why did fredrick douglass publish his autobiography and what factors do you believe accounted for its success?

When Douglass wrote his narratives, slavery was still legal in most of the United States. The purpose of publishing his autobiography was to educate people about what slavery was truly like in the hopes of gaining support for the abolition of this horrific practice. Its success was derived from the fact it was a factual, first hand account, written loud and clear in simple and precise langauge.