About the Book

About the Book:
Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave by Frederick Douglass is an 1845 autobiographical treatise on abolition by Frederick Douglass, who escaped enslavement and became a prominent activist, author, and public speaker. A leading figure in the abolitionist movement, he fought for the end of slavery until the 1862 Emancipation Proclamation and continued to vehemently fight for human rights until his death. The book describes in detail his experiences of life as an enslaved person and was one of the most influential works of literature in the abolitionist movement in the Unites States.

From NEA Big Read 2026-2027: Book Titles Honoring America250
NEA Big Read is a program of the National Endowment for the Arts in partnership with Arts Midwest.