Frederick Douglass

Frederick Augustus Washington Bailey (1818-1895) was born into slavery on the eastern shore of Maryland. From a young age, Douglass believed literacy and freedom were connected, and because of this he taught himself to read and write. He then worked to educate other slaves, prompting his enslaver to send him to Baltimore, where he met a free Black woman named Anna Murray. Murray helped him to escape in September of 1838 by disguising him as a sailor and loaning him money to board a northbound train. Upon arrival in New York City, Douglass declared himself a free man. Following his escape, he and Anna married and moved to New Bedford, Massachusetts, where they change their surname to “Douglass.” Douglass attended abolitionist meetings and became a well-known orator, telling white audiences about his experiences. As an agent for the Massachusetts Anti-Slavery Society, he toured and gave speeches in northern states. Douglass published his first autobiography in 1845 and toured internationally for two years. Upon his return to the United States, he was a prominent advocate for the abolitionist movement and was the most famous Black man in the country. Douglass and Lincoln wrote many letters to one another; their discussions were a factor in Lincoln’s evolving views on emancipation. Lincoln considered Douglass a friend and invited him to the White House three times.