Nation Frederick Douglass escaped slavery and became a famed abolitionist. His first wife made that possible July 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.