Born 1817
Tuckahoe, Maryland
Died 1895
Washington, D.C.

Chattel slave, fugitive slave,
freedman, abolitionist, orator, Journalist,
reformer, public servant

Frederick Douglass was born a slave but rose to great heights by the end of his life. After gaining his freedom Douglass devoted his life to abolishing slavery and fighting for equal rights for African Americans as well as women. He was one of the finest writers and speakers of his time and greatly influenced the development of American democracy. Douglass published three book-length autobiographies as well as a weekly newspaper, the North Star. His printing office in Rochester, New York, also served as a way station in the Underground Railroad, a secret network that helped runaway slaves escape to freedom in Canada.