Frederick Douglass Born into slavery, Frederick Douglass lived to become one of the most influential figures in African American history. As a young man and a slave in Maryland, Frederick Douglass was recognized as a bright young man by both blacks and whites. During his life as a slave in Baltimore he learned to read and write and passed his knowledge along to other blacks in Baltimore. Douglass is remembered as a great speaker. His speaking abilities were developed in the secret debating club called the East Baltimore Mental Improvement Society. He escaped from slavery to New Bedford, Massachuse