Frederick Douglass was born into slavery in Talbot , Maryland in 1818. His exact birth date was to history. Many African slaves did not have birth dates recorded into official records during that period because they did not have basic human . They were considered property owned by their white . It was a dark time in the country. Douglass helped change that.

It was illegal in southern states to educate blacks at that time, Douglass was fortunate enough to have been educated the wife of his master, who began teaching the alphabet when he was 12 years old. continued his education on his own after that. his new reading skills, Douglass began teaching other slaves the New Testament. He had a sympathetic , who did not see any harm in this , but his neighbors did not see eye to with him. It wasn't long before the lessons , after violent measures were taken by the white members.

Douglass eventually escaped slavery, and settled in state of Massachusetts, where he began his struggle end slavery. Douglass became one of the most people of his generation. He made powerful friends the U.S. government. During one of his lecture in 1843, Douglass was nearly beaten to death an angry mob, who did not agree with message of abolition. He fled the country on couple of occasions to avoid being put into state of slavery again. While in Europe, Douglass to enthusiastic crowds on the evils of slavery.