Douglass's purpose in writing his Narrative of the Life of Frederick DouglassFrederick Douglass Frederick Douglass was an American social reformer, abolitionist, orator, writer, and statesman. After escaping from slavery in Maryland, he became a national leader of the abolitionist movement in Massachusetts and New York, gaining note for his oratory and incisive ant… , an American Slave was to provide a first-hand account of the horrors of slavery and thereby support the abolitionist movement. Through the Narrative, he also humanizes slaves and demonstrates the corrupting effect slavery has on slaveholders. PDF Cite Expert Answers