Frederick Douglass

July

Frederick Douglass

14 Feb 1818 - 20 Feb 1895

Born into slavery on a plantation the US. He advised Presidents and lectured on a range of causes, including women’s rights and Irish Home Rule. He went on a lecture tour of Great Britain and Ireland and in 1846 two Quaker women from the UK raised the necessary fund to buy his Freedom.

On 5th July he gave what is now known as the "What to a Slave is the 4th of July" speech. He was asked to give the speech on the 4th July commemoration for the Declaration of Independence, however, he refused and instead gave the speech on the 5th instead.