In the Other Professional Papers Subseries, there is a variety of miscellaneous printed materials and papers that cover Hunter's career as a teacher and principal, involvement in the N.C. Industrial Association, and role in the N.C. Negro State Fair. Douglass lived until 1895, long enough to see much of the promise of his Composite Nation tarnished. When a sufficient number have been collected here, a ship is chartered, for the purpose of conveying the forlorn crew to Mobile, or to New Orleans. . What the Black Man Wants. Douglass was the most photographed American of the 19th century (160 photographs of him survive, compared to 130 of Abraham Lincoln). Wasted Magnanimity Frederick Douglass, abolitionist and anti-slavery orator, was one of the best writers in American history, and he had a profound effect on how Americans thought about the moral and economic implications of slavery. Actors Nicole Beharie ( Scenes from a Frederick Douglass Paper, September 4, 1851 From the Potomac to the Delaware was a journey of many days. My Experience and My Mission to Great Britain: An Address The Fall of Sumter Even Mammon seems to have quitted his grasp on this day. Now, take the Constitution according to its plain reading, and I defy the presentation of a single pro-slavery clause in it. The eye of the reformer is met with angry flashes, portending disastrous times; but his heart may well beat lighter at the thought that America is young, and that she is still in the impressible stage of her existence. Executive Producer Henry Louis Gates, Jr. and scholar David Blight discuss Frederick Douglass' life and legacy in part one of this never-before-seen conversation. The Republican Party here lies the merit, and the one which, of all others, seems unfashionable in our day. Let the religious press, the pulpit, the Sunday school, the conference meeting, the great ecclesiastical, missionary, Bible and tract associations of the land array their immense powers against slavery and slave-holding; and the whole system of crime and blood would be scattered to the winds; and that they do not do this involves them in the most awful responsibility of which the mind can conceive. Fromwhat quarter, I beg to know, has proceeded a fire so deadly upon our ranks, during the last two years, as from the Northern pulpit? As noted here, that banquet was attended by prominent African-American professional men in celebration of the twenty-first anniversary of the Emancipation Proclamation.After the toast provided by former Senator Blanche K. Bruce, in preference to the gospel,as preached by those Divines! Your fathers esteemed the English Government as the home government; and England as the fatherland. Quarantine and Disease Control in America, Reconstruction of Southern States: Pamphlets. Once an ally of William Lloyd Garrison and his followers, Douglass started to work more closely with Gerrit Smith and John Brown. They wrote. Read by Ava Yuninger, Music by Ava Yuninger. Request product #203747, ISBN: 978-1-59853-722-2 I trust, however, that mine will not be so considered. There are also numerous drafts and copies of outgoing correspondence that Hunter wrote. Cling to this day cling to it, and to its principles, with the grasp of a storm-tossed mariner to a spar at midnight. Frederick Douglass Paper, March 4, 1853 This list may not reflect recent changes . there is no matter in respect to which, the people of the North have allowed themselves to be so ruinously imposed upon, as that of the pro-slavery character of the Constitution. The fact is, ladies and gentlemen, the distance between this platform and the slave plantation, from which I escaped, is considerable and the difficulties to be overcome in getting from the latter to the former, are by no means slight. Theres so much! It is, however, a notable fact that, while so much execration is poured out by Americans upon those engaged in the foreign slave-trade, the men engaged in the slave-trade between the states pass without condemnation, and their business is deemed honorable. Discount offer available for first-time customers only. London, England, March 30, 1847 They seized upon eternal principles, and set a glorious example in their defense. He implied that constant predictions of democratic doom could become self-fulfilling prophecies. Back to Search Results When you read something like the Fourth of July speech, you get the sense that Douglass saw words as battle axes, says Derrick. Tell me citizens, WHERE, under the sun, you can witness a spectacle more fiendish and shocking. The ear-piercing fife and the stirring drum unite their accents with the ascending peal of a thousand church bells. The historian Jill Lepore called it one of the most important and least-read speeches in American political history. And the historian Andrew Roth said Douglass address is one of the earliest and still most eloquent tributes to the beauty of Americas ever-expanding definition of the We in We the people.. From police shootings to the wage gap to crippling stereotypes (and everything in between), there are too many parallels today with what Douglass