Frederick Douglass
© Chester County Historical Society, West Chester, PA
Frederick Douglass is perhaps the most well-known abolitionist of the anti-slavery
movement. Douglass was born into slavery in Maryland around 1818. He learned to
read in Baltimore and after being hired out to “slave-breaker” Edward Covey, fled to
New York in 1833. He settled in New Bedford, Massachusetts and began his long career
as an anti-slavery activist, lecturer and conductor on the Underground Railroad. He
published his Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, Written by Himself in 1845
and began publishing his anti-slavery newspaper, the North Star in 1847.
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Frederick Douglass was born into slavery in Tuckahoe, Talbot County, Maryland
around 1818. His mother, Harriet Bailey, was enslaved and his father was a white
man (possibly his master). For years Douglass escaped his master’s cruelty under
the care of his grandmother. When his master died, Douglass was sent to work for
his master’s daughter Lucretia Auld in Baltimore, where he learned to read. In his
thirst for knowledge he began reading articles and pamphlets about the nation’s
slavery debate. He also purchased a book on rhetoric, building the foundation for his
career as a prolific orator and writer. Literacy made him defiant and in 1833 he was
hired out to work for Edward Covey. Covey had a reputation for breaking young
slaves (Finkenbine). He beat Douglass savagely over the slightest offenses and
nearly broke his resolve to be free. In 1838 Douglass fled to New York to take his
freedom. There he met David Ruggles, a prominent black abolitionist and
“conductor” on the Underground Railroad. Ruggles suggested that Douglass leave
New York to settle in New Bedford, Massachusetts where he would be less likely to
be recaptured (Life and Times 142-143). Before leaving the city he married Anna
Murray, a free woman he met in Maryland.
After they married in New York City, the couple settled in New Bedford where
Douglass began his career as an abolitionist. In 1841 he was invited to speak at the
Bristol Anti-Slavery Society and after telling his story, began his career as an antislavery lecturer. After speaking at the 1841 Massachusetts Anti-Slavery Society
Convention on Nantucket Island he began working with William Lloyd Garrison and
the American Anti-Slavery Society, lecturing around the country. During one tour
stop in Pendleton, Indiana in 1843, he was attacked by a pro-slavery mob. Critics,
even those in abolitionist circles, did not believe that a former slave could speak
with Douglass’s poise and eloquence (Finkenbine).
To counter these critics, Garrison encouraged Douglass to publish what became the
first of three autobiographies. The Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an
American Slave, Written by Himself was published in 1845. The narrative propelled
him onto the international abolition platform, selling over 30,000 copies in the
United States and Britain (Finkenbine). He took advantage of his new status and
toured Ireland, England and Scotland to lecture and evade capture by slave catchers.
During his travels, his British supporters formally purchased his freedom
(Finkenbine).
After returning to the United States, Douglass published his first issue of the North
Star in Rochester, New York on December 3, 1847. Vowing to “attack slavery in all
its forms,” the anti-slavery newspaper promoted universal emancipation and the
education of blacks in America (North Star). The paper struggled financially but
remained in publication until the Civil War. Its motto “Right is of no Sex – Truth is of
no Color- God is the Father of us all, and we are all brethren,” was a direct
summation of Douglass’ beliefs. His support for women’s suffrage effectively
damaged his relationship with Garrison. In 1851 he merged the North Star with
the Liberty Party Paper to form Frederick Douglass' Paper, which openly endorsed
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political abolitionism. During his twenty-five years in Rochester he sheltered many
enslaved men and women seeking freedom.
Through his travels and lectures Douglass became acquainted with abolitionists
around the country, including Detroit abolitionists like William C. Monroe, Henry
Bibb and William Lambert. He was also well acquainted with John Brown and began
to speak and write about using violence to fight slavery. After passage of the
Fugitive Slave Act of 1850, he publicly urged violent resistance to the law. When
John Brown’s 1859 raid on Harper’s Ferry failed, Douglass fled the country for fear
of being arrested as an accomplice.
During the Civil War, Douglass pressured President Abraham Lincoln to abolish
slavery—Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation on January 1, 1863.
Douglass was allowed to recruit African-American soldiers, including his sons Lewis
and Charles, to fight in the Union Army’s 54th Infantry Regiment of Massachusetts.
By the end of the Civil War, Douglass had become one of President Lincoln’s allies
and advisors (McFeely 214-235).
Following the War, Douglass continued to fight for the full equality and acceptance
of African Americans. Frederick Douglass passed away on February 20, 1895.
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Works Cited & Further Reading
Douglass, Frederick. The Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American
Slave, Written by Himself. Boston: Anti-Slavery Office, 1845.
McFeely, William. Frederick Douglass. New York: Norton, 1991
Finkenbine, Roy. “Douglass, Frederick.” American National Biography Online.
February 2000. Web. 2013.
Foner, Philip S. Life and Writings of Frederick Douglass: Early Years 1817-1849. New
York: International Publishers, 1950.
“Our Paper and Its Prospects”. The North Star. December 3, 1847.
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