Frederick Douglass' Civil War follows Douglass' intellectual and personal growth from the political crises of the 1850s through secession, war, black enlistment, emancipation, and Reconstruction. Douglass’s account became a classic in American literature as well as a primary source about slavery from the bondman’s viewpoint. He used this status to influence the position of other African Americans in the country and their role in the conflict. He used the occasion to add his voice to the ongoing debate about the mission and meaning of the Civil War. By the end of the war, about 186,000 African American men had enlisted. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions. In September of 1838, he boarded a train to Havre de Grace with a sailor’s uniform and identification papers from a free black sailor. From slave to abolitionist. His supporters overseas eventually raised enough money for Douglass to buy his freedom, and he would return to the U.S. a free and famous man in 1847. Appointed as 'Scotland's Antislaveryagent' he worked tirelessly for abolition, inspired by the freedomhe felt on Scottish soil. After Reconstruction, Douglass served as assistant secretary of the Santo Domingo Commission (1871), and in the District of Columbia he was marshal (1877–81) and recorder of deeds (1881–86). It was Mrs. Auld who first taught him the alphabet, in spite of the fact that she was breaking the law by doing so. Eventually his son Frederick Douglass Jr. becomes an army recruiter also. The Civil War in America Frederick Douglass on the Meaning of the War . At a Nantucket, Massachusetts, antislavery convention in 1841, Douglass was invited to describe his feelings and experiences under slavery. Questions and answers about Frederick Douglass. https://www.history.com/topics/black-history/frederick-douglass Douglass attempted to free himself from slavery two times before he finally succeeded. There Auld’s wife taught Douglass to read. Douglass's Role in the Civil War. In this speech, Douglass calls on Americans to remember the war for what it was—a struggle between an army fighting to protect slavery and a nation reluctantly transformed into a … Douglass would confer with President Lincoln over the treatment of black soldiers and convince him that abolition needed to be a part of the war effort. His freedomsurname 'Douglass' was taken from James Douglas, the hero of WalterScott's 'The Lady of the Lake'. He grew up in slavery and once he escaped he knew he still had work to do. Centering on a vision of centuries-long historical connection, Douglass’s discussion of William the Silent demonstrates the degree to which Civil War literature exceeds the Civil War itself, extending compositionally across the nineteenth century and imaginatively across time and space. However, he kept the first name Frederick his entire life. As Frederick was growing up and as he lived , the north and south were constantly arguing and slave owners were very harsh but people still kept going, it was mostly hard on the slaves but soon the whole country was suffering from different things. He grew up in slavery and once he escaped he knew he still had work to do. Frederick Douglass was born into slavery on the Eastern Shore of Maryland in 1818, and was given the name Frederick Augustus Washington Bailey (Baly), after his mother Harriet Bailey. Throughout Reconstruction (1865–77), he fought for full civil rights for freedmen and vigorously supported the women’s rights movement. He lived with his maternal grandmother at first but was selected to live in the home of the owners of the plantation. When the plantation’s overseer died, the abolitionist was given to the Auld family and ended up living with U.S. Army First Lieutenant Hugh Auld. Scotland as a nation and Edinburgh as a city influencedFrederick Douglass's journey from slavery to freedom. Abraham Lincoln, advocating that former slaves be armed for the North and that the war be made a direct confrontation against slavery. Lewis was the sergeant … Lesson Plans for Teachers: Frederick Douglass Mini-Unit - for kids and teachers. Frederick Douglass escaped from slavery to New York City in 1838, later settling in New Bedford, Massachusetts. When he first came to Edinburgh in 1846 he was struck not onlyby the city's beauty but also by the fact that while living here hefelt treated as an equal. Douglass, aware of the power of a good education, secretly taught himself to read and write, resolving to one day escape to freedom. Get a Britannica Premium subscription and gain access to exclusive content. Frederick Douglass' Civil War follows Douglass' intellectual and personal growth from the political crises of the 1850s through secession, war, black enlistment, emancipation, and Reconstruction. Birth of Frederick Douglass Frederick Douglass was born in February, 1818. someone who is owned by another person. In his quest to turn the Union war into a moral crucible, Douglass mended bridges with old allies. His