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10 Frederick Douglass Accomplishments and Achievements - Have Fun With History

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Frederick Douglass was born into slavery around 1818 in Talbot County, Maryland. He endured a childhood of hardship and brutality before successfully escaping to freedom in 1838. Douglass became a prominent abolitionist, using his powerful oratory skills and writing to advocate for the immediate end of slavery. He published his influential autobiography, “Narrative of the ... Read more

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Video- America the Story of Us Frederick Douglass

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Video- America the Story of Us Frederick Douglass

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America the Story of Us: Frederick Douglass | History

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Frederick Douglass Read Aloud The Lion Who Wrote History

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Frederick Douglass Read Aloud The Lion Who Wrote History

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Frederick Douglass: The Lion Who Wrote History | Storytime Read Aloud

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Frederick Douglass | Orator, Editor, and Abolitionist Video | PBS LearningMedia

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After escaping from slavery in 1838, Frederick Douglass went on to become a prominent writer, orator, and abolitionist in the years leading up to the Civil War. This video is a part of a lesson plan including two primary source activities and a short video: understand how Douglass stood firm in his beliefs and rose to prominence, and explore the importance of literacy in his life. Read the full Lesson Plan.

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Frederick Douglass National Geographic Kids

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Frederick Douglass National Geographic Kids

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Frederick Douglass was born an enslaved person in February 1818. When he was about eight, his owner sent him to work in Baltimore, Maryland. Although most people didn't want enslaved people to learn to read, the wife of the man Douglass worked for taught him anyway.

When he was about 20, Douglass disguised himself as a sailor and escaped to New York, a free state without slaverly. He continued to read as much as he could, which helped him become a great storyteller. While living in Massachusetts, he spoke at a meeting of abolitionists, people who wanted to end the practice of enslaving people. He told them about his life as an enslaved person. He was such an amazing speaker that he started traveling all over the northern states, trying to convince large groups of people to end the practice.

Douglass was free in the North, but he was still enslaved in the South. Soon he was so famous that he had to move to England so that his former owner couldn't capture him. In 1847, Douglass's friends raised money to buy his freedom from his owner, and he returned to the United States. But no matter where he was, Douglass continued to give powerful speeches urging the end of enslaving people until he died on February 20, 1895. His words still inspire people today.

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How this former enslaved person inspired others to fight for freedom

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Frederick Douglass and the Power of Pictures

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Frederick Douglass and the Power of Pictures

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Frederick Douglass was a firm believer in the power of pictures. In an 1861 lecture called "Pictures and Progress" by the press, Douglass wondered why photography pioneer Louis Daguerre was not more frequently compared with inventors of such vaunted technologies as the telegraph or the steamboat: "the great father of our modern pictures is seldom mentioned, though as worthy as the foremost."

Given his admiration for photography, it should come as no surprise that Frederick Douglass sat for many portraits during his lifetime, likely more than any other American of the 19 th century.

Douglass saw photography's value as a social leveler, as it became increasingly affordable to ordinary people in the last half of the 19 th century. In "Pictures and Progress" Douglass remarked: "The humbled servant girl whose income is but a few shillings per week may now possess a more perfect likeness of herself than noble ladies and court royalty..." He noted that photo studios could be found in even the smallest towns.

By distributing photographs of himself posed and clothed in the manner of his own choosing, Douglass provided alternatives to racist, stereotypical portrayals of African Americans. He acknowledged the power not only of photographs, but of images in general, including political cartoons and other printed formats: "It is evident that the great cheapness, and universality of pictures must exert a powerful though silent inﬂuence, upon the ideas and sentiment of present and future generations." Those of us alive today would be hard-pressed to prove otherwise.
Learn More:

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Frederick Douglass and the Power of Pictures

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Frederick Douglass was a firm believer in the power of pictures.

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Becoming Frederick Douglass
One of the most photographed men of the 19th century, Douglass brilliantly uses the power of his image to challenge stereotypes of African Americans-a crucial step toward the abolition of slavery. "Becoming Frederick Douglass" is produced and directed by Stanley Nelson and Nicole London and features Wendell Pierce as the voice of Douglass.

