In honor of Black History Month, this column will feature one African-American politician who had a significant impact on American history each week. This week's pick is Frederick Douglass.
Who was he?
Frederick Douglass was born into slavery in approximately 1818, the son of a slave mother and white father. He attempted to run for President three times during his life, in 1848 on the Liberty Party ticket, in 1872 on the Equal Rights Party ticket, and as a Republican in 1888. He is most noted for his work as an abolitionist and toured the United States with the American Anti-Slavery Society as a public speaker in the years before the Civil War. He achieved world fame in 1845 when he published his autobiography, and two years later served as the editor for the anti-slavery newspaper, The North Star. As a consultant to president Abraham Lincoln, he became the first black American to hold a high rank in the federal government.
Notable accomplishments
- 1841: First invitation to speak at an American-Anti-Slavery Society meeting
- 1845: Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass published
- 1847: Began anti-slavery lecture tour in the United States, Britain, and Ireland
- 1847: Began publishing The North Star
- 1848: Joined women's rights movement
- 1850: Began involvement with the Underground Railroad
- 1863: Became consultant to Abraham Lincoln
- 1871: Served as assistant secretary of the Santo Domingo Commission
- 1877: Appointed U.S. Marshal
- 1881: Appointed Recorder of Deeds
- 1889: Appointed U.S. minister and consul general to Haiti
In his own words
"No man can put a chain about the ankle of his fellow man without at last finding the other end fastened about his own neck."
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