reception by leaders in England and Ireland added to his stature. His talents contributed to the rise of antislavery sentiments in public consciousness. war in the United States between the North and the South; 1861-1865. slave master. Frederick Douglass, original name Frederick Augustus Washington Bailey, (born February? Born into slavery in Maryland in 1818, Frederick Douglass was an esteemed social reformer, orator, writer, statesman and abolitionist. He recruited African-American men to fight in the U.S. Army, including two of his own sons, who served in the famous 54th Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry. He convinced President Abraham Lincoln that blacks should be allowed to fight for their freedom, and fight in defense of their country. Douglass was the first African American vice president nominee when he was named the running mate to Victoria Woodhull in 1872 for the Equal Rights Party ticket, but he never campaigned as he was not asked if he wanted to run and was added to the ticket without his consent. Reading is how Douglass began to form an ideological opposition to the matter of slavery. Ironically some of these same abolitioniststhought him too well-versed and educated to have been raised a slave. The letter from C.W. Following the war, the noted speaker would hold several political positions, including the Freedman’s Savings Bank president. Combined Frederick Douglass/ Civil War Timeline Timeline created by jeswebster. Frederick Douglass is one of the most well-known abolitionists and orators of the Civil War era. Douglass would confer with President Lincoln over the treatment of black soldiers and convince him that abolition needed to be a part of the war effort. Frederick Douglass continued to fight for racial equality during the Reconstruction era, focusing on African-American voting rights, women’s suffrage, and equality for all Americans. Frederick Douglass was a civil war activist, he was a father and a husband. During the Civil War (1861–65) Douglass became a consultant to Pres. As Frederick was growing up and as he lived , the north and south were constantly arguing and slave owners were very harsh but people still kept going, it was mostly hard on the slaves but soon the whole country was suffering from different things. slave. Douglass becomes a recruiter for the 54 th Massachusetts Infantry, the first regiment of African-American soldiers; his sons Lewis and Charles join the regiment. FREDERICK DOUGLASS AND THE AMERICAN CIVIL WAR Douglass’ impact continued during the American Civil War in 1861 when he was a propagandist to the Union Army and was even used as an advisor to President Abraham Lincoln on multiple occasions. He spoke out on issues related to Reconstruction and the problems faced by newly emancipated people. Speaking in New York City in 1878, Frederick Douglass had a warning for white northerners about how they remembered the Civil War. Civil War Video Clips. "To argue his case and support his case they felt that he had to be … During the Civil War (1861–65) Douglass became a consultant to Pres. Born a slave, under the name Frederick Augustus Washington Bailey, in February 1818 on a plantation in Maryland, Douglass Frederick Douglass after the Civil War. Later he was hired out in Baltimore as a ship caulker. After publishing Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass: An American Slave in 1845 and founding his own antislavery newspaper, The North Star, two years later, Douglass was the most famous African-American man in the country. Frederick Douglass Following the Civil War . a person who owned slaves. He was an avid newspaper reader and focused on getting political literature and writing whenever he could. Frederick tried to escape with three others in 1833, but the plot was discovered before they could get away. The actual day is not known because he was born into slavery. Civil War Presentations in PowerPoint format. Feb 1, 1818. Our editors will review what you’ve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. Foster of the U.S. War Department to Douglass requesting his help in the recruiting effort, August 13, 1863 Douglass's Role in the Civil War On January 1, 1863, Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation clearly stated that Confederate slaves were now … (Photo source: Library of Congress) Frederick Douglass spent time in Washington, D.C. during his career as an abolitionist, writer, and orator, but he was never a permanent resident. The most important African American of his time. By being so educated they felt he was, "pushing back against the myth of blackness," McDaniels says. By 1860, Douglass was well known for his efforts to end slavery and his skill at public speaking. 