Nation Frederick Douglass escaped slavery and became a famed abolitionist; his first wife made that possible July 6, 2020July 6, 2020 N'dea Yancey-Bragg, USA TODAY Comments Off on Frederick Douglass escaped slavery and became a famed abolitionist; his first wife made that possible Frederick Douglass was able to escape slavery and pursue the work of abolition thanks to the help of his first wife, Anna Murray Douglass.