Frederick Douglass Quotes
Douglass published three autobiographies and his speeches were printed at the time, so his real words are easy to check. Every quote below gives its speech or chapter. Two popular “Douglass quotes” cannot be found in any of them.
4 real Frederick Douglass quotes, with sources
“If there is no struggle, there is no progress.”Frederick Douglass — Speech on West India Emancipation, Canandaigua, New York, 3 August 1857
“From that moment, I understood the pathway from slavery to freedom.”Frederick Douglass — Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass (1845), ch. 6 — on learning to read
“Power concedes nothing without a demand. It never did and it never will.”Frederick Douglass — Speech on West India Emancipation, 3 August 1857
“I would unite with anybody to do right and with nobody to do wrong.”Frederick Douglass — Lecture “The Anti-Slavery Movement”, 1855
Famous quotes Frederick Douglass never said
“Once you learn to read, you will be forever free.”A modern paraphrase. In his Narrative (ch. 6) Douglass writes that learning to read showed him “the pathway from slavery to freedom”, quoted above.
“It is easier to build strong children than to repair broken men.”We found no source for it in Douglass's speeches, letters or autobiographies. It circulates without a citation.
Who was Frederick Douglass?
Born into slavery in Maryland, Douglass taught himself to read, escaped to freedom in 1838 and became the most powerful voice of the abolitionist movement. He was also among the most photographed Americans of his century, using the camera to show the world his dignity. Read more on Wikipedia.
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What is Frederick Douglass's most famous quote?
One of the best known is “If there is no struggle, there is no progress.” (Speech on West India Emancipation, Canandaigua, New York, 3 August 1857)
Did Frederick Douglass really say “Once you learn to read, you will be forever free.”?
No. A modern paraphrase. In his Narrative (ch. 6) Douglass writes that learning to read showed him “the pathway from slavery to freedom”, quoted above.
Did Frederick Douglass really say “It is easier to build strong children than to repair broken men.”?
No. We found no source for it in Douglass's speeches, letters or autobiographies. It circulates without a citation.
Where do these Frederick Douglass quotes come from?
Douglass published three autobiographies and his speeches were printed at the time, so his real words are easy to check. Every quote below gives its speech or chapter. Two popular “Douglass quotes” cannot be found in any of them.
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