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Frederick Douglass

1817 - 1895

Name: Frederick Douglass

Birthplace: Eastern Shore Maryland

Status: Born a Slave

Occupation/Training: Orator, Journalist, Public Servant

Abolitionist Involvement: Born a slave on Maryland's Eastern Shore, Frederick Douglass was taken at an early age to Baltimore to work as a house servant and to be a companion to his master's son. Not having much contact with his mother, and having had little exposure of any kind to his natural father, (believed to be his owner), Frederick worked as a house boy, and learned to read and write, but he often suffered during this time from hunger and cold often. His mother, Harriet Bailey died when he was a young boy. He was returned to the Eastern Shore in the early 1830's. During that time, Fred tried escaping once by writing passes for himself and four comrades. He was caught, and then sent back to Baltimore. While there, he worked the shipyards, and became a caulker by trade. In 1838, he tried escaping again, this time by passing himself as a sailor. This time, he borrowed papers from a sailor and was successful in his escape.

He escaped to New York and was able to meet early upon his arrival there, David Ruggles, who worked often with runaway slaves. While with Ruggles, Douglass met and married Anna Murray. The two of them settled in the seaport community of New Bedford Massachusetts and had 4 children.

While in New England, he came across the Liberator the paper by abolitionist William Lloyd Garrison and was a regular reader of this abolitionist publication. He began attending anti-slavery events in New England, and when attending one such meeting in Massachusetts, he was asked to speak. He so moved the crowd that he was asked to join the Massachusetts Anti Slavery Society and become a spokesperson for the organization.

This experience began his exposure to the nation as a man of words, elegant speech, and resonant orations. He became known for his presentation, delivery and wit in his speeches, and it was occasionally doubted that this eloquent man had ever been enslaved. In 1845 Frederick Douglass published the first of three autobiographies of his life. The work was called "Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass" During that same year, Douglass, traveled to Europe speaking out against slavery in America. While out of the country, his freedom was purchased for him, and additional funds were also raised for him to start his own publication. He waited two years before launching the publication, and in 1849 the North Star was published.

It was the publishing of his papers that lead Douglass to much closer contact with the free colored population, and thus allowed him to become a key person in the Colored Convention Movement. In addition, he developed an interest and partook in other issues of the day, including women's rights, and temperance. However, color prejudice was his primary focus. His unending voice against the cause of anti-slavery was unfaltering. In 1850 with the Fugitive Slave Act, he spoke of the potentialities of violence if the cause were not understood clearly enough. Douglass met most leaders in the anti-slavery movement, including John Brown. Brown had stayed with Frederick in his home when he visited Rochester in 1848. When John Brown's party struck in 1859, Douglass left for Canada, as it had been ruled that he might have been an accomplice.

In 1860 as the Civil War approached, Douglass realized that slavery would not end without much blood shed. Douglass called upon the newly elected President Lincoln to recruit black soldiers for the Union cause, but his plead was ignored by Lincoln.

By 1863, however, and the continuing war taking its toll, Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation, and welcomed former slaves into its armies. Douglass was enthusiastic about this, and became a recruiting agent for the two colored regiments from Massachusetts. His two sons were his first two recruits. His two papers had closed, and Douglass continued on the lecture circuit especially at the Colored conventions.

At the war's end, Douglass met with Lincoln's successor, and spoke for suffrage of the newly freed black population. The results were slow, but eventually the 15th Amendment granting voting privileges to all regardless of color was passed. He became active in the Republican party shunning the Democratic Party as home to Klansmen.

President Rutherford Hayes rewarded Douglass' loyalty and made him Marshal of the District of Columbia. He was later made Recorder of Deeds for Washington, DC. During his post-war life, Douglass was highly respected, and expected to never hold his tongue on issues pertaining to the plight black people in America.

His wife Anna, mother of his 4 children died in 1882. IN 1884, he married Helen Pitts, a white woman who had worked in the office of the recorder of deeds. In 1888, he was appointed General Consul to the Republic of Haiti and Charge d'affaires for the Dominican Republic.

He died in 1895 after a fatal heart attack, lecturing and speaking publicly till the very day he died. In 1952 his home was purchased by the National Park Service of the Department of the Interior.

Family: Mother Harriet Bailey, Father, unknown

Place of Death: Washington, DC

Publications: (Written by Douglass: Narrative of the life of Frederick Douglass; My Bondage and My Freedom ; Life and Times of Frederick Douglass

Links:
Frederick Douglass
The Search for Frederick Douglass' Birthplace
Frederick Douglass and John Brown
Influence of Prominent Abolitionists: African...
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