About Frederick Douglass
Frederick Douglass, also known as Frederick Augustus Washington Bailey, was an American social reformer, abolitionist, orator, author, and statesman who lived from February 1817 to February 20, 1895. His estimated net worth is $50,000. Although the precise date has been debated throughout the years, Frederick Augustus Washington Bailey, subsequently known by the last name of Douglass, was born into slavery in February of 1818 close to Maryland’s Eastern Shore.
Hugh Auld, the half-brother of Douglass’s current master Thomas Auld, was assigned to house Douglass in Baltimore in 1826. Douglass started learning to read and write while residing with Hugh and Sophia, his wife. Sophia helped the young Douglass despite the fact that it was against the law for slaves to do so. Later, Douglass would say…
“Going to live at Baltimore laid the foundation, and opened the gateway, to all my subsequent prosperity.” the author said.
The Slave Life of Douglass
Douglass was transported back home to work for Thomas Auld in 1833 because to conflict between the Auld brothers, where he was overseen by an Edward Covey, a slavebreaker. Douglass was subjected to Covey’s unrelenting beatings, but he eventually fought back, portraying a dramatic story that would be used in one of his autobiographies.
Over the ensuing years, Douglass would travel to New York while pretending to be a sailor, wed Anna Murray, and start working as a lecturer for an abolitionist organization full-time.
First Autobiography of Frederick Douglass published in 1845
In 1845, he would write and publish Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, American Slave. In the following five years, he would sell 30,000 copies and start a 21-month lecture tour that would take him to Ireland and Great Britain.
Douglass published a number of publications upon his return to the United States, among them the anti-slavery journal The North Star, which made allusion to the beacon used by fugitive slaves. It was published in 1851.
The career and impact of Frederick Douglass
Douglass was a well-known orator who advocated for liberation and women’s rights. Additionally, he discussed fair treatment for black union soldiers with Abraham Lincoln and discussed voting rights for blacks with Andrew Johnson.
Douglass continued to give speeches on behalf of disadvantaged black people after the Civil War and during the Reconstruction era in the United States. He was appointed to many positions, including that of U.S. Marshal.
Frederick Douglass’s Life and Legacy
In February 1895, Frederick Douglass passed away. His name and face can be found on a memorial bridge in Washington, DC, postage stamps, literary awards, schools, and even academic halls, leaving a lasting mark on society.
The Frederick Douglass Papers at the Library of Congress contain a selection of Douglass’ writings. It consists of texts, speeches, and pictures.
The illustrious abolitionist hero became the third African-American bust out of 180 when President Obama signed a measure in 2012 sending a bust of him to Emancipation Hall’s tourist center. The other two African-Americans in the hall are Sojourner Truth and Martin Luther King, Jr.
