How Did Frederick Douglass Impact Journalism

Frederick Douglass was born "Frederick Augustus Washington Bailey" on the eastern shore of Maryland in February 1818 and died in Washington D.C. February 1985. Douglass was the son of a slave woman named Harriet Bailey and a white man named Aaron Anthony. It was said that Anthony was their slave owner. Douglass spent some time with his grandparents and other relatives when he was younger, before his mother 's death when he was seven. As a slave, Douglass observed the degradations of slavery. These observations would later contribute to his standpoint on slavery down the road. When Douglass was eight he lived in Baltimore, where he first learned to read and write. In the article about Frederick Douglass on the PBS website, it went on to say “‘Going to live in Baltimore,’ Douglass would later say, ‘laid the foundation, and opened the gateway, to all my subsequent prosperity.’” When Douglass was taught to read and write by Sophia Auld, this would establish his future in journalism. After Douglass planned his escape from slavery and succeeded, he moved to New York City September 3, 1838. He then made his way to New Bedford, Massachusetts several weeks later. It was in New Bedford where Douglass went to Abolitionists’ meetings …show more content…
Douglass was able to use journalism to express the truth of slavery while helping slaves to freedom. Douglass was able to shed light on a dark time. The sophistication Douglass possessed and the way he expressively described racial bigotry made people want to read what he wrote. In journalism today this is still true. In journalism today, you have to write what people want to hear while making it interesting for them to crave more. Not only did Douglass write well, he wrote the