Maryam Tolla

Dr. Joseph Harder

Political Science
3/26/16
Who was Fredrick Douglass?
When one believes so passionately about changing the world they often get
discouraged. A person who follows the norm and thinks inside of the box will never
have the ability to impact the world. Fredrick Douglass: a man who knew what he
believed to be wrong and fought for justice. He was an abolitionist, a writer, an orator and
a former slave. Hands down Douglass was the most important African American leader in
the 19th century. Being born a slave and escaping, he went on to becoming a famous antislave activist. He became the first black American citizen to have a high U.S. government
rank. Three of his autobiographies are considered very important works of the slave
narrative tradition as well as classics of American autobiography. Douglass work as a
reformer ranged from his abolitionist activities in the early 1840s to his attacks on Jim
Crow and lynching in the 1890s. For 16 years he edited an influential black newspaper
and achieved international fame as an inspiring and persuasive speaker and writer. In
thousands of speeches and editorials, he levied a powerful indictment against slavery and
racism, provided an indomitable voice of hope for his people, embraced antislavery
politics and preached his own brand of American ideals. (Staff, 2009) If asked what the
keys to success in life are Douglass would say; believe in yourself, take every
opportunity, and use the power of spoken and written language to effect positive change
for yourself and society. Douglass said, "What is possible for me is possible for you." By

taking these keys and following them in his own life, Frederick Douglass created a life of
honor, respect and success that he could have only dreamed of when he was still a boy.
Frederick Douglass was born in February of 1818. He was born near the town of
Easton, on the Eastern Shore of Maryland in a slave cabin. He was separated from his
mother when he was not even a year old and his grandparents raised him. When he was
about six years old his grandmother took him to a plantation and abandoned him there.
She did not tell him that she would leave him so that feeling of betrayal stuck with him.
When he was about eight he was sent to Baltimore to live as a houseboy with Hugh and
Sophia Auld, relatives of his master. It was shortly after his arrival that his new mistress
taught him the alphabet. When her husband forbade her to continue her instruction,
because it was unlawful to teach slaves how to read, Frederick took it upon himself to
learn. He made the neighborhood boys his teachers, by giving away his food in exchange
for lessons in reading and writing. At about the age of twelve or thirteen Douglass
purchased a copy of The Columbian Orator, a popular schoolbook of the time, which
helped him to gain an understanding and appreciation of the power of the spoken and the
written word, as two of the most effective means by which to bring about permanent,
positive change.