1. 1817(?)-1895

2.   Douglass was born into slavery in Talbot County, Maryland and was separated from his mother soon after birth.  Because birth records were not kept for children born in slavery, Douglass was never sure of his exact age.  He received no formal education, but taught himself how to read with the help of members of the household he served.  Later on these same people were enraged when they saw him reading a book or a newspaper.

3.   When he was about 21, Douglass escaped to freedom in Massachusetts where he married and began speaking publicly against slavery.  Also at this time, he changed his last name from Bailey to Douglass after the hero in The Lady of the Lake by Sir Walter Scott.

4.   In 1845, Douglass moved to England, mainly to escape the danger he faced as a runaway slave, especially after the publication of his autobiography, Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave.  While there he continued to speak out against slavery, and British friends collected around 700 dollars and bought his freedom.  Douglass returned to the U.S. in 1847 and founded the North Star a newspaper dedicated to the abolitionist movement.

5.   In 1855, he published a revised version of his life story, My Bondage and My Freedom.  During the Civil War, he worked for the Underground Railroad and recruited black soldiers for the Union Army.  After the war, Douglass was a big supporter of education for former slaves, stating that it was the surest way to rehabilitate.  In 1881, he published another version of his autobiography, The Life and Times of Frederick Douglass.