Frederick Douglass

Extracted Attributes

• Award

  National Association of Black Journalists Hall of Fame

• Gender

  Male

• Birth Name

  Frederick Augustus Washington Bailey

• Circulation

  11,000 copies of his first autobiography within three years of publication

• Citizenship

  United States

• Notable Work

  Life and Times of Frederick Douglass (1881)

Timeline

• Born into slavery in Talbot County, Maryland; he later chose this date as his birthday. (Source: National Park Service)

  1818-02-14

• Escaped from slavery in Maryland and eventually settled in New Bedford, Massachusetts. (Source: Wikipedia)

  1838-09-03

• Delivered his first major extemporaneous speech at an anti-slavery convention in Nantucket. (Source: Britannica)

  1841-08-11

• Published his first autobiography, 'Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave'. (Source: Wikipedia)

  1845-05-01

• Departed for a two-year lecture tour of Great Britain and Ireland to avoid potential recapture following his book's publication. (Source: Wikipedia)

  1845-08-16

• Attended the Seneca Falls Convention, where he was a prominent advocate for women's right to vote. (Source: National Park Service)

  1848-07-19

• Nominated for Vice President of the United States by the Equal Rights Party without his prior consent. (Source: Wikipedia)

  1872-05-10

• Passed away in Washington, D.C., after attending a local women's rights convention. (Source: National Civil Rights Museum)

  1895-02-20

Frederick Douglass

Frederick Douglass (born Frederick Augustus Washington Bailey, c. February 14, 1818 – February 20, 1895) was an American social reformer, abolitionist, orator, writer, and statesman. He was the most important leader of the movement for African-American civil rights in the 19th century. After escaping from slavery in Maryland in 1838, Douglass became a national leader of the abolitionist movement in Massachusetts and New York and gained fame for his oratory and incisive antislavery writings. Accordingly, he was described by abolitionists in his time as a living counterexample to claims by supporters of slavery that enslaved people lacked the intellectual capacity to function as independent American citizens. Northerners at the time found it hard to believe that such a great orator had once been enslaved. It was in response to this disbelief that Douglass wrote his first autobiography. Douglass wrote three autobiographies, describing his experiences as an enslaved person in his Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave (1845), which became a bestseller and was influential in promoting the cause of abolition, as was his second book, My Bondage and My Freedom (1855). Following the Civil War, Douglass was an active campaigner for the rights of freed slaves and wrote his last autobiography, Life and Times of Frederick Douglass. First published in 1881 and revised in 1892, three years before his death, the book covers his life up to those dates. Douglass also actively supported women's suffrage, and he held several public offices. Without his knowledge or consent, Douglass became the first African American nominated for vice president of the United States, as the running mate of Victoria Woodhull on the Equal Rights Party ticket. Douglass believed in making alliances across racial and ideological divides, as well as in the anti-slavery interpretation of the U.S. Constitution, after he had broken with William Lloyd Garrison. When radical abolitionists, under the motto "No Union with Slaveholders", criticized Douglass's willingness to engage in dialogue with slave owners, he replied: "I would unite with anybody to do right and with nobody to do wrong."

Web Search Results

• The Life of Frederick Douglass - UNCF

  After settling in the northeast with his wife, Anna, the man who would be forever known to the world as “Frederick Douglass” dedicated his life to the abolitionist movement and the equality of all people. In doing so, Douglass went on to become a great writer, orator, publisher, civil rights leader and government official. Douglass authored three autobiographies, with his first and best-known, Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave, published in 1845. It became an immediate bestseller, and within three years was reprinted nine times, translated into French and Dutch, and circulated across the United States and Europe. The Library of Congress named Narrative one of the “88 Books that Shaped America.” [...] Frederick Augustus Washington Bailey, who was born into slavery in Talbot County, Maryland, in 1818, became one of the most famous intellectuals of his time. His journey from an enslaved child, separated at birth from his mother, to one of the most articulate orators of the 19th century, was nothing short of extraordinary. In defiance of a state law banning slaves from being educated, Frederick, as a young boy, was taught the alphabet and a few simple words by Sophia Auld, the wife of Baltimore slaveholder Hugh Auld. Frederick’s lessons ended abruptly one day when he heard Auld scold his wife, telling her that if a slave knew how to read and write it would make him unfit to be a slave. From that moment on, Frederick knew that education would be his pathway to freedom. [...] Frederick Douglass, the father of the abolitionist movement, who advised Presidents Abraham Lincoln and Andrew Johnson on the civil war and black suffrage, respectively, has provided our country with lessons that remain relevant and impactful to this day. Throughout his life, Douglass was steadfast in his commitment to break down barriers between the races. His courage, passion, intellect and magnificent written and oratory skills inspired hundreds of the world’s most prominent civil rights activists of the 20th century, as well as pioneers of the women’s rights movement. Douglass will forever be remembered for his passionate work to ensure that America lived up to the ideals upon which it was founded, and guaranteed freedom and equality for all its people.