Aired: 10/11/22

Rating: NR

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Becoming Frederick Douglass | Douglass and the Photograph | Episode 1 | PBS

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Douglass uses the power of his image to challenge white stereotypes of African Americans.

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This famed abolitionist's story is even more fascinating than what many of us learn in school.

He escaped slavery at age 20 and went on to become one of the most important political activists fighting for emancipation and the equality of all people. He published three autobiographies, spent years writing and editing an influential abolitionist newspaper, broke barriers for African Americans in government service, served as an international spokesman and statesman, and helped combat racial prejudice during the Reconstruction Era. And yet there is even more to know about Frederick Douglass' remarkable story than the facts we learn in school.

Here are a few things that might surprise you about this pioneering historic figure as the National Park Service prepares to celebrate the bicentennial of his birth at the Frederick Douglass National Historic Site in Washington, D.C., February 17-18, 2018.

1. One of the reasons we celebrate Black History Month in February is because of Frederick Douglass. Historian and educator Carter G. Woodson founded the precursor to Black History Month, "Negro History Week," to coincide with the time of year when both Douglass and Abraham Lincoln celebrated their birthdays. Although Douglass was born into slavery and his actual birth date is unknown, he chose to commemorate his birthday on February 14.

2. Douglass was the most photographed American of the 19th century, sitting for more portraits than even Abraham Lincoln. Douglass intentionally sought out the cameras, believing that photography was an important tool for achieving civil rights because it offered a way to portray African Americans fairly and accurately. He intentionally did not smile for the camera, in part because he wanted to counter "happy slave" caricatures that were common at the time, particularly at places such as minstrel shows where white actors performed racist skits in blackface.

3. Frederick Douglass chose his name from a poem. Douglass was born with the name Frederick Augustus Washington Bailey. After he successfully escaped slavery in 1838, he and his wife adopted the name Douglass from a narrative poem by Sir Walter Scott, " The Lady of the Lake," at the suggestion of a friend.

4. Douglass became a free man thanks to help from European allies. His first autobiography, "Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave," was so popular after it was published in 1845, he feared the publicity could lead to his capture, and he chose to live in Ireland and Britain for two years. While abroad, he went on a speaking tour and his British supporters were so moved, they collected funds to purchase his freedom in 1846. His autobiographies remain some of the most important and widely read accounts of slavery today.

5. Douglass was the only African American to attend the First Women's Rights Convention held in Seneca Falls, New York, in 1848. Shortly after the convention, Douglass wrote in his influential weekly abolitionist newspaper, the North Star, "In respect to political rights, we hold woman to be justly entitled to all we claim for man." In 1866, he cofounded the American Equal Rights Association with Lucretia Mott, Elizabeth Cady Stanton and other feminist leaders supporting suffrage for all people.

6. During the Civil War, Douglass passionately helped enlist free black men to fight in the Union Army, convinced it would help African Americans win freedom, respect and full citizenship. He wrote persuasive articles in his weekly newspaper, and when President Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation in 1863 allowing African Americans to serve, two of Douglass' sons were among the first to enlist. Douglass also helped improve conditions for the soldiers, meeting with Lincoln on issues such as equal pay and merit-based promotions, which African American soldiers eventually received.

7. Douglass was the first African American to receive a vote for president at a major political party convention. The vote came from the Kentucky delegation during the Republican National Convention of 1888.

8. Douglass was also the first African American to receive a vice presidential nomination when Victoria Woodhull, the first woman to run for president, chose him as her running mate at the Equal Rights Party Convention in 1872, although he did not acknowledge the nomination or campaign for the office.

9. Later in his life, Douglass did much of his writing and deep thinking in a one-room cabin that he referred to as his "Growlery." This odd name for the building on Douglass' Cedar Hill property in Washington, D.C., was likely a reference to "Bleak House" by Charles Dickens; in the book, the character John Jarndyce has a small library next to his bedroom where he goes when he needs a place of refuge. Today, the Park Service maintains a replica of the Growlery at the Frederick Douglass National Historic Site made with materials from the original stone structure.

