1. HE TAUGHT HIMSELF HOW TO READ
As a slave, Douglass remained illiterate throughout most of his childhood. He was not allowed to read and write as plantation owners consider education to be dangerous and a threat to their power. a young Douglass, nevertheless, took matters into his own hands, using his time on the street running errands for his owner to fit in reading lessons.

2.HE HELPED OTHER SLAVE BECOME LITERATE

3. HE FOUGHT “SLAVE BREAKER”
As a slave, Douglass remained illiterate throughout most of his childhood. He was not allowed to read and write as plantation owners consider education to be dangerous and a threat to their power. a young Douglass, nevertheless, took matters into his own hands, using his time on the street running errands for his owner to fit in reading lessons.

4.HE ESCAPED FROM SLAVERY IN A DISGUISE
In 1838, with the help and money from the free-born African American, Anna Murray (his future wife), Douglass escaped from slavery dressed as a sailor procured by Anna, with money from her savings in his pocket alongside papers from a sailor friend. About 24 hours later, he arrived in Manhattan a free man.

5.HE ADVOCATED FOR WOMEN'S RIGHTS

6. HE MET WITH ABRAHAM LINCOLN
Douglass argued both for post-Civil War emancipation and the vote, and recruited African Americans for the Union army; Douglass met with Lincoln – a fellow Burns admirer – in 1863 to seek equal terms for African American soldiers, but would remain ambivalent about the President’s attitude to race relations, even after Lincoln’s assassination.

7.HE WAS THE MOST PHOTOGRAPHED MAN IN THE 19TH CENTURY
There are 160 separate portraits of Douglass, more than Abraham Lincoln or Walt Whitman, two other heroes of the 19th century. Douglass wrote extensively on the subject during the Civil War, calling photography a “democratic art” that could finally represent black people as humans rather than “things.” He gave his portraits away at talks and lectures, hoping his image could change the common perceptions of black men.

8. HE WAS NOMINATED FOR VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES
As part of the Equal Rights Party ticket in 1872, Douglass was nominated as a VP candidate, with Victoria Woodhull as the Presidential candidate. (Woodhull was the first-ever female presidential candidate, which is why Hillary Clinton was called “the first female presidential candidate from a major party” during the 2016 election.)

9. HE MOVES TO LYNN MASS
Months after his escape from slavery, Douglass moved to Lynn with his wife and their children. His residence in Lynn lasted from 1841 to 1848 at three locations: Harrison Court, Baldwin Street, and Newhall Street. Douglass gained notoriety through his autobiography, The Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass. The book was written right here in Lynn, and it became a bestseller soon after its publishing in 1845. By the time he left Massachusetts officially in 1848, Douglass had affected this city forever, as this city also affected him.

10.LYNN COMMONS
He delivered some of his passionate and anti-slavery speeches from the bandstand on the common, according to city officials. A plaque in his honor and memory has been affixed to the structure. I was beyond inspired and admire the human being Frederick Douglas was. I was a bit disappointed that our history books did not eleven really mention his name and all his incredible contributions. I only learned about Frederick Douglas because I leased a studio in Lynn in 2015 . I hope by sharing his painting , that at the very least Mass children can be more educated on who he was and learn about his legacy.

MEDIUMS | Canvas, Acrylic paint/pages from Frederick Douglas autobiography around the border/Sticker letters /wood/Epoxy resin

Prints available in brushed aluminum
Dimensions: 30"x30" and 40"x40"