1. Born into Slavery: Frederick Douglass was born into slavery on February 1818 in Maryland. He was never told his exact birth date or who his father was, but he took the surname of his mother, Harriet Bailey.
2. Self-Educated: Despite the lack of formal education for enslaved individuals, Douglass taught himself to read and write. He secretly learned the alphabet by observing white children and later gained access to books and newspapers. Douglass's determination to educate himself played a crucial role in his activism and writing.
3. Escaped from Slavery: In 1838, at the age of 20, Douglass bravely escaped from slavery by disguising himself as a sailor and boarding a train to freedom. He settled in New Bedford, Massachusetts, where he met his wife, Anna Murray, and began his career as an abolitionist speaker.