Douglass unlike Equiano, but similar to Jacobs was born into slavery. However, similar to both narratives, Douglass has little to no connection to his mother as she dies while he is quite young. Although Douglass knows who his mother is due to the restrictions of slavery in Maryland, his mother was separated from him at his birth. It is a common custom, in the part of Maryland from which I escaped, to separate children from their mothers at an early age (Douglass 522). However, unlike Equiano and Jacobs Douglass was born the son of a white man but has no idea who he might be. She says rumors have been circulating that her father might also be her master, but she can't discern the truth because her mother never had the chance to tell