In the late 1800s, slavery was at its height as figures like Harriet Tubman and Frederick Douglass made plans to dismantle the entire slave trade. Not many people know, however, that Douglass contacted Tubman as part of his efforts to help free black slaves such as herself.
Once Douglass escaped from his life as a slave, he learned to read and write. Then, he used these newfound skills to push the movement against slavery forward through public lectures and letters. One of these letters was even addressed to Harriet Tubman.
Tubman, like Douglass, was born a slave and later escaped. However, she affected history in the most remarkable way by assisting over three hundred other slaves to do the same via the Underground Railroad. Once she had reached safety, her bravery became well known to many influential people of her time, including Frederick Douglass.
In his letter to Tubman, Douglass makes mention of these acts by saying, "I know of no one who has willingly encountered more perils and hardships to serve our enslaved people than you have...It is to me a great pleasure and a great privilege to bear testimony for your character...I regard you in every way truthful and trustworthy."
