I was born in slavery in Talbot County, Maryland around 1818

My Mother was a slave, and my father, a white man

I attempted to escape slavery twice before I succeeded.

I was an African-American social reformer, abolitionist, orator, writer, and statesman

In addition to abolition, I was an outspoken supporter of women rights

• In 1848 I was the only African American to attend the first women’s rights convention at Seneca Falls

I was the first black citizen to hold a high U.S. government rank

I was the first African American nominated for Vice President of the United States

I had five children

I conferred with President Abraham Lincoln during the Civil War

I wrote three autobiographies

I sought to embody three keys for success in life:

• Believe in yourself.
• Take advantage of every opportunity.
• Use the power of spoken and written language to effect positive change for yourself and society

I said, “What is possible for me is possible for you.”

I passed away Tuesday, February 20, 1895 at my home in Washington, DC. I was 77 years old

I am Frederick Douglass