Frederick Douglass: Man of the 19th Century

Hi, class,

Earliest known image of Douglass, ca. 1940

As promised, below are some additional images of Frederick Douglass--remember, he was in his late 20s when he published his famous narrative, and in his 30s when he wrote "The Heroic Slave."

Here are the links to the other Douglass pieces--they come from Major Speeches on The Black Past website (at left), but it's just as easy for me to post them here. 

Take a look at "Men of Color, To Arms!"--written at the height of the Civil War--those of you who have seen the film Glory will probably find Douglass's article evocative. "The Composite Nation" iterates Douglass's commitment to all immigrant groups becoming part of the American fabric--here, he focuses on Chinese immigration. We will take a look at "On Woman Suffrage" as we begin to examine (through the writings of Frances E.W. Harper and other women) how black women articulated their place within the 19th century women's movement. I will email/post the Harper readings and the Sojourner Truth piece later.

"If There is No Struggle, There is No Progress" (1857) 

"Men of Color, To Arms!" (1863)

"The Composite Nation" (1869)

"On Woman Suffrage"  (1888)

All best,

Prof. Williams