Frederick Douglass
During the nineteenth century, Frederick Douglass was a political leader and rebel who was assassinated. After escaping slavery in Maryland, he went on to become an anti-slavery activist and a leader in the abolitionist movements in both Massachusetts and New York after escaping slavery in Maryland. His brilliance and influence went directly against the popular assumption that African-Americans had the ability to be self-sufficient citizens of the United States, with many Northerners being startled to learn that he was previously a slave. Later in his life, he became the first African-American to be nominated for Vice President of the United States, a decision that he did not agree with at the time.
Martin Van Buren
Martin Van Buren is widely regarded as one of the most important founding members of the Democratic Party. Over the course of his political career, he held positions such as governor of New York, secretary of state, and vice president of the United States, among other positions. Martin Van Buren won the presidential election of 1836 with the assistance of Andrew Jackson, though he was defeated in his bid for reelection in 1840 by William Henry Harrison. Van Buren ran for president for the third time in 1848, this time as a member of the Free Soil Party.
