Frederick Douglass was a famous speaker. He spoke against slavery. Frederick was born a slave in 1818 in Maryland. Life as a slave was hard for him and his master's beat him. In 1838 Anna Murray helped Frederick escape and he changed his name so his master's could not find him. In 1841, he began giving speeches against slavery and later wrote a book. All in all, he was a powerful speaker and writer. He believed that all people should be treated equally and helped free slaves.