About
Born into slavery in Maryland, Frederick Douglass escaped in 1838 and became a leading abolitionist. He wrote three autobiographies, including Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass (1845), and edited the newspaper The North Star. During the Civil War, he recruited Black soldiers and met with Abraham Lincoln. He later held federal posts, including U.S. Marshal and consul to Haiti. He died in 1895, leaving a legacy of civil rights advocacy.
* 1817-02-01 — † 1895-02-20
Major works
- Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave (1845)autobiography
- My Bondage and My Freedom (1855)autobiography
- Life and Times of Frederick Douglass (1881)autobiography
Key milestones
- 1838Escapes slavery on September 3, disguised as a sailor.
- 1847Founds the abolitionist newspaper The North Star in Rochester, New York.
- 1877Appointed U.S. Marshal for the District of Columbia, the first Black man confirmed by the Senate for a federal appointment.
Themes
Abolition of slaveryCivil rightsRacial equalityAutobiography and slave narrativeEducation and self-learning
Sources: loc.gov · nps.gov