10. Many of Douglass' possessions were lost in a devastating fire in 1877. Douglass was visiting Washington, D.C., in 1877 when his home in Rochester, New York, burned down in a suspected arson that destroyed most of his family's possessions. He went on to purchase Cedar Hill, the property that would become his final home and the national park site in his name, and he lived in the nation's capital from that point on instead of returning to New York. Hundreds of Douglass' letters and the only known complete set of Douglass' newspapers were lost in the 1877 fire, and no photographs of the Rochester home survive. All of the books, furniture and photographs that firefighters saved from the blaze were sent to Cedar Hill, however, and the Park Service continues to preserve surviving artifacts, from his collection of walking canes to the violin he taught his grandson to play. In 1927, the city of Rochester built a public library at the site of Douglass' former home that was formally renamed the Frederick Douglass Community Library in 2016.

Learn more about Douglass and his legacy at www.nps.gov/frdo.

About the author

Jennifer Errick Managing Editor of Online Communications

Jennifer co-produces NPCA's award-winning podcast, The Secret Lives of Parks, writes and edits a wide variety of online content, and manages NPCA's style guide.

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10 Facts You Might Not Know About Frederick Douglass, in Honor of His 200th Birthday

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This famed abolitionist's story is even more fascinating than what many of us learn in school.

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Frederick Douglass was an abolitionist, social reformer, orator, writer and statesman who successfully escaped slavery in 1838. He became a powerful and prominent figure in the abolitionist movement-gaining notoriety as a speaker and writer, sharing his personal experiences and exposing the inhumanities of slavery.

He spoke the famous quote, "If there is no struggle, there is no progress," among many other quotes of wisdom regarding slavery, freedom, progress and politics. Douglass passed in 1895, but his life and work played a significant role in shaping the discourse on slavery, freedom and civil rights in the United States.

Honor his legacy with 45 Frederick Douglass quotes to inspire you and make you think. All of his words are guaranteed to pack a punch of truthful power. From important lines about free speech and moral growth to powerful statements about rebellion and slavery, read on.
Related: 120 Inspiring Quotes for Black History Month
45 Frederick Douglass Quotes

1. "If there is no struggle, there is no progress."

2. "The thing worse than rebellion is the thing that causes the rebellion."

3. "I prayed for freedom for twenty years, but received no answer until I prayed with my legs."

4. "Find out just what any people will quietly submit to and you have the exact measure of injustice and wrong which will be imposed on them."

5. "I would unite with anybody to do right and with nobody to do wrong."

6. "It is easier to build strong children than to repair broken men."

7. "Knowledge makes a man unfit to be a slave."

8. "The white man's happiness cannot be purchased by the black man's misery."

9. "The life of a nation is secure only while the nation is honest, truthful, and virtuous."

10. "The man who will get up will be helped up, and the man who will not get up will be allowed to stay down."
What Are the Black History Month Colors and What Do They Mean?

11. "A man's rights rest in three boxes: the ballot box, the jury box, and the cartridge box."

12. "One and God make a majority."

13. "We succeed, not alone by the laborious exertions of our faculties, be they small or great, but by the regular, thoughtful and systematic exercise of them."

14. "Where justice is denied, where poverty is enforced, where ignorance prevails, and where any one class is made to feel that society is an organized conspiracy to oppress, rob and degrade them, neither persons nor property will be safe."

15. "To suppress free speech is a double wrong. It violates the rights of the hearer as well as those of the speaker."
Related: The Significance of Black History Month and Why It Is Celebrated in February
16. "I prefer to be true to myself, even at the hazard of incurring the ridicule of others, rather than to be false, and to incur my own abhorrence."

17. "I did not know I was a slave until I found out I couldn't do the things I wanted."

18. "Intelligence is a great leveler here as elsewhere."

19. "You are not judged by the height you have risen, but from the depth you have climbed."

20. "You have seen how a man was made a slave; you shall see how a slave was made a man."

21. "Education means emancipation. It means light and liberty. It means the uplifting of the soul of man into the glorious light of truth, the light by which men can only be made free."

22. "Power concedes nothing without a demand. It never did and it never will."

23. "Some know the value of education by having it. I know its value by not having it."

24. "A battle lost or won is easily described, understood, and appreciated, but the moral growth of a great nation requires reflection, as well as observation, to appreciate it."

25. "Our destiny is largely in our hands."
Related: Black History Month Through the Years: Every Black History Month Theme Since 1928
26. "The soul that is within me no man can degrade."

