02/14/2023
Happy Birthday !
Frederick Douglass spent his life fighting for and . He never knew the date of his birth. This is something he struggled with throughout his lifetime. Douglass believed that he was born in the month of February in 1817. In fact, records show that Douglass was born in February of 1818. He chose the 14th of February for his birthday because his mother would call him her “little Valentine." Unfortunately, Douglass never knew much about his parentage. His mother, Harriet, was sold off when Douglass was but a child, and he only met her a few times before she passed away. Though born enslaved in Maryland, he escaped as a young man and became a leading voice in the abolitionist movement.
On behalf of the Frederick Douglass National Historic Site and the National Park Service, thank you for joining us in commemorating the birth of one of America's great heroes—abolitionist, activist, orator, statesman, and family man—Frederick Douglass.
(NPS) Alt-text: Image of a portrait of Frederick Douglass
