freedom

They did eventually get out.

Frederick Douglass and Booker T. Washington both gained their freedom from slavery.

okay...so they were both freed?

Douglass escaped into Maryland; Washington gained his freedom at the end of the Civil War.

was it because of their education they taught themselves?

Their education certainly gave them an advantage, especially when it came to living independent lives. Post-slavery, many who'd been freed had no idea how to support themselves or their families. Douglass and Washington both worked toward the education of former slaves hoping to aid them in starting over.