20+ Interesting Frederick Douglass Facts For Kids

To celebrate Black History Month, we are learning about the story of Frederick Douglass, an activist, author, and public speaker. He is known for fighting for the abolition of slavery, human rights, and the equality of all people.

We made Frederick Douglass facts coloring pages, so you and your kiddo can use their imagination to color as they learn about Frederick Douglass and his achievements for the black community.

12 Facts About Frederick Douglass

Douglass was an escaped slave that accomplished so much during his lifetime, and his efforts are still recognized nowadays. That’s why learning about him is so important! Download and print these Frederick Douglass facts coloring pages and color each fact as you learn.

1. Frederick Douglass was born in February 1818 in Talbot County, Maryland, and died in February 20, 1895.
2. In the years leading up to the Civil War, he was the most powerful speaker and writer of the abolitionist movement.
3. He was the first African American citizen to hold an important position in the U.S. government.
4. Frederick Douglass was born into slavery and was raised by his grandmother, who was a slave. 
5. He was taken from her as a child and sent to Baltimore, Maryland, to work as a servant. Auld’s wife, Sophia Auld, taught Frederick to read.
6. In 1838 Frederick escaped to New York City, where he married Anna Murray of Baltimore, and both lived free.

7. He and his wife Anna were married for 44 years until her death. They had five children together.
8. Douglass wrote about his experiences as a slave in his book “Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, An American Slave”, published in 1845, and became a best-seller.
9. In 1847 Douglass founded his own newspaper in Rochester, New York, called “The North Star.”
10. Douglass helped to smuggle freedom seekers to Canada via the Underground Railroad, a network of routes and safe houses used to help African Americans escape into free estates. 
11. During the American Civil War Douglass was a consultant to President Abraham Lincoln.
12. Douglass believed in the equal rights of all people, and showed support for women’s right to vote.

Download Frederick Douglass Facts For Kids Coloring Pages PDF

Frederick Douglass Facts Coloring Pages

We know you love learning, so here are some bonus facts about Frederick Douglass for you:

13. He was born Frederick Bailey, named after his mother, Harriet Bailey, but his full name was Frederick Augustus Washington Bailey.
14. Sadly, his mother lived on a different plantation and died when he was a young child.
15. After escaping, Douglass and his wife spent a few years in New Bedford, Massachusetts, their first home as a free man and woman.
16. In 1872, Douglass became the first African American nominated for Vice President of the United States. He didn’t know he was nominated!
17. Douglass believed that African Americans, regardless if they were a former slave or free men, had a moral obligation to join the Union Army and fight for the cause against slavery.

18. Douglass met with President Lincoln to confront him and request that black soldiers be allowed in the military.
19. Once black people were allowed to join the union army, Douglass served as a recruiter and recruited two of his sons.
20. In 1845, he traveled to Great Britain for 19 months to run away from slave owners and hunters and to talk about how the American Anti-slavery Society still existed and that slavery didn’t end with the abolition of the slave trade in the British Empire.
21. Even after the Emancipation Proclamation of 1862, Douglass continued to fight for human rights until his death in 1895.
22. His home, which he called Cedar Hill, has turned into the Frederick Douglass National Historic Site.

HOW TO COLOR THESE PRINTABLE Frederick Douglass FACTS FOR KIDS COLORING PAGES

Take time to read each fact and then color the picture next to the fact. Each picture will correlate with the Frederick Douglass fact.

You can use crayons, pencils, or even markers if you want to.

COLORING SUPPLIES RECOMMENDED FOR YOUR Frederick Douglass FACTS FOR KIDS COLORING PAGES

• For drawing the outline, a simple pencil can work great.
• Colored pencils are great for coloring in the bat.
• Create a bolder, solid look using fine markers.
• Gel pens come in any color you can imagine.

MORE HISTORY FACTS FROM KIDS ACTIVITIES BLOG:

• These Martin Luther King Jr. facts coloring sheets is a great place to start.
• Learning about Maya Angelou facts is so important too.
• We’ve also got Muhammad Ali facts coloring pages for you to print and color.
• Here are some Black History Month for kids of all ages
• Check out these 4th of July historical facts that also double as coloring pages
• We have tons of President’s day facts for you here!

Did you learn anything new from the facts list about Frederick Douglas?