9 Interesting Facts About Frederick Douglass

Today, Speaker Boehner will unveil a statue of famed abolitionist Frederick Douglass in the U.S. Capitol. It is also the celebration of Juneteenth- a holiday that recognizes the abolition of slavery.

In celebration of Douglass’ life and this special day, here are 9 interesting facts about him.

1. Frederick Douglass was born Frederick Augustus Washington Bailey in 1818.

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2. He chose his name from a character in Sir Walter Scott’s The Lady of the Lake.

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3. Though Douglass was born a slave, he escaped in 1838 and eventually settled with his wife in New Bedford, Massachusetts.

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4. Douglass published his autobiography, Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave in 1845.

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5. As a strong supporter of the woman’s rights movement, Douglass attended the famous Seneca Falls conference in 1848.

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6. Douglass also founded “The North Star,” an abolitionist newspaper.

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7. Douglass consulted with President Abraham Lincoln during the Civil War and helped influence the Emancipation Proclamation. After President Lincoln’s death, Mrs. Lincoln sent Douglass her late husband’s walking stick.

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8.  Douglass was nominated for Vice President of the United States as a member of the Equal Rights Party in 1872.

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9.  Douglass died in 1895 in Washington, DC.

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