Frederick Douglass A Biography 1899 is a book by African American author lawyer and political activist Charles Chesnutt. While he is more widely known for ampampquotThe Goophered Grapevineampampquot the first story published in The Atlantic by an African American author Chesnutt was also a gifted biographer whose storytelling ability allowed him to present the life of such a man as Frederick Douglass in a fresh and revelatory light. ampampquotFrom this night of slavery Douglass emerged passed through the limbo of prejudice which he encountered as a freeman and took his place in history.ampampquot Born in Maryland Douglass escaped slavery at the age of twenty with the help of his future wife Anna Murray Douglass a book black woman from Baltimore.