27. "Once you learn to read, you will be forever free."

28. "A man's character always takes its hue, more or less, from form and color of things about him."

29. "There is not a man beneath the canopy of Heaven who does not know that slavery is wrong for him."

30. "Freedom is a road seldom traveled by the multitude."

31. "A little learning, indeed, may be a dangerous thing, but the want of learning is a calamity to any people."

32. "Experience is a keen teacher."

33. "A man is worked on by what he works on."

34. "At a time like this, scorching irony, not convincing argument, is needed."

35. "People might not get all they work for in this world, but they must certainly work for all they get."

36. "For my part, I should prefer death to hopeless bondage."

37. "For no man who lives at all lives unto himself. He either helps or hinders all who are in anywise connected to him."

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45 Frederick Douglass Quotes To Celebrate His Lasting Legacy

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Famous Frederick Douglass quotes about slavery, freedom and progress.

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Back to Frederick Douglass Exhibit

Who was Frederick Douglass?

Frederick Douglass in his library

Committed to freedom, Douglass dedicated his life to achieving justice for all Americans, in particular African-Americans, women, and minority groups. He envisioned America as an inclusive nation strengthened by diversity and free of discrimination.

Douglass served as advisor to presidents. Abraham Lincoln referred to him as the most meritorious man of the nineteenth century. In his later years Douglass was appointed to several offices. He served as U.S. Marshal of the District of Columbia during Rutherford B. Hayes' administration and President James Garfield appointed him the District of Columbia Recorder of Deeds. In 1889 President Benjamin Harrison appointed him to be the US minister to Haiti. He was later appointed by President Grant to serve as secretary of the commission of Santo Domingo. Douglass had hoped that his appointments would open doors for other African-Americans, but it was many years before they would follow in his footsteps.

Frederick Douglass rose from slavery to become the leading African-American voice of the nineteenth century. At an early age, he realized that his ability to read was the key to freedom. All of his efforts from then on focused on achieving freedom. As a young man, he came into contact with black preachers and taught in the Sabbath School in Baltimore. Here he refined his reading, writing, and speaking skills. At age twenty, Douglass escaped north to freedom. He settled in New Bedford, Massachusetts with his wife Anna Murray Douglass and joined the abolitionist movement.

William Lloyd Garrison

Frederick Douglass was a compelling force in the anti-slavery movement. A man of moral authority, Douglass developed into a charismatic public speaker. Prominent abolitionist William Lloyd Garrison recognized his oratory skill and hired him as a speaker for the Massachusetts Anti-Slavery Society.

Wendell Phillips

Douglass worked with many notable abolitionists of the nineteenth century including Wendell Phillips and Abby Kelley. Douglass also had a close relationship with John Brown and his family but disagreed with Brown's violent tactics, dramatically displayed in Brown's raid on Harper's Ferry in 1859. With the abolishment of slavery at the close of the Civil War, Douglass then turned his attention to the full integration of the African-American into political and
economic life of the United States.

Fredreick Douglass

The antislavery crusade of the early nineteenth century served as a training ground for the women's suffrage movement. Douglass actively supported the women's rights movement, yet he believed black men should receive suffrage first. Demonstrating his support for women's rights, Douglass participated in the first feminist convention at Seneca Falls in July of 1848 where he was largely responsible for passage of the motion to support female suffrage.

Together with abolitionist and feminist Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Douglass signed the Declaration of Sentiments that became the movement's manifesto. His masthead of his newspaper, the North Star, once read "Right is of no Sex - Truth is of no Color." A women's rights activist to the end, Douglass died in February 1895, having just attended a Woman's Council meeting.

This information was reproduced from a National Parks Service exhibit and is used with permission.

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Digital History enhances history teaching and research through primary sources, an online textbook, extensive reference resources, and interactive materials.

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Speech What to the Slave is the 4th of July?

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Speech What to the Slave is the 4th of July?