described in his speech to white America, including this relevant line: This Fourth of July is yours, not mine. Author, abolitionist, political activist, and philosopher, Frederick Douglass was a pivotal figure in the decades of struggle leading up to the Civil War and the Reconstruction era. The greatest and best of British statesmen admitted its justice, and the loftiest eloquence of the British Senate came to its support. Now, there are certain rules of interpretation, for the proper understanding of all legal instruments. It is admitted in the fact that Southern statute books are covered with enactments forbidding, under severe fines and penalties, the teaching of the slave to read or to write. The din of business, too, is hushed. In the language of Isaiah, the American church might be well addressed, Bring no more vain ablations; incense is an abomination unto me: the new moons and Sabbaths, the calling of assemblies, I cannot away with; it is iniquity even the solemn meeting. This enormous collection of African American newspapers contains a wealth of information about cultural life and history during the 1800s and is rich with first-hand reports of the major events and issues of the day. (Charles Brantley), 1859-1912, Du Bois, W. E. B. All Rights Reserved. Hudson, Ohio, July 12, 1854 Farewell to the British People: An Address All Rights Reserved. You live and must die, and you must do your work. What is this but the acknowledgement that the slave is a moral, intellectual and responsible being? Mark them! Change), You are commenting using your Twitter account. The vision he had of America was in tatters, the historian David Blight, who won the Pulitzer Prize for Frederick Douglass: Prophet of Freedom, said in an essay. The little experience I have had in addressing public meetings, in country schoolhouses, avails me nothing on the present occasion. Douglass Monthly, September 1862 Chicago, Illinois, October 30, 1854 Behold the practical operation of this internal slave-trade, the American slave-trade, sustained by American politics and America religion. Learn Trades or Starve! The Color Line In a final celebratory post for Black History Month 2023, it is worth returning to the 1883 Douglass Banquet. In this must-read autobiography published in 1855, Douglass reflects on his life following his legal emancipation in 1846. In a little-known speech, Frederick Douglass sketched a vision of a post-racial America a century before the term was invented. But Ill start by saying this. The Future of the Colored Race and am I, therefore, called upon to bring our humble offering to the national altar, and to confess the benefits and express devout gratitude for the blessings resulting from your independence to us? WebWORD COUNT: 1,660 words. a breathtaking biography that demonstrates the scope of Frederick Douglass influence through deep research on his writings, his intellectual evolution and his relationships. He argued that freedom would be empty if former slaves were not guaranteed the rights and protections of American citizens. WebPages in category "Speeches by Frederick Douglass" The following 3 pages are in this category, out of 3 total. Frederick Douglass worked tirelessly to make sure that emancipation would be one of the war's outcomes. There, the church, true to its mission of ameliorating, elevating, and improving the condition of mankind, came forward promptly, bound up the wounds of the West Indian slave, and restored him to his liberty. Is it that slavery is not divine; that God did not establish it; that our doctors of divinity are mistaken? WebThis is a list of films produced and distributed by HBO Films. Of this fundamental work, this day is the anniversary. Fighting Rebels with Only One Hand 2. WebThe main goal of Douglass' speeches was to persuade the audience that slavery was not good and should be abolished. He saw the Supreme Court demolish hard-won laws that granted Black citizens political power. The Big Speech: November 19, 2010: Carrie Fisher: Wishful Drinking: December 12, 2010: 20020, Download the official NPS app before your next visit, In his journey from captive slave to internationally renowned activist, Frederick Douglass (1818-1895) has been a source of inspiration and hope for millions. What makes it great? Let this damning fact be perpetually told. They form the staple of your national poetry and eloquence. In 1855, he published his second autobiography. I will not. Wells, Frederick Douglass: Prophet of Freedom with David W. Blight, Frederick Douglass, I Have Come to Tell You Something About Slavery. The North Star, June 13, 1850 Sign up for NewsOne's email newsletter! Everybody can say it; the dastard, not less than the noble brave, can flippantly discant on the tyranny of England towards the American Colonies. At Home Again How did Frederick Douglass become involved in the abolitionist movement? After Frederick Douglass passed away, his second wife Helen preserved Cedar Hill as a historic house museum. Your new moons and your appointed feasts my soul hateth. Reconstruction Douglass Monthly, May 1861 Anti-Irish and German-Catholic