Frederick Douglass' Speech For Individual Rights Frederick Douglass, who was born into slavery in Maryland, became the most famous of all black abolitionists in addition to being one of the greatest American orators of his day. After the Civil War, Douglass prevailed as a passionate spokesman for the rights of blacks and remained a believer that their problems were capable of political solutions. His Fourth of July Oration is an exemplary illustration of Douglass’s human passion and commitment to individual rights. The Rochester Ladies Anti-Slavery Society in 1852 requested Frederick Dougl