Who
Freed the Slaves? Frederick Douglass, Reconstruction, and the Memory of Abraham Lincoln
History Skill: Interpreting
Primary Documents; Media Type: Document
Many factors contributed to the ending of slavery in America, including a rising northern industrial economy, the abolition movement, and the free soil movement, all of which helped precipitate the Civil War. With his signing of the Emancipation Proclamation in September 1862, President Abraham Lincoln played a pivotal role in freeing slaves; he was named the "Great Emancipator" as a result. Although the Proclamation actually freed very few slaves - it applied only to those areas in rebellion against the United States - it was enthusiastically received by black and white abolitionists throughout the Union. Following Lincoln's assassination in 1865, former slaves contributed $17,000 to build a monument expressing their gratitude to him. Unveiled in Washington, D.C., in 1876, the Freedmen's Monument is important as an expression of the high regard in which Lincoln was held by the African Americans. Yet Frederick Douglass's dedication speech challenges the myth of Lincoln as the black man's savior. This module contains Douglass's memorable speech as well as a photograph of the monument. As you read the speech and examine the monument, consider the context in which Douglass presented his argument. How did whites and blacks deal with the promise of freedom in the years following the end of the Civil War?
Frederick Douglass's
"Expression of Gratitude for Freedom," a dedication speech for
the Freedmen's Monument, 1876.
Quiz
1. Frederick Douglass was a prominent man in nineteenth-century American life. He was primarily known for:
a. his work to create a more equitable economic system and his ability to work with foreign countries in negotiating treaties.
b. his oratory skills, his work as an abolitionist and a suffragist, and his narrative describing his life as a former slave.
c. writing a series of articles and books promoting the American ideal of the self-made man.
2. After the Civil War and Emancipation, African Americans had a new relationship to other Americans, as citizens rather than slaves. Southern whites in particular felt that:
a. African Americans now deserved a fair chance to become productive members of society, with access to equal political and economic opportunities.
b. African Americans were an inferior people, without the more "noble" attributes of civilized men.
c. freedom had to be earned, but with hard work and dedication, African Americans would eventually be seen as equals to whites.
3. Lincoln was a complicated figure in mid-nineteenth-century politics. His views on African Americans and the question of slavery:
a. remained firm throughout his life. He believed that all men were equals, and he vowed to protect the black man's rights at all costs; thus his election caused the Civil War to begin.
b. wavered substantially. Early in his career he was pro-slavery because of its economic benefits, but as he entered national politics, he had to soften his views to seem more humane.
c. were sometimes contradictory. Personally opposed to slavery as an institution, politically he had to compromise his position at times in an effort to save the Union.
1. Douglass's dedication speech was given at a time of
great political upheaval. The South was in the midst of repealing many of
the laws intended to aid Reconstruction efforts and ensure the black
man's status as a full citizen of America. The North was simultaneously
backing away from defending the rights of African Americans, given the
fierce opposition to equality exhibited by southern states. How did this
situation influence Douglass's take on Lincoln as the "Great Emancipator"? Why did
he use this opportunity, at this time, to question the notion that the
government served all of its citizens equally?
2. The Freedmen's Monument was designed to commemorate the freeing of
slaves by Lincoln, from an African American point of view. Using
Douglass's speech and the image of the monument , describe the
monument in terms of how it expresses the sentiment of African Americans
immediately after the Civil War. What does the monument tell you about
blacks' image of themselves generally and in relation to white society? Would the
monument have looked the same in 1886, after twenty years of violent
segregationist tactics and Jim Crow laws in the South? What might be
different and why?
3. In the speech, Douglass expresses a nuanced critique of black-white
relations in America. He argues, for instance, that Lincoln was first and
always a "white man's president." He also cautions against
blacks feeling forever indