During Frederick Douglass's time, black women experienced the lowest social status and had essentially no power or rights. They were expected to be submissive and faced very limited opportunities even outside of slavery. While white women had more legal protections and outlets to fight for women's rights, they were still considered subordinate to men. Douglass supported women's suffrage but acknowledged white women had some advantages due to family and race that black people, both women and men, lacked.