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After enduring the first 20 years of his life as an enslaved person, Frederick Douglass became a renowned author, orator, and leader of America’s abolitionist movement. Born in 1818 in Maryland as Frederick Augustus Washington Bailey, Douglass experienced brutal realities early in life, including family separation and physical abuse. Despite bans aimed to stop enslaved people from receiving an education, Douglass learned to read and write in secret as a child, eventually sharing his knowledge and skills with others. In 1838, at the age of 20 and after previous failed attempts, Douglass successfully escaped slavery to New York City.

Three years later, while living with his wife and children in Massachusetts, Douglass gave his first public speech about his experiences as an enslaved person. It captivated the crowd, and soon he was doing in-demand speaking tours. In 1845, he published his first autobiography, The Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, and expanded his advocacy work to include women’s rights. During the American Civil War, he worked with President Abraham Lincoln to ensure equal rights and pay for African American soldiers. Douglass remained an influential civil rights figure until his death in 1895 at the age of 77.