“If there is no struggle, there is no progress.”—Frederick Douglass

Born into slavery in Talbot County, Maryland, Frederick Douglass became a champion of the abolitionist movement after escaping to the North in 1838. Douglass later remarked upon his arrival in New York, “I have often been asked how I felt when I first found myself on free soil. And my readers may share the same curiosity.” Readers did indeed share in this curiosity and Douglass became a much-admired orator and writer, active in both the abolitionist and the women’s suffrage movements. Douglass is best remembered through his autobiography, Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave, Written By Himself. This, My Bondage and My Freedom, and several of Douglass’ speeches offer important glimpses into American history and are now available in a chic and affordable edition as part of the Word Cloud Classics series from Canterbury Classics.