Frederick Douglass (1818-1895) Social reformer. Douglass, after escaping from slavery, he became a leader of the abolitionist movement, gaining note for his dazzling oratory and incisive antislavery writing. He stood as a living counter-example to slaveholders' arguments that slaves did not have the intellectual capacity to function as independent American citizens. 8 ½” x 14” (folds to 3 ½” x 8 ½”) partially printed document signed as Recorder District of Columbia, Washington, June 3, 1881, the document is a “Deed of Release”.