This document provides an overview of the contributions of Frederick Douglas, William Apess, Sarah Margaret Fuller, and Sojourner Truth to advancing civil rights in the United States. It discusses how these minority figures used the words of the Declaration of Independence and Constitution to advocate for the rights of African Americans, Native Americans, and women who were excluded from these founding documents. The summary highlights how Douglas specifically acknowledged the accomplishments of the founding fathers while also explaining his experiences facing discrimination as an enslaved person.