Frederick Douglass was the most important black American leader of the 19th century. He was born Frederick Augustus Washington Bailey near Maryland's Eastern Shore in 1808, the son of a slave woman, and in all likelihood, her white master. When Douglass was about twelve years old, his master's wife started teaching him the alphabet from then he continued, secretly, to teach himself how to read and write. Upon his escape from slavery at age 20, he adopted the surname of Frederick Douglass and quickly became involved in the campaign against slavery known as the abolitionist ...

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