Description

Born into slavery in Maryland in 1818, Frederick Douglass was determined to gain freedom. He understood the power of knowledge and secretly taught himself to read and write, which gave him an advantage. In 1838, he successfully escaped to the North and became a free man. Douglass went on to give powerful speeches about his experience as a slave, impressing many, including President Abraham Lincoln. He became one of the most renowned abolitionists of the nineteenth century.