Douglass, Frederick

One of the most prolific and well-respected political journalists in U.S. history, Frederick Douglass was an African American writer and orator who helped lead the fight for abolition in the United States during the 19th century. He was enslaved for 12 years before escaping in 1838, after which he founded and edited several newspapers, becoming highly influential and developing ties with political leaders, including President Abraham Lincoln. This entry chronicles Douglass’s early life, then discusses the start of his journalism career and the founding of his first newspaper, The North Star, which covered the abolition movement in the United States and related international events. It then discusses the newspapers he subsequently founded or took over and his work with Ida B. Wells-Barnett.