He taught other slaves how to read and write

To underline the kindness of abolitionists, our collection of Frederick Douglass's facts includes his support for the education of his fellow black Americans. As a teenager, Douglass taught his slaves how to read and write. He conducted secret classes during this time while working for a farmer named William Freeland.

To the chagrin of slave owners, Douglass, then going by the name “Bailey” taught his fellow slaves to study the New Testament of the Bible after learning to read and write and eventually authoring three autobiographies. Local crowds who felt intimidated by his efforts to teach and enlighten his fellow slaves broke up his sessions, which occasionally comprised as many as 40 individuals.

After some time, the neighborhood came together to stop Douglass from attending his private sessions. Douglass persisted in his desire to educate his fellow slaves and began to set up covert seminars in various locations.