While researching the story behind Frederick Douglass' transition from slave to abolitionist, I found some primary sources on the topic written by himself. Through various mediums such as letters, speeches, and autobiographies, Douglass consistently provides his audience with a vivid and heartfelt story about slavery and the consequences those who are still enslaved face. I was able to gain a greater understanding of Douglass and his personal insights into slavery and the abolitionist movement. My goal in this article is to provide readers with a better understanding of Douglass from what I have gleaned as I move through his primary sources. Being able to see the abolitionist movement through the eyes of a man who was born into slavery, escaped slavery, headed north, and worked to bring freedom to millions of souls will hopefully allow readers to understand the The urgency that Douglass himself felt when fighting to end slavery in America. To achieve my goal, I will divide my article into main sections accompanied by additional subsections when necessary to provide greater emphasis. In the first section, I will focus on Douglass's slave background, including his decision to escape slavery, and the impact this would have on him, as well as his motivations for joining the abolitionist movement. In the second section, I will detail a letter written by Douglass to fellow abolitionist Harriet Beecher Stowe on how to provide continued aid in the effort to free those still enslaved. In the third section I will focus on a speech given by Douglass on the prospects of the present and future for people of color. In the last section I will present my conclusions and try to summarize everything... in the middle of the paper... the state of black people in America before making plans too far into the future. In time, Douglass believed that colleges and high schools would be necessary for people of color. Immediately they no longer needed these things. They needed skills to get the jobs they needed to get out of poverty. Once they had mastered their skills and elevated themselves further, then it would be an opportune time for people of color to begin attending colleges so that their community could boast doctors, lawyers, and other notable positions. This advice almost seems to mirror Douglass's journey. Before his second successful attempt to escape slavery, Douglass had dreamed of achieving freedom for years. When he realized how much his teachers were afraid of him learning, he knew that becoming literate would be the stepping stone to his freedom..