Today, we observe the International Day for the Remembrance of the Slave Trade and its Abolition, memorialising the tragedy of the transatlantic slave trade and the millions of people who suffered gruesome abuse and violations of human rights as a result. On this day in 1791, the French colony of Saint-Domingue (presently Haiti and the Dominican Republic) saw the birth of an uprising that would eventually lead to its abolition of the slave trade - the Haitian Revolution.
Frederick Douglass (1818-1895) was an author, orator, statesman, and one of the most prominent American abolitionists. Born into slavery in Maryland, Douglass escaped at the age of 20. Over the years, he became a national leader of the abolitionist movement in Massachusetts and New York, known for his eloquent speeches and oratory skills.
In 1845, he published his first autobiography, Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave, Written by Himself, describing his experiences from when he was enslaved, which proved to be wildly popular and helped promote slavery abolition.
Douglass became the most photographed American (of any race) in the 19th century. He was the first Black person appointed to an office requiring senatorial confirmation and became the first African-American nominated for Vice President of the United States. He was also an active supporter of women's suffrage.
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