Disguised as a sailor, Frederick Douglass boards a train and escapes from slavery in Baltimore to freedom in the North.
At a Glance
- Date
- 3 September 1838
- Location
- Baltimore, Maryland
- Key people
- Frederick Douglass
- Category
- Abolition & Slavery
- Source
- Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass (1845) · National Park Service
What It Meant Then
His escape launched the career of the era's foremost Black abolitionist.
What It Means Now
Douglass later risked his freedom by publicly recounting the escape.
Cite this page
- MLA
- “Frederick Douglass Escapes Slavery.” Black-History.com, 30 Sept. 2026, https://black-history.com/on-this-day/frederick-douglass-escapes-slavery/.
- APA
- Black-History.com Editors. (2026, September 30). Frederick Douglass Escapes Slavery. Black-History.com. https://black-history.com/on-this-day/frederick-douglass-escapes-slavery/
- Chicago
- Black-History.com Editors. “Frederick Douglass Escapes Slavery.” Black-History.com. September 30, 2026. https://black-history.com/on-this-day/frederick-douglass-escapes-slavery/.
Editorial Note
By the Black-History.com editors. Last reviewed 30 September 2026. To suggest a primary source or a correction, write to editors@black-history.com or use our corrections form.