Frederick Douglass

Frederick Douglass (c. 1818–1895) was a prominent American abolitionist, orator, writer, and former enslaved person. Born into slavery in Maryland, he escaped to freedom in 1838 and became a leading voice in the anti-slavery movement. Douglass was a powerful speaker and writer, using his firsthand experience of slavery to advocate for abolition and equal rights for African Americans and women. His autobiography, Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave, published in 1845, became a bestseller and an influential work in the abolitionist cause. Throughout his life, Douglass worked tirelessly for social reform, including campaigning for the rights of women and African Americans. He held various public offices, advised presidents like Abraham Lincoln, and continued to fight for civil rights until his death in 1895.