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"What to the Slave Is the 4th of July?": James Earl Jones Reads Frederick Douglass's Historic Speech

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Learn about the man who helped change our country

Frederick Augustus Washington Bailey, who was born into slavery in Talbot County, Maryland, in 1818, became one of the most famous intellectuals of his time. His journey from an enslaved child, separated at birth from his mother, to one of the most articulate orators of the 19th century, was nothing short of extraordinary. In defiance of a state law banning slaves from being educated, Frederick, as a young boy, was taught the alphabet and a few simple words by Sophia Auld, the wife of Baltimore slaveholder Hugh Auld. Frederick's lessons ended abruptly one day when he heard Auld scold his wife, telling her that if a slave knew how to read and write it would make him unfit to be a slave. From that moment on, Frederick knew that education would be his pathway to freedom.

"I didn't know I was a slave until I found out I couldn't do the things I wanted. " Frederick Douglass

At the age of 20, after several failed attempts, he escaped from slavery and arrived in New York City on Sept. 4, 1838. Frederick Bailey, who changed his last name to Douglass soon after his arrival, would later write in his autobiography, "A new world has opened upon me. Anguish and grief, like darkness and rain, may be depicted, but gladness and joy, like the rainbow, defy the skill of pen or pencil."

After settling in the northeast with his wife, Anna, the man who would be forever known to the world as "Frederick Douglass" dedicated his life to the abolitionist movement and the equality of all people. In doing so, Douglass went on to become a great writer, orator, publisher, civil rights leader and government official. Douglass authored three autobiographies, with his first and best-known, Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave, published in 1845. It became an immediate bestseller, and within three years was reprinted nine times, translated into French and Dutch, and circulated across the United States and Europe. The Library of Congress named Narrative one of the "88 Books that Shaped America."

Frederick Douglass, the father of the abolitionist movement, who advised Presidents Abraham Lincoln and Andrew Johnson on the civil war and black suffrage, respectively, has provided our country with lessons that remain relevant and impactful to this day. Throughout his life, Douglass was steadfast in his commitment to break down barriers between the races. His courage, passion, intellect and magnificent written and oratory skills inspired hundreds of the world's most prominent civil rights activists of the 20th century, as well as pioneers of the women's rights movement. Douglass will forever be remembered for his passionate work to ensure that America lived up to the ideals upon which it was founded, and guaranteed freedom and equality for all its people.
Click here to apply for the The Frederick Douglass Bicentennial Scholarship Program

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Frederick Augustus Washington Bailey was born into slavery on the Eastern Shore of Maryland in February 1818. Enslavers often ripped apart or fractured family relationships. Young Frederick barely knew his mother, who died when he was a young child on a distant forced labor camp. He never knew his father. When he turned eight years old, his enslaver forced him to work for a family in Baltimore.

At an early age, Frederick realized there was a connection between literacy and freedom. Not allowed to attend school, he taught himself to read and write in the streets of Baltimore. At twelve, he bought a book called The Columbian Orator. It was a collection of revolutionary speeches, debates, and writings on natural rights.

When Frederick was fifteen, his enslaver sent him back to the Eastern Shore to labor as a fieldhand. Frederick rebelled intensely. He educated other enslaved individuals, physically fought back against a "slave-breaker," and attempted to seize his freedom through a bold, but ultimately unsuccessful plan.

Frustrated, his enslaver returned him to Baltimore. This time, Frederick met a young free Black woman named Anna Murray. Anna Murray used her money to buy him a train ticket, risking her own safety to help him seize his freedom. On September 3, 1838, with the ticket in hand, he boarded a northbound train dressed as a sailor. In less than 24 hours, Frederick arrived in New York City. His lifelong search for freedom was well underway.

After seeking freedom, Frederick and Anna were married. They decided that with the human traffickers in New York City, it was not a safe place for Frederick, so they settled in New Bedford, Massachusetts. There, they adopted the last name "Douglass" and started their family. The family grew to include five children: Rosetta, Lewis, Frederick, Jr., Charles, and Annie.

After finding employment as a laborer, Douglass began to attend abolitionist meetings and speak about his experiences. He soon gained a reputation as an orator, and was paid to speak about slavery by the Massachusetts Anti-Slavery Society. This took him on speaking tours across the North and Midwest.

Douglass's fame as an orator increased as he traveled. Still, some of his audiences suspected he had never been enslaved. In 1845, he published his first autobiography, The Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, to lay those doubts to rest. The narrative gave a clear record of names and places from his enslavement.

