sell his mulatto slaves for two reasons – out of deference to the feelings of his white wife as well as on humanitarian grounds. If he does not do so, he would be forced to not only whip them himself but must also stand by and see a white son tie up his brother, who is of a few shades darker complexion than himself, and ply the gory lash to his naked back.