-
BIrth
Frederick Augustus Washington Bailey was born in to slavery in Talbot County around 1818. He chose to celebrate his birthday on February 14th because his actual birthdate was unknown. He lived with his grandmother and was later selected to live in the home of the plantation owners. His mother died when he was 10 years old. The wife of the plantation owner taught him to read and write when he was around 12 years old. -
Escape to Freedom
After two failed attempts of trying to escape from the South, Douglass succeeded on his third try. He was aided by Anna Murray, who was a free black woman, who Douglass would then later marry. After a well thought out plan he boarded a train to Havre de Grace Maryland and finally escaped to the North. He changed his named to Frederick Douglass from Frederick Bailey. He went to the safe house of an abolitionist David Ruggles in New York. -
Literature Life
In 1845, Frederick Douglass publishes his first of three autobiographies after giving his first speech at an abolitionist meeting in Mass and being employed by as a lecturer for the Anti-slavery Society. The book became a bestseller in the United States and was translated into several European languages. Some doubted that someone born a slave could write so well. Douglass then has to escape to England to avoid capture. His English supporters purchase his freedom and he returns to the America. -
The North Star
In 1847 Douglass publishes the North Star. The name of the paper is significant because the slaves followed the North Star when attempting to make their way to the North. Published weekly, the North Star was four pages long and sold by subscription at the cost of $2 per year to more than 4,000 readers in the United States, Europe, and the West Indies. Douglass was becoming a huge force in spreading the word of the abolitionists. -
Woman's Suffrage
Frederick Douglass continued to believe in and fight for the abolitionism of slavery but also fought for Women’s rights. In 1848, he was the only African American to attend the first women's rights convention at Seneca Falls, New York. He helped get a resolution passed for women that stated the goals of women’s’ suffrage. Later however when Douglass supported the Fifteenth amendment, he came into conflict with women activists because the amendment banned discrimination based on Race not sex. -
Second Autobiography
1855 Frederick Douglass publishes his second autobiography “my Bondage and My Freedom” and he is clearly an established author at this point. He continues to help runaway slaves find freedom through the Underground Railroad but does not support John Brown’s slave revolt or his planned raid on Harper’s Ferry. Douglass believes this type of revolt was a suicide mission and believed it would fail. He was correct and John Brown was eventually hung for the revolt. -
Meets with the President
In 1863 Frederick Douglass continues to support the Union cause and meets with President Lincoln to discuss the treatment of black soldiers. Douglass actually attends Lincoln’s second inauguration. At this point Douglass was one of the most famous black men in the country and he used his status to continue to try to help African Americans. He later meets with President Andrew Johnson on the subject of black suffrage. -
Presidential Balllot
In 1872 Douglass became the first African American nominated for vice president of the United States as Victoria Woodhull's running mate on the Equal Rights Party ticket. Douglass however, did not know or consent to be nominated so he never campaigned. This did mark the first time in history that an African American was on a presidential ballot. -
Positions held
1878 Frederick Douglass becomes a Federal Marshal for the District of Columbia after living in D.C. for several years. He was the first African American to become a U.S. Marshal. He also held several other political positions including president of the Freedman's Savings Bank and chargé d'affaires for the Dominican Republic. He was later appointed minister-resident and consul-general to the Republic of Haiti. During this time his third book, “The Life and Times of Frederick Douglass” was publi -
Death
On February 20th 1895, Douglass attended a meeting of the national council of Women in Washington, D.C. During the meeting, Douglass received a standing ovation for all of his work. He returned to his fifteen acre estate called Cedar Hill, he suffered a massive stroke or heart attack and died. Thousands of mourners paid their respects at the Metropolitan African Methodist Episcopal Church in Washington, D.C. and Douglass was buried in the family plot at Mount Hope Cemetery in Rochester N.Y.
