Different types of literature have been a part of America since the 1630s, and varieties of literature still exist today. Frederick Douglass's work and speeches during his lifetime attracted the attention of many people in the United States, including slave owners themselves. Douglass not only changed American literature, but also inspired many other writers and speakers to seek freedom of expression for themselves. Even though he had a difficult childhood because he was a slave, Douglass found a way to make the most of it. Luckily it was because he had a kind and caring owner who taught him to read and write. Furthermore, because he had a loving owner, he could express himself through his work to many different people of his time. Douglass' works and speeches remain impactful and continue to influence and inspire many people in the field of literature today. He influenced many people during his travels in the free states of the North and abroad in England and Ireland, where he explained and changed their mindset about the cruelty of slavery, which ultimately led people to adapt to the reality of slavery. Frederick Augustus Washington Bailey was born in February 1818 in Tuckahoe, Maryland, to Harriet Bailey. Although he was raised by his single mother, his biological father is believed to be one of his mother's previous owners. In her family, she has five siblings: Eliza, Perry, Arianna, Kitty and Sarah. Frederick Bailey was raised to believe that all people were created equal and should be treated equally (The Literature Network). Although he was a slave for much of his childhood, he fortunately had the benefit of a caring owner who taught him to read and write at age... middle of paper... slave and the cruelty of Esso. This is important to literature because if the reader didn't have the perspective of a real slave, no one would know what slavery really entailed. Literature is written in many ways and styles. During his time, Frederick Douglass's works and speeches attracted the attention of many people. With the amount of works and speeches Douglass gave, he influenced many other writers to express themselves more freely. Although Douglass experienced a rigorous childhood, he still did his best, with the guidance and teaching of the wife of one of his slave owners who was able to read and write, thus allowing him to share his stories and experiences of life. Douglass' work remains highly impactful and influential today, allowing us to understand the reality of slavery and thus inspiring many others to come out and share for others to understand..