To avoid being captured and re-enslaved, Douglass traveled overseas. For almost two years, he gave speeches and sold copies of his narrative in England, Ireland, and Scotland. When abolitionists offered to purchase his freedom, Douglass accepted and returned home to the United States legally free. The Douglass family relocated to Rochester, New York.

In Rochester, Douglass took his work in new directions. He embraced the women's rights movement, helped people on the Underground Railroad, and supported anti-slavery political parties. Once an ally of William Lloyd Garrison and his followers, Douglass started to work more closely with Gerrit Smith and John Brown. He bought a printing press and ran his own newspaper, The North Star. In 1855, he published his second autobiography, . My Bondage and My Freedom, which expanded on his first autobiography and challenged racial segregation in the North

In 1861, the nation erupted into civil war over the issue of slavery. Frederick Douglass worked tirelessly to make sure that emancipation would be one of the war's outcomes. He recruited Black men to fight in the U.S. Army, including two of his own sons, who served in the famous 54th Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry. When Black troops protested they were not receiving pay and treatment equal to that of white troops, Douglass met with President Abraham Lincoln to advocate on their behalf.

As the Civil War progressed and emancipation seemed imminent, Douglass intensified the fight for equal citizenship. He argued that freedom would be empty if the formerly enslaved were not guaranteed the rights and protections of American citizens. A series of postwar amendments sought to make some of these tremendous changes. The 13th Amendment (ratified in 1865) abolished slavery, the 14th Amendment (ratified in 1868) granted national birthright citizenship, and the 15th Amendment (ratified in 1870) stated nobody could be denied voting rights on the basis of race, skin color, or previous servitude.

In 1872, the Douglasses moved to Washington, D.C. There were multiple reasons for their move. Douglass had been traveling frequently to the area ever since the Civil War. All three of their sons already lived in the federal district, and the old family home in Rochester had burned. A widely known public figure by the time of Reconstruction, Douglass started to hold prestigious offices, including assistant secretary of the Santo Domingo Commission, legislative council member of the D.C. Territorial Government, board member of Howard University, and president of the Freedman's Bank.

After the fall of Reconstruction, Frederick Douglass managed to retain high-ranking federal appointments. He served under five presidents as U.S. Marshal for D.C. (1877-1881), Recorder of Deeds for D.C. (1881-1886), and Minister Resident and Consul General to Haiti (1889-1891). Significantly, he held these positions at a time when violence and fraud severely restricted Black political activism.

On top of his federal work, Douglass kept a vigorous speaking tour schedule. His speeches continued to agitate for racial equality and women's rights. In 1881, Douglass published his third autobiography, The Life and Times of Frederick Douglass, which took a long view of his life's work, the nation's progress, and the work left to do. Although the nation had made great strides during Reconstruction, there was still injustice and a basic lack of freedom for many Americans due to " Jim Crow" laws (so-called after a Black character in minstrel shows).

Tragedy struck Douglass's life in 1882 when Anna Murray Douglass died from a stroke. He remarried in 1884 to Helen Pitts, an activist and the daughter of former abolitionists. The marriage stirred controversy, as Helen was white and twenty years younger than him. Part of their married life was spent abroad. They traveled to Europe and Africa in 1886-1887, and they took up temporary residence in Haiti during Douglass's service there in 1889-1891.

On February 20, 1895, Douglass attended a meeting for the National Council of Women. He returned home to Cedar Hill in the late afternoon and was preparing to give a speech at a local church when he suffered a heart attack and passed away. Douglass was 77. He had remained a central figure in the fight for equality and justice for his entire life.

View the chronology of the life of Frederick Douglass here.

As a young woman, Anna Murray helped Frederick Bailey escape from slavery. They adopted the name "Douglass" after marrying.

This list of works by and about Frederick Douglass will help you brush up on your knowledge.

After Frederick Douglass passed away, his second wife Helen preserved Cedar Hill as a historic house museum.

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Frederick Douglass - Frederick Douglass National Historic Site (U.S. National Park Service)

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Frederick Augustus Washington Bailey was born into slavery on the Eastern Shore of Maryland in February 1818. Enslavers often ripped apart or fractured family relationships. Young Frederick barely knew his mother, who died when he was a young child on a distant forced labor camp. He never knew his father.