Frederick Douglass

By the time of his passing in February 1895, Frederick Douglass had established himself as one of the most popular figures in the country as an abolitionist, writer, and orator. Born a slave in Maryland around 1818, he fled to New York in 1838, got married, and soon started giving lectures against slavery.

Later, he published three critically praised autobiographies, gave numerous speeches on different social issues, and established himself as a statesman and presidential counselor. Some of Douglass’ books, particularly the renowned work “Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave,” are memoirs that described his life in slavery and his experience after the Civil War.