Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave, Written by Himself

This book is a relentless document of the era, illustrating one of the darkest pages in U.S. history. But it is also a testament to how passionately and unquenchably the desire for freedom as the greatest value resides in the human soul. Born into slavery and hopeless ignorance, Frederick Douglass (1818–1895) gradually fought for the right to control his own life. And when he finally managed to escape to the free northern states, he dedicated all the remaining years to the struggle for the rights of Black people in America. He became a speaker, journalist, and publisher, a public figure and civil rights activist who achieved recognition due to his innate talent, indomitable will, hard work, and courage. "Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave, Written by Himself" was published in 1845 in New York and caused a tremendous resonance, seriously undermining the foundations upon which the apologists of slavery stood.