Frederick Douglass was born into slavery in 1818 in Maryland. He taught himself to read and write and eventually escaped from slavery in 1838, changing his name to Frederick Douglass. He became a prominent abolitionist, writer, and orator. Throughout his life he advocated for the abolition of slavery and equal rights, publishing his autobiography in 1845. He served as an advisor to President Lincoln during the Civil War and continued advocating for civil rights until his death in 1895.