Frederick Douglass was born into slavery in Maryland in approximately 1818. After several unsuccessful attempts, Douglass escaped from slavery and eventually settled in Massachusetts. In 1845, he wrote his first autobiography, Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave, which had a profound influence on the movement to abolish slavery. Harriet Jacobs was born in North Carolina in 1813. Like Douglass, Jacobs was born into slavery. She eventually escaped and settled in New York. Also like Douglass, she wrote an autobiography, Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl, which revealed the horrors of life under slavery. Both Douglass and Jacobs went on to become vocal supporters of the antislavery movement.

what is the main or central idea of the passage?

The main or central idea of the passage is the life and achievements of Frederick Douglass and Harriet Jacobs, two individuals who were born into slavery, escaped, and wrote influential autobiographies that revealed the harsh realities of slavery and supported the antislavery movement.

The main or central idea of the passage is that Frederick Douglass and Harriet Jacobs, both born into slavery, escaped and wrote autobiographies that exposed the oppressive and dehumanizing nature of slavery, making them influential figures in the movement to abolish slavery.