In Frederick Douglass' early years, he spent a lot of time in Fells Point, where, in his efforts to learn to read, he created his own barter system for impromptu classroom instruction.Frederick Augustus Washington Bailey was born around 1818 into slavery in Talbot County. When he was 8, he was sent to Baltimore to live with a ship carpenter named Hugh Auld. It was in the streets of Fells Point that he learned to read with the help of the Point Boys."The Point Boys were similar to the Little Rascals group. It was a group of close-knit young boys of Irish nationality," John Muller said.Muller is the author of "Frederick Douglass in Washington, D.C., The lion of Anacostia." Through his company, Lost History Associates, he offers community-based street history tours in Fells Point. He said the Auld family sons, Thomas and Benjamin, who would later be the captain of the Eastern District police station, were both members of the Point Boys."The Point Boys were a group of young children that, essentially, adopted Frederick Douglass and looked out for him. He was accepted as one of their members," Muller said. “When there were mini altercations, Douglass defended the Point Boys, and the Point Boys would defend Frederick Douglass."They helped Douglass negotiate how he got along in the community and they helped him learn to read."When he would run errands from his house, he would pack his pockets full of bread. He would see members of the Irish Boys. He would say, 'I'm trying to learn this word, here's a piece of bread, I see you might be a little hungry, tell me what this word is,'" Muller said.In his autobiography, "The Life And Times Of Frederick Douglass," Douglass wrote, "I used to carry almost constantly a copy of Webster's spelling book in my pocket, and when sent of errands or when play-time was allowed me, I would step aside with my young friends and take a lesson in spelling. I am greatly indebted to these boys."For Douglass, reading provided him with a path to freedom.