“If there is no struggle, there is no progress.”—Frederick Douglass Born into slavery in Talbot County, Maryland, Frederick Douglass became a champion of the abolitionist movement after escaping to the North in 1838. Douglass later remarked upon his arrival in New York, “I have often been asked how I felt when I first found myself on free soil. And my readers may share the same curiosity.” Readers did indeed share in this curiosity and Douglass became a much-admired orator and writer, active in both the abolitionist and the women’s suffrage movements.  Douglass is best remembered through his autobiography, Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass , an American Slave , Written By Himself . This, My Bondage and My Freedom , and several of Douglass’ speeches offer important glimpses into American history and are now available in a chic and affordable edition as part of the Word Cloud Classics series from Canterbury Classics.