Frederick Douglass: American Social Reformer (1818-1895)

Early Life and Enslavement

• Born February 1818 in Talbot County, Maryland (exact date unknown)
• Enslaved from birth on Maryland’s Eastern Shore
• Learned to read secretly despite laws prohibiting slave education
• Escaped slavery in 1838 by boarding a train to New York

Abolitionist Leadership

Early Activism (1840s-1850s):

• Published groundbreaking autobiography in 1845
• Lectured throughout Northern states and Europe
• Founded abolitionist newspaper North Star in 1847

Civil War Era (1860s):

• Advised President Lincoln on emancipation
• Helped recruit Black soldiers for Union Army
• Served as U.S. Marshal for D.C. (1877-1881)

Intellectual Contributions

Written Works:

• Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass (1845)
• My Bondage and My Freedom (1855)
• Life and Times of Frederick Douglass (1881)

Public Speaking:

• Delivered famous “What to the Slave is the Fourth of July?” speech (1852)
• Advocated for women’s suffrage at Seneca Falls Convention (1848)

Political Engagement

Government Service:

• Served as U.S. Minister to Haiti (1889-1891)
• Appointed recorder of deeds for D.C. (1881-1886)

Civil Rights Advocacy:

• Campaigned against Jim Crow laws
• Protested racial violence and lynching
• Supported educational opportunities for African Americans

Later Years and Legacy

• Died February 20, 1895 after attending women’s rights meeting
• Recognized as most photographed American of 19th century
• Memorialized in U.S. Capitol’s Statuary Hall (2013)
• Writings remain essential texts on slavery and freedom

Key Statistics

Achievement	Year/Data
First autobiography published	1845
North Star founded	1847
Lincoln White House visits	3 documented
Total speeches delivered	Estimated 1,500+