Fredrick Douglass

Frederick Douglass (c. 1818–1895) was an African American abolitionist, orator, writer, and statesman. Born into slavery in Maryland, he escaped in 1838 and became a leading voice against slavery in the United States. His 1845 autobiography, *Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave*, brought international attention to his life and to the brutality of enslavement. Douglass edited influential antislavery newspapers and worked closely with other reformers while also pressing for Black civil rights and women’s suffrage. After the Civil War he held several federal appointments, including U.S. Minister to Haiti.