Frederick Douglass, born Frederick Augustus Washington Bailey,
(February 14, 1818 – February 20, 1895) was an American
abolitionist, newspaper publisher, orator, author, statesman,
and reformer. Called "The Sage of Anacostia" and "The Lion of
Anacostia," Douglass was among the most prominent African-
Americans of his time, and one of the most influential lecturers
and authors in American history. Frederick Douglass was a key
figure in the abolition of slavery in the United States. His
motivation was based on his early life as a slave and his
conviction, rooted in Holy Scripture, that all people are equal
in the eyes of God. Douglass was a firm believer in the equality
of all people, whether black, female, or recent immigrant. He
spent his life advocating the brotherhood of all humankind. One
of his favorite quotations was, "I would unite with anybody to
do right and with nobody to do wrong." Life as a slave Frederick
Douglass was born a slave in Talbot County, Maryland, near
Hillsborough, 12 miles from Easton.