3 He decided to break ties with Garrison, his one-time mentor, believing that African Americans should lead the American abolition movement. ... Why Frederick Douglass Wanted Black Men to Fight in the Civil War. Everyday low … Although Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation did free all Confederate Territory slaves, Douglass did not support Lincoln during the 1864 election because the president was not publicly endorsing voting rights for free black men. He recruited African-American men to fight in the U.S. Army, including two of his own sons, who served in the famous 54th Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry. At age eight the man who owned him sent him to Baltimore, Maryland, to live in the household of Hugh Auld. At the age of twelve, Douglass was sent to Baltimore to serve the family of Hugh and Lucretia Auld, a kind and tender-hearted woman. Douglass played a crucial role in persuading Lincoln to arm enslaved people and prioritize abolition. Auld, however, declared that learning would make him unfit for slavery, and Frederick was forced to continue his education surreptitiously with the aid of schoolboys in the street. He did not countenance violence, however, and specifically counseled against the raid on Harpers Ferry, Virginia (October 1859). Auld put a stop to his wife’s teaching, but Douglass persisted and began to learn from people in the neighbourhood instead. Be on the lookout for your Britannica newsletter to get trusted stories delivered right to your inbox. The interest was so high that more than 40 slaves started attending weekly lessons. Douglass returned with funds to purchase his freedom and also to start his own antislavery newspaper, the North Star (later Frederick Douglass’s Paper), which he published from 1847 to 1860 in Rochester, New York. In 1861 tensions over slavery erupted into civil war, which Douglass argued was about more than union and state's rights. During the American Civil War Frederick Douglass served as an adviser to Pres. Frederick Douglass at his desk in Cedar Hill, his home in Washington, D.C. Frederick Douglass's bedroom at Cedar Hill, his home in Washington, D.C. Frederick Douglass with his second wife, Helen Pitts Douglass (sitting), and sister-in-law, Eva Pitts (standing). Transcription. He saw the conflict as the seismic event needed to end slavery in America. From then on, despite heckling and mockery, insult, and violent personal attack, Douglass never flagged in his devotion to the abolitionist cause. Douglass was instrumental in convincing President Lincoln and the U.S. Army to raise regiments of former slaves and free northern blacks to help fight the war and liberate their enslaved brethren in the South. He also served as a recruiter of black men for the Union Army and got two of his own sons to sign up; they became part of the famous 54th Massachusetts Regiment. Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). The abolition leader William Lloyd Garrison disagreed with the need for a separate Black-oriented press, and the two men broke over this issue as well as over Douglass’s support of political action to supplement moral suasion. Frederick Douglass published three autobiographies. Abraham Lincoln, advocating that former slaves be armed for the North and that the war be made a direct confrontation against slavery. He served as a diplomatic representative to the Dominican Republic for two years, after which he resigned over objections to government policy in the U.S. He so moved his audience that he became an agent for the Massachusetts Anti-Slavery Society. Finally, he was appointed U.S. minister and consul general to Haiti (1889–91). Articles from Britannica Encyclopedias for elementary and high school students. During the American Civil War, … During his long life, he fought for the right not only of African Americans, but women and other oppressed minorities. The new couple settled in the free black community of New Bedford, Massachusetts, where Douglass would begin to attend abolitionist meetings and impress those around him with his speaking and writing skills. Douglass was an inspiration for the selection of February as Black History Month; though his actual birth date was unknown, he chose to celebrate his birthday on February 14. About 180,000 African Americans serve in the Civil War … On January 1st 1863 the Emancipation Proclamation was enacted. Frederick Douglass/Civil War. In 1861, the nation erupted into civil war over the issue of slavery. Public Domain On January 13, 1864, Frederick Douglass was invited to deliver a speech before the Woman’s Loyal League at the Cooper Institute in New York City. An overview of the abolitionist movement in the United States, including a discussion of the Underground Railroad. 