This former slave became U.S. Marshal after breaking Washington D.C.’s whites-only property laws in 1877

Frederick Douglass From Slave to National Leader

The Frederick Douglass National Historic Site in Washington D. C.

preserves the final home of America’s most famous escaped slave turned civil rights leader.

Cedar Hill house still contains Douglass’s original roll-top desk, his Panama hat, and other personal belongings from his years as a prominent government official.

You can also visit the reconstructed “Growlery,” the small building where Douglass retreated to write his speeches and books. But Cedar Hill represents much more than just a historic house.

It was the crowning achievement of an incredible journey that began in 1838 when a young slave named Frederick Bailey escaped bondage with help from a free black woman who would become his wife.

Here’s how Frederick Douglass went from fugitive slave to one of the most influential Americans of the 19th century.

Anna Sold Her Featherbed to Fund Frederick’s Escape

Anna Murray gave Frederick her life savings from nine years of housekeeping work to help him escape slavery. She sold her beloved featherbed and sewed sailor clothes as his disguise.

Anna got borrowed papers from a free black sailor to complete his cover. She already had her own Freedom Certificate from 1832 and saved money to start a new life.

Anna risked jail, fines, or even being sold into slavery herself by helping Frederick escape.

The Eagle on His Papers Fooled Train Conductors

On September 3, 1838, Frederick boarded a train from Baltimore wearing his sailor outfit.

When a conductor asked about his papers, Frederick said: “I have a paper with the American eagle on it, that will carry me round the world.

” The conductor got distracted by the official-looking eagle and missed that the description didn’t match Frederick at all. During his trip, Frederick spotted a ship captain who knew him and had to hide his face.

On a ferry, he even ran into someone he knew but stayed unrecognized.

They Married Just 11 Days After His Escape

Frederick reached New York safely and wrote to Anna right away. She joined him a week later, bringing household items for their new life.

The couple married on September 15, 1838, just 11 days after he escaped. Rev.

James Pennington, another escaped slave from Maryland, performed the wedding at abolitionist David Ruggles’ home.

They moved to New Bedford, Massachusetts, where they picked the last name “Douglass” from a character in Sir Walter Scott’s book “The Lady of the Lake.

” Anna set up their first home with linens, dishes, and a packed trunk from Baltimore.

Their Son Fought with the Famous 54th Massachusetts Regiment

Frederick worked as a laborer in New Bedford while Anna took in laundry to support their growing family. Their daughter Rosetta arrived in June 1839, followed by Lewis Henry in October 1840.

Lewis later served as sergeant major in the famous 54th Massachusetts Regiment during the Civil War.

Black business owners Nathan and Mary Johnson helped the couple settle into their new community and their home sheltered other escaped slaves.

Frederick’s life changed in 1841 when white abolitionists William Lloyd Garrison and Wendell Phillips heard him speak at an antislavery meeting.

Their Home Became a Secret Underground Railroad Station

The Massachusetts Anti-Slavery Society hired Douglass as a paid speaker in 1841, starting his public career.

The family later moved to Rochester, New York, where Anna turned their home into an Underground Railroad station. She helped many escaped slaves reach Canada while Frederick traveled giving speeches across the country.

Anna handled a steady stream of anti-slavery guests while raising their children. Frederick Jr.

and Charles were born during this time.

Charles later joined his brother in the military, fighting with the Fifth Massachusetts Cavalry during the Civil War.

Fire Destroyed Their Rochester Home in 1872

The death of their youngest child Annie at age 10 in March 1860 hit Frederick and Anna hard. Anna’s health began to fail during this sad time, leaving her often weak and tired.

More trouble came in 1872 when someone set fire to their Rochester home, burning it to the ground. The family lost everything, including Frederick’s entire book collection and many personal papers.

This fire pushed Frederick to move the family to Washington, D. C.

, ending their twenty years in Rochester.

He Became the First Black U.S. Marshal

President Rutherford Hayes named Douglass as U. S.

Marshal for the District of Columbia in 1877, making him the first Black person to hold this important job. His appointment marked the first time a Black man got a federal position that needed Senate approval.

Though he didn’t perform the usual marshal duty of introducing foreign visitors to the President, Douglass still attended White House events.

Before this job, Frederick lived in Anacostia with his sons while running The New National Era newspaper and serving on the Legislative Council.

Cedar Hill Cost Him $6,700 Despite Housing Discrimination

In 1877, Douglass bought 9. 5 acres from Freedman’s Savings and Trust Company for $6,700, breaking laws that stopped Black people from buying property in that area. The price equals about $1.

3 million today, showing how much wealth Douglass had built since escaping slavery. He bought another 5.

23 acres in 1878. Douglass added a water tank, well, carriage house, barn, outhouse, chicken coop, and guest rooms to the property.

The original 14-room house grew to 21 rooms, including two-story library and kitchen wings.

He Lifted Weights on His Front Lawn at Age 60

Douglass made Cedar Hill his personal getaway from public life.

He lifted weights on the front lawn into his sixties, relaxed in hammocks, and played croquet with family and friends on the back lawn.

The property worked as a “gentleman’s farm” with gardens, orchards, and fruit trees that fed the household. Douglass kept horses, cows, chickens, and possibly goats.

Cedar Hill hosted many visitors involved in civil rights work, its hilltop spot offering great views of the Capitol and Maryland countryside.

Five Presidents Appointed Him to High Government Positions

Anna suffered a stroke on July 9, 1882, that left her left side fully paralyzed. She died at Cedar Hill just a month later on August 4.

In 1889, President Benjamin Harrison named Douglass as Minister to Haiti, a diplomatic job he held until 1891. Douglass worked under five presidents in top federal jobs, including U.S. Marshal for D. C. (1877-1881), Recorder of Deeds for D. C. (1881-1886), and Minister to Haiti (1889-1891).

He remarried in 1884 to Helen Pitts, a white activist twenty years younger, causing much controversy.

Susan B. Anthony Escorted Him Hours Before His Death

On February 20, 1895, Douglass attended a meeting for the National Council of Women where Susan B. Anthony and Anna Howard Shaw personally escorted him to the platform.

He returned to Cedar Hill for an early supper and planned to attend a neighborhood black church that evening.

While telling his wife Helen about one of the day’s speakers, he suddenly collapsed from a heart attack and died.

At 77, Douglass had lived an extraordinary life, transforming from an enslaved person to an internationally renowned statesman who called Cedar Hill home for his final eighteen years.

Visiting Frederick Douglass National Historic Site

Cedar Hill, Frederick Douglass’s home in Anacostia, D. C., gives you a close look at where this famous abolitionist lived after escaping slavery. The house at 1411 W St.

SE is open daily, with shorter hours in winter (9am-4pm) than summer (9am-5pm).

You need to join a ranger-guided tour to go inside, and tickets are free but have a $1 reservation fee. Tours run several times daily, with the last tour at 3:30pm (4pm April-October).

If you’re bringing a big group of 11-60 people, call at least a week before your visit.

This article was created with AI assistance and human editing.

Read more from this brand:

• Before Plymouth Rock, Spanish conquistadors built America’s first permanent settlement over French corpses
• How to explore the San Juan Islands, Washington: Whales, Kayaks & Coastal towns
• Local summer festivals in the US you shouldn’t miss