• Frederick Douglass: Abolitionist, Journalist, Reformer, 1818 - 1895 | National Civil Rights Museum

  FrederickDouglasEventArtOn Friday, February 5, at 6:00pm, the National Civil Rights Museum presents “Frederick Douglass: The Making of an American Prophet,” a concert theatrical about the great American abolitionist and social reformer, Frederick Douglass. The dramatization is preceded by a reception at 5:30, and followed by a panel discussion with Rhodes College History professor, Tim Huebner, and the museum’s Director of Interpretation, Collections and Education and Frederick Douglass scholar, Dr. Noelle Trent. [...] Director of Interpretation, Collections and Education Frederick Douglass, an icon of American history, was born Frederick Augustus Washington Bailey in Talbot County, Maryland in 1818. Born a slave, Douglass escaped to freedom in his early twenties. He rose to fame with the 1845 publication of his first book The Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, An American Slave, Written By Himself. He fought throughout most of his career for the abolition of slavery and worked with notable abolitionists like William Lloyd Garrison and Gerrit Smith. However, Douglass’s fight for reform extended beyond the fight for abolition. [...] Douglass’s advocacy for all people continued until his death in 1895. On February 20, 1895 after speaking at a local women’s convention, he passed away in his mansion in Washington, DC. The legacy of Frederick Douglass was captured by President John F. Kennedy in 1961. “The life of Frederick Douglass is part of the legend of America. As a successful fighter for freedom a century ago, he can give inspiration to people all around the world who are still struggling to secure their full human rights. That struggle must go on until those rights are everywhere secured. By advancing that cause through law, democratic methods and peaceful action, we in America can give an example of the freedom which Frederick Douglass symbolizes.”

• Frederick Douglass | Accomplishments, Education, Early Life, Family ...

  In 1845 Douglass published his first autobiography, Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave, Written by Himself. Prior to its publication, audiences at Douglass’s lectures had questioned his authenticity as an ex-slave because of his eloquence, refusal to use “plantation speak,” and unwillingness to provide details about his origins. The Narrative settled these disputes by naming people and locations in Douglass’s life. The book also challenged the conventional employment of ghostwriters for slave narratives by boldly acknowledging that Douglass wrote it himself. Douglass would publish two additional autobiographies: My Bondage and My Freedom (1855) and Life and Times of Frederick Douglass (1881). The Narrative quickly became popular, especially in Europe, but the [...] Frederick DouglassAuthor and orator Frederick Douglass, c. 1850. [...] Frederick DouglassAmerican abolitionist and author Frederick Douglass, daguerreotype made c. 1850 from a c. 1847 original. Douglass remained an avid reader throughout his adult life. When he escaped to New York, he carried with him a copy of The Columbian Orator. In New Bedford he discovered William Lloyd Garrison’s abolitionist newspaper, The Liberator. Inspired by it, Douglass attended a Massachusetts Anti-Slavery Society convention in Nantucket in the summer of 1841. At the meeting, abolitionist William C. Coffin, having heard Douglass speak in New Bedford, invited him to address the general body. Douglass’s extemporaneous speech was lauded by the audience, and he was recruited as an agent for the group.

• Frederick Douglass National Historic Site (U.S. National Park Service)

  He became the most important leader of the movement for African American civil rights in the 19th century. After escaping from slavery in Maryland, Douglass became a national leader of the abolitionist movement in Massachusetts and New York, during which he gained fame for his oratory and incisive antislavery writings. He wrote three autobiographies, describing his experiences as an enslaved person in his first, Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave(1845), which became a bestseller and was influential in promoting the cause of abolition. [...] person in his first, Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave(1845), which became a bestseller and was influential in promoting the cause of abolition. He also actively supported women's suffrage, and he held several public offices. Without his knowledge or consent, he became the first African American nominated for vice president of the United States, as the running mate of Victoria Woodhull on the Equal Rights Party ticket. He believed in dialogue and in making alliances across racial and ideological divides. Frederick Douglass is the Father of the Civil Rights Movement in the United States. PLACE OF BIRTH: Talbot County, MD DATE OF BIRTH: February, 1818, He later selects Valentine's Day (February 14th) because that was the last time he saw his [...] first autobiography, The Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, to lay those doubts to rest. The narrative gave a clear record of names and places from his enslavement. To avoid being captured and re-enslaved, Douglass traveled overseas. For almost two years, he gave speeches and sold copies of his narrative in England, Ireland, and Scotland. When abolitionists offered to purchase his freedom, Douglass accepted and returned home to the United States legally free. The Douglass family relocated to Rochester, New York. In Rochester, Douglass took his work in new directions. He embraced the women's rights movement, helped people on the Underground Railroad, and supported anti-slavery political parties. Once an ally of William Lloyd Garrison and his followers, Douglass started to

• Frederick Douglass - Wikipedia

  Douglass spent two years in Ireland and Great Britain, lecturing in churches and chapels. His draw was such that some facilities were "crowded to suffocation". One example was his hugely popular _London Reception Speech_, which Douglass delivered in May 1846 at Alexander Fletcher "Alexander Fletcher (minister)")'s Finsbury Chapel. Douglass remarked that in England he was treated not "as a color, but as a man".( [...] Douglass wrote three autobiographies, describing his experiences as an enslaved person in his _Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave_ (1845), which became a bestseller and was influential in promoting the cause of abolition, as was his second book, _My Bondage and My Freedom_ (1855). Following the Civil War, Douglass was an active campaigner for the rights of freed slaves and wrote his last autobiography, _Life and Times of Frederick Douglass_. First published in 1881 and revised in 1892, three years before his death, the book covers his life up to those dates. Douglass also actively supported women's suffrage, and he held several public offices. Without his knowledge or consent, Douglass became the first African American nominated for vice president of the United [...] ### Autobiography Douglass's best-known work is his first autobiography, _Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave_, written during his time in Lynn, Massachusetts( and published in 1845. At the time, some skeptics questioned whether a Black man could have produced such an eloquent piece of literature. The book received generally positive reviews and became an immediate bestseller. Within three years, it had been reprinted nine times, with 11,000 copies circulating in the United States. It was also translated into French and Dutch and published in Europe.

• Award

  National Association of Black Journalists Hall of Fame

• Image

  

• Gender

  male

• Instance Of

  Q5

• Occupation

  writer

• Citizenship

  United States

• Date Of Birth

  2/14/1818

• Date Of Death

  2/20/1895

• Notable Work

  Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave

• Place Of Birth

  Talbot County

• Place Of Death

  Washington, D.C.