Frederick Douglass was born into slavery on a plantation in Maryland in 1818. He was separated from his mother at a young age and never knew his father.
Douglass was taught to read and write by his slave owner’s wife, which was against the law. It is believed that she did this because she felt sorry for him because he didn’t have anyone else to teach him.
In 1838, Douglass escaped from slavery and went to New York City. He became a leader of the abolitionist movement, which fought against slavery, and wrote his autobiography, “Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass,” in 1845. He also published a newspaper called “The North Star.”
In 1848, Douglass attended the Seneca Falls Convention, which was the first women’s rights convention. He later moved to Rochester, New York where he continued fighting for African American rights as well as women’s rights.
Douglass died in 1895 at the age of 77 years old.
