Frederick Douglass – 19th-century American abolitionist, writer and orator, author of Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass and My Bondage and My Freedom. Born enslaved in Maryland, he escaped and became one of the most powerful voices against slavery. His life embodied the struggle for liberty and dignity, and his works reshaped American history.
✨ Secretly taught himself to read and write despite strict bans. 📚 His first autobiography shocked the world with its raw truth. 🎤 A brilliant orator, he drew vast crowds across the US and Europe. 🖋️ Founded the newspaper The North Star. 🤝 Served as an advisor to President Abraham Lincoln. 🌍 Gained strong support in England and Ireland. 💍 His second marriage caused scandal as his wife was white. 📖 Championed women’s rights alongside abolition. 🙃 Quirk: once interrupted mid-speech by someone insisting “a slave could never speak like that” — proving his point even stronger. 😄 Amusing: joked that as a child “the dog ate better than I did, but now I eat better than many politicians.”