prejudice was pervasive. The flesh-mongers gather up their victims by dozens, and drive them, chained, to the general depot at Baltimore. Washington could not die till he had broken the chains of his slaves. I will show you a man-drover. And let me warn you that it is dangerous to copy the example of a nation whose crimes, lowering up to heaven, were thrown down by the breath of the Almighty, burying that nation in irrecoverable ruin! Yet to freeze-frame Douglass life in the familiar contours of 19th-century American history misses out on the radical nature of his Composite Nation (also known as Our Composite Nationality) speech. Senator Berrien tell us that the Constitution is the fundamental law, that which controls all others. Friends and citizens, I need not enter further into the causes which led to this anniversary. Primary Source Material from 18th & 19th Century Publications, In a final celebratory post for Black History Month 2023, it is worth returning to the 1883 Douglass Banquet. You profess to believe that, of one blood, God made all nations of men to dwell on the face of all the earth, and hath commanded all men, everywhere to love one another; yet you notoriously hate, (and glory in your hatred), all men whose skins are not colored like your own. The film suggests that Douglass facility with words was just as important as his physical courage in taking on the institution of slavery. Science has since confirmed that race is a biological fiction there is only one human race, homo sapiens. Washington, D .C ., January 9, 1894 The Claims of the Negro Ethnologically Considered: An Address They saw themselves treated with sovereign indifference, coldness and scorn. As to extinction, the prospect in that direction has been greatly clouded by the census just taken, in which it is seen that our increase is ten per cent. The first autobiography, The Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, An American Slave, Written by Himself, catapulted him to fame and invigorated the abolitionist movement. One in five Medal of Honor recipients have been immigrants. Subscribers can purchase the slipcased edition by signing in to their accounts. The 13th Amendment (ratified in 1865) abolished slavery, the 14th Amendment (ratified in 1868) granted national birthright citizenship, and the 15th Amendment (ratified in 1870) stated nobody could be denied voting rights on the basis of race, skin color, or previous servitude. Boston, Massachusetts, May 30, 1848 Slavery is not abolished until the black man has the ballot. (1865), We ought to have our government so shaped that even when in the hands of a bad man we shall be safe. (1867). Man is man, the world over, Douglass said in his speech. You declare, before the world, and are understood by the world to declare, that you hold these truths to be self evident, that all men are created equal; and are endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable rights; and that, among these are, life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness; and yet, you hold securely, in a bondage which, according to your own Thomas Jefferson, is worse than ages of that which your fathers rose in rebellion to oppose, aseventh partof the inhabitants of your country. I repeat, I am glad this is so. Release date Title Notes July 22, 1982 Frederick Douglass: In Five Speeches: March 8, 2022: I remember, also, that, as a people, Americans are remarkably familiar with all facts which make in their own favor. The American Constitution and the Slave: An Address Must I argue that a system thus marked with blood, and stained with pollution, iswrong? You have already declared it. Africa is too far off, even if we desired to go there, which we do not. 2023 Cable News Network. Douglass Monthly, August 1863 This volume brings together twenty of Frederick Douglasss most historically significant speeches on a range of issues, including slavery, abolitionism, civil rights, Corrections? R. R. Raymond) on the platform, are shining examples; and let me say further, that upon these men lies the duty to inspire our ranks with high religious faith and zeal, and to cheer us on in the great mission of the slaves redemption from his chains. or is it in the temple? Correspondence relates to personal and financial matters, as well as to Hunter's various activities to improve African American education and economic well-being, particularly in the South. I have said that the Declaration of Independence is the ring-bolt to the chain of your nations destiny; so, indeed, I regard it. Woman and the Ballot A champion of Americas great writers and timeless works, Library of America guides readers in finding and exploring the exceptional writing that reflects the nations history and culture. These gentlemen have, as I think, fully and clearly vindicated the Constitution from any design to support slavery for an hour. When people talk today about Douglass speaking prowess, they often cite his defiant What to the Slave is the Fourth of July? address. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ). They were quiet men; but they did not shrink from agitating against oppression. The time was when such could be done. Banners and pennants wave exultingly on the breeze. And while slavery has long been abolished and outlawed, the sentiment behind the address still applies in many unfortunate ways when it comes to the overall Black experience in America. No political figure not even Abraham Lincoln talked that way about the US in the mid to late 19th century. Henry Louis Gates, Jr. & David Blight continue their discussion on Frederick Douglass by taking a closer look at some of his most renowned speeches. Douglass Monthly, August 1860 We have put together a list of thefollowing speeches that have opened the minds of the American citizens to the uncountable cases of injustices inflicted on the black community through slavery. Self-ElevationRev. Course Book. They were statesmen, patriots and heroes, and for the good they did, and the principles they contended for, I will unite with you to honor their memory. After the toast provided by former Senator Blanche K. Bruce, Frederick Douglass rose to deliver a remarkable speech, the full text of which was reported in full by the African American newspaper, The Bee. The Late Election Africa must rise and put on her yet unwoven garment. New York, New York, May 11, 1853 Further, if this demand were not complied with, another Scotland would be added to the history of religious liberty, and the stern old Covenanters would be thrown into the shade. Baton Rouge: Louisiana State Press, 1989. Fellow-citizens! His own testimony is nothing. O! WebSpeeches Frederick Douglass was known as a bold and passionate speaker. You will see one of these human flesh-jobbers, armed with pistol, whip and bowie-knife, driving a company of a hundred men, women, and children, from the Potomac to the slave market at New Orleans. A Warner Bros. The signs that people and politicians are losing faith in American democracy are everywhere. (LogOut/ The papers and placards say, that I am to deliver a 4th [of] July oration. Why Was Frederick Douglasss Marriage to Helen Pitts Controversial? If so, there is a parallel to your conduct. At an anti-slavery convention, Douglass recounts his story of being raised as a slave publicly for the first time. DuBois and Booker T. Washington; and many North Carolina governors, in particular Zebulon B. Vance, Charles B. Aycock, Locke Craig, and Thomas Walter Bickett. Is that a question for Republicans? Give Women Fair Play: An Address And a White Christian nationalist movement, which insists that America was created to be a White, Christian nation, is growing in power. Your high independence only reveals the immeasurable distance between us. To all inspiring motives, to noble deeds which can be gained from the past, we are welcome. be warned! Frederick Douglass Paper, February 24, 1854 The material discusses and illuminates the problems experienced by emancipated blacks during Reconstruction and into the early 20th century, encompassing agriculture, business, race relations, reconstruction, education, politics, voting rights, and economic improvement for African Americans. The True Issue The drove moves tardily. From police shootings to the wage gap to crippling stereotypes (and everything in between), there are too many parallels today with what Douglass described in his speech to white America, including this relevant line. If I do forget, if I do not faithfully remember those bleeding children of sorrow this day, may my right hand forget her cunning, and may my tongue cleave to the roof of my mouth! To forget them, to pass lightly over their wrongs, and to chime in with the popular theme, would be treason most scandalous and shocking, and would make me a reproach before God and the world. People likely related more to the fury Douglass expressed at American hypocrisy and racism in his 1852 Fourth of July speech. Exeter, England, August 28, 1846 It is the antagonistic force in your government, the only thing that seriously disturbs and endangers yourUnion. The New National Era, September 8, 1870 They cannot remain half slave and half free. The oath of any two villains is sufficient, under this hell-black enactment, to send the most pious and exemplary black man into the remorseless jaws of slavery! But I differ from those who charge this baseness on the framers of the Constitution of the United States. It fetters your progress; it is the enemy of improvement, the deadly foe of education; it fosters pride; it breeds insolence; it promotes vice; it shelters crime; it is a curse to the earth that supports it; and yet, you cling to it, as if it were the sheet anchor of all your hopes. It won the Pulitzer Prize in 2019 for History and is accurately described as. I answer: a day that reveals to him, more than all other days in the year, the gross injustice and cruelty to which he is the constant victim. Victims by dozens, and the one which, of all legal instruments that Douglass facility with was., too, is hushed us that the Constitution is the Fourth of July fundamental law, that am... 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list of frederick douglass' speeches