6 Strategies Harriet Tubman and Others Used to Escape Along the Underground Railroad. By the time of the Civil War, Douglass was one of the most famous black men in the country, known for his orations on the condition of the black race and on other issues such as women's rights. His oratorical and literary brilliance thrust him into the forefront of the U.S. abolition movement, and he became the first Black citizen to hold high rank in the U.S. government. He left for Ireland and Great Britain to gain supporters, who gathered the funds to buy him his freedom. Abraham Lincoln. Frederick Douglass was a prolific writer and a masterful orator who captivated readers and listeners throughout the U.S. and Great Britain. Period: Feb 1, 1818 to Feb 20, 1895. abolitionist. Ring in the new year with a Britannica Membership, This article was most recently revised and updated by, https://www.britannica.com/biography/Frederick-Douglass, Spartacus Educational - Biography of Frederick Douglass, Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy - Biography of Frederick Douglass, Civil War Trust - Biography of Frederick Douglass, PBS LearningMedia - The Abolitionists: The Emancipation Proclamation and the Civil War, BlackPast.org - Biography of Frederick Douglass, United States History - Biography of Frederick Douglass, Frederick Douglass - Children's Encyclopedia (Ages 8-11), Frederick Douglass - Student Encyclopedia (Ages 11 and up), “What to the Slave Is the Fourth of July?”, Learn about the life of Frederick Douglass and his role in the American Civil War and Reconstruction, See how abolitionists such as Harriet Tubman, Frederick Douglass, and Thomas Garrett helped slaves escape. ... Why Frederick Douglass Wanted Black Men to Fight in the Civil War. Omissions? Feb., 1863, he helped the Union cause by serving as a recruiter for the 54th Massachusetts Infantry Regiment. STUDY. Douglass attempted to escape slavery at age 15 but was discovered before he could do so. Frederick Douglass' House During the Civil War, he conferred with Abraham Lincoln and helped the Union Army recruit northern blacks to fight in the conflict. Frederick Douglass worked tirelessly to make sure that emancipation would be one of the war's outcomes. According to his Company Descriptive Book, which is part of his compiled service record, Charles transferred to the 5th Massachusetts Cavalry to become its 1st sergeant. Douglass knew that this new freedom had to be won both on and off the battlefield. Updates? Five years later, however, he fled to New York City and then to New Bedford, Massachusetts, where he worked as a labourer for three years, eluding slave hunters by changing his surname to Douglass. When the Civil War started, Douglass was among the most famous black men in the U.S. His 1845 autobiography cemented his prominence as an abolitionist. The Civil War for Kids, Index. At an 1841 antislavery convention, he was asked to recount his experience as an enslaved person. Separated as an infant from his slave mother (he never knew his white father), Frederick lived with his grandmother on a Maryland plantation until he was eight years old, when his owner sent him to Baltimore to live as a house servant with the family of Hugh Auld, whose wife defied state law by teaching the boy to read. In 1845, he would write and publish his autobiography “Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave,” which would soon became a best-seller. Frederick Douglass at his desk in his home in Haiti, c. 1890. To counter skeptics who doubted that such an articulate spokesman could ever have been a slave, Douglass felt impelled to write his autobiography in 1845, revised and completed in 1882 as Life and Times of Frederick Douglass. First published in 1881 and revised in 1892, three years before his death, the book covers events both during and after the Civil War. Fear of being recaptured by his former masters drove Douglass to flee the U.S. for Ireland and the UK. Douglass continued his career as a lecturer after the war. His eloquence gathered crowds at every location. While Freeman did not try to stop the lessons, other slave owners took action, dispersing the group permanently using stones and clubs in an attack. Douglass was born in 1818, though the month and day are uncertain; he later opted to celebrate his birthday on February 14. Thus, after 1851 Douglass allied himself with the faction of the movement led by James G. Birney. During Reconstruction Douglass became the highest-ranking Black official of his time and advocated for full civil rights for Black people as well as for women. Over the course of his escape from slavery, Douglass changed his last name from Bailey (his birth surname) to Johnson to Douglass. By signing up for this email, you are agreeing to news, offers, and information from Encyclopaedia Britannica. He made his way to a safe house in New York in less than a day. He would later serve as consul-general and minister-resident to Haiti, a position he held from 1889 to 1891. Civil War, Free iPad & iPhone apps. Frederick Douglass spent plenty of time in Washington before the Civil War, but didn't become a permanent resident until 1872. At the outbreak of the Civil War, moral suasionists like William Lloyd Garrison and Wendell Phillips recognized the antislavery potential of the conflict and entered the pro-war fray. 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