Frederick Douglass stood out among the abolitionists of the mid-nineteenth century. While many of them argued against slavery as a moral wrong, he brought an added element to the debate: Frederick Douglass had himself once been a slave. Converted to Christ at age thirteen, and assured by a Godly uncle that Christ would make him free, Frederick Douglass eventually made his escape from bondage. With his God-given intelligence and a strong, melodious voice, he became a powerful, articulate advocate of freedom.