EOTO : Frederick Douglass

Frederick Douglass is a well-known figure in American history and a huge advocate for the abolishment of slavery. One of the major ways Douglass fought for equality and change was through his speeches and newspapers as a journalist. 

Frederick Douglass was born in the early 19th century. Like many others born into slavery, his birthplace and date were not documented. Many sources have said that he can recall his mother calling him "Little Valentine" so he celebrated his birthday on February 14th. 

Douglass was one of the few slaves to have access to some sort of education. One of his master's wives came from a family that didn't have slaves. Because of her lack of knowledge she taught her sons along with Frederick how to read. But she stopped her teachings when she learned that it was illegal to teach a slave how to read. 

Slave owners feared that black literacy would be a major threat to the slave system, but that didn't stop Douglass from pursuing an education. Using bread as payment, Douglass employed white boys in his neighborhood to secretly continue his teachings. 

Along with this, Douglass read cast-off newspapers. Through these readings, he learned about the Abolitionist Movement and decided that it was something he needed to be a part of. 

On January 1, 1836, Douglass set a goal for himself that he would be a free man by the end of the year. He continued his education to the best of his ability and put together an escape plan. This same plan got him arrested in April, but two years later Douglass' would finally realize his dream. He fled Baltimore on September 3, 1838. Many sources have said that through multiple trains and steamboats, Douglass arrived safely to NY within 24 hours. 

Despite his "escape to freedom" Douglass was still not considered a free man, but that didn't stop him from continuing to educate himself in order to educate others. Eventually, he joined various organizations like black churches and began speaking there. He attended Abolitionists' meetings and spoke there as well. These smaller speeches all contributed to a much greater picture. 

In 1841 he subscribed to William Lloyd Garrison's weekly journal The Liberator. Douglass was inspired by Garrison's writings and later in that same year, Douglass got to witness Garrison give a speech at an Anti-Slavery meeting. Garrison, too, was impressed by Douglass later mentioning him in The Liberator and encouraging him to find his purpose and give speeches to larger crowds. Garrison played a huge role in Douglass' choice to tour Europe in 1845 for 19 months and lecture against slavery in the United States.

Ever since his first run-in with Garrison in 1841, the white abolitionist leader went on to serve Douglass as a mentor, but their views would later diverge. Garrison represented the radical end of the abolitionist movement. He fought to denounce churches, political parties, and even voting. He believed in breaking up the Union and more importantly he believed that the U.S. Constitution was a document in favor of slavery. on the other hand, Douglass began to think for himself and develop his own ideas on the Abolitionist movement.

Douglass had a more pragmatic view. He even stated in one of his speeches that he did not assume the Constitution was a pro-slavery document and that it could even "be wielded in behalf of emancipation." 

Through his speeches, Douglass spread his knowledge with others and then continued to do so through his writings. He published his autobiography titled, Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave, Written By Himself. After this came the first issue of his newspaper The North Star which shared many similarities to William Lloyd Garrison's The Liberator.

Up until his death in February of 2020, Douglass was actively involved in the betterment of African American lives. He conferred with Abraham Lincoln during the Civil War and encouraged him to allow northern blacks to fight for the Union Army. 

I think it's safe to say that the world would be a much different place without the contributions of Frederick Douglass. 

Here's a quick summary of Douglass' life that incorporates graphics and maps: