A Biography of Frederick Douglass

Frederick Douglas was a famous abolitionist who fought to end slavery. He was one of the most famous black men in American during the time of the Civil war as he fought to improve the conditions of black people and for women's rights.

Born Frederick Augustus Washington Bailey in Talbot County Maryland, as a slave in February 1818, he was taken from his mother soon after his birth. It is suspected that his father was a white man, and possibly his owner. Aaron Anthony, his slave owner kept him at the plantation where he was overseer until his death when he was given to Mrs. Lucretia Auld who went him to serve her brother in-law Hugh Auld. He was still a child at the time. His new owner's wife illegally taught part of the alphabet at the age of twelve. He pieced together the remainder of his education by learning from local white children and watching men write. His master objected to his learning because he felt that education would make him unhappy with his condition as a slave.

Douglas was later hired out to Mr. Freeman and taught slaves read at a Sabbath school on the plantation. His classes grew to the point that forty slaves a week wee attending the classes. While Mr. Freeman did not mind, other plantation owners ended the Sunday school classes with threats of stoning. Douglas was then taken back from by his original owner and sent to Edward Covey a "slave breaker" who beat him regularly. At the age of 16, Frederick Douglas fought back and Covey never tried to beat him again. After several attempts at escape, Douglas finally won his freedom when he boarded a train to Maryland dresses in a Sailors uniform with fake id papers. He continued by train and steamboat to New York. He was officially free when British sympathizers paid off his owners. He was 28 years old.

After obtaining his freedom, Frederick Douglas began attending abolitionist meetings and reading abolitionist materials such as The Liberator. He was encouraged to become an anti slavery lecturer after speaking at one of these meetings. He began participating heavily in anti slavery conventions as well as feminist movement conventions. His autobiography, Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglas, an American Slave was published in 1845. Skeptics doubted a black man could write such eloquent literature. Within three years, this bestseller had sold 11,000 copies in the US and was also printed in French and Dutch. Because of his huge success, Douglas who was still officially as slave at the time was urged to go overseas to prevent his owner from demanding his return.

After several years in Great Britain, Ireland, and London where he felt he was treated as a man and not a color, Douglass returned to the United States where he continued to public newspapers and books. He advocated for school desegregation and equal education for African American children. He was also an acquaintance with John Brown who tried to start a slave rebellion and led a raid on the federal Amory in Harpers Ferry. Douglas did not approve of Brown's tactics. He also conferred with President Abraham Lincoln regarding the way black soldiers were treated and worked with Andrew Johnson, William Lloyd Garrison, and Wendell Phillips.

After the Civil War, Douglas began his work in politics. He was Marshal of the District of Columbia, minister-resident and consul-general to the Republic of Haiti, and an ambassador for the Dominican Republic. He was also Recorder of Deeds for the District of Columbia. In 1872, he was nominated for Vice President of the Unites States under the Equal Rights Party Ticket as Victoria Woodhull's running mate, although he was not aware of this nomination.

Frederick Douglas adopted Valentines Day as his birthday as he never knew the exact date. He had five children, two of which helped produce his newspapers. He was an ordained Minister. After the death of his first wife, Anna Murray Douglas, Frederick Married Helen Pitts, a white feminist from Honeoye New York. His last home in Washington DC, which he bought after his Rochester NY home was burned down, is now the Frederick Douglass Historic Site. He died of massive heart attack after attending a meeting of the National Council of Women in Washington D.C. He is buried in Rochester New York. He is an honorary member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity.