Frederick Douglass was an orator, writer, and abolitionist. Born into slavery, Douglass was of mixed racial heritage and suspected that he was possibly the son of his enslaver, a man named Thomas Auld. After escaping from slavery, Douglass committed himself to ending the institution. Although he came to believe this would only be successfully achieved through violence, he also dedicated himself to using his particular rhetorical skills in order to convince people of the necessity of abolition.