Our sea-blue glass coaster features the likeness of Frederick Douglass, an American social reformer, abolitionist, orator, writer, and statesman who lived from 1818 to 1895. The coaster's design is hand-screened onto the glass. Frederick Douglass' signature is displayed beneath his portrait, adding an official touch to the design. A subtle reminder of Douglass's significant contributions to American history and the fight against slavery, the coaster is the perfect accessory for anyone who wants to honor his legacy and enjoy their favorite beverage in style.

After escaping from slavery, Frederick Douglass became a leader in the abolitionist movement. The popularity of his speaking engagements led to the publication of his Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, American Slave (1845), the first of his three autobiographies, in which he told the harrowing tale of his childhood as a slave, and for the first time revealed actual names and locations. Following a two-year (1845-46) lecture tour of Great Britain, Douglass returned to the United States, settled in Rochester, New York, and began publication of what would be the first of four newspapers: The North Star (1847-51), Frederick Douglass' Paper (1851-60), Douglass' Monthly (1859-63), and the New National Era (1870-74).

Douglass took an active role in the recruitment of African American soldiers for the Union Army, including two of his own sons. After Emancipation, he also campaigned actively for the Woman Suffrage movement, whose first public meeting in Seneca Falls, New York, he famously attended. After moving to Washington D.C. in the early 1870s, Douglass held a variety of positions in the federal government, including Minister-Resident and Consul-General to Haiti from 1889 to 1891.