A former slave, Frederick Douglass did not know his actual birthday. His mother, also a slave, called him “my little Valentine” on her occasional visits to see her child. She traveled miles, usually at night, to spend just a few minutes with her son. Douglass chose February 14 to mark his birth.

Here is Cato adjunct Robert McDonald detailing the life of one of liberty’s greatest champions.

Here’s text based on MacDonald’s speech and more from Lib​er​tar​i​an​ism​.org on Frederick Douglass’s story and his impact on the rights of women and the libertarian tradition. Most importantly, here are three short essays by Douglass worthy of your consideration.