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Birthday
Born Frederick Augustus Washington Bailey, in Talbot County, Maryland. -
Period: to
Taught to read
Taught to read by his owner's wife. Works in Baltimore as servant and laborer. And Learned how to write by his own. -
Mother's death
Sees his mother for the last time -
Hired Out to a Slave breaker
Hired Out to Edward Covey, a "slave breaker", to break his spirit and make him accept slavery. -
First attempt to escape
Tries to escape from slavery -
Marries Anna Murray
A free Negro (daughter of slaves). -
Escapes from slavery
Douglass escapes from slavery and goes to New York City -
Daughter Rosetta is born
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Son Lewis Henry is born
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Speaks at an abolitionist meeting
Speaks at an abolitionist meeting in Massachusetts and is employed as a lecturer for the Anti-Slavery society. -
Son Frederick is born
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Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass
Publishes Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, An American Slave -
English friends "purchase" his freedom
Begins tour of Great Britain and Ireland, lecturing on slavery with abolitionist William Lloyd Garrison. English friends raise money to "purchase" his freedom; Douglass is manumitted after Hugh Auld receives $711.66 in payment. -
Lecturing on slavery
Begins tour of Great Britain and Ireland, lecturing on slavery -
Buys printing press - The abolitionist
With money raised by English and Irish friends, buys printing press and begins publishing the abolitionist weekly North Star. He continues publishing it until 1851. -
Women's rights convention
Participant in first women's rights convention -
Congress abolishes slavery in Washington, D.C.
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Lincoln asks Douglass to assist slaves
Lincoln asks Douglass to prepare an effort to assist slaves escaping to the North. -
Outlawing slavery
The Thirteenth Amendment to the Constitution, outlawing slavery, is ratified. -
Nominate for vice-president of US by The Equal Rights Party
The Equal Rights Party nominates Douglass for vice-president of the United States on a ticket headed by Victoria C. Woodhull. -
Douglass's wife dies
Douglass's wife of forty-four years, Anna Murray Douglass, dies after suffering a stroke. Douglass goes into a depression -
Douglass marries his secretary Helen Pitts
Frederick Douglass marries his secretary Helen Pitts -
Dies of heart failure
Speaks at a meeting of the National Council of Women in Washington, D.C. Dies suddenly that evening of heart failure while describing the meeting to his wife.