Frederick Douglass Research

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Frederick Douglass was born in Maryland where he was separated from his mother after birth and forced into slavery. The exact date of Frederick Douglass’ birth is unknown but it is estimated that he was born around 1817-1818. Douglass taught himself to read with the help from others. When Douglass was around the age of 21 he escaped to Massachusetts where he got married, changed his last name from Bailey to Douglass and started giving speeches to get rid of slavery. In 1845 Douglass fled to England because of the danger he faced since he was considered a criminal. Two years late he returned to the US where with the help of his British friends, he purchased his freedom for around $700. When in the US, he founded a newspaper, The North Star. He used this newspaper to support his abolitionist cause. During the Civil War, Douglass worked for the Underground Railroad and helped recruit African American soldiers for the union armies. In 1848 Frederick Douglass published an autobiography, Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave, which instantly became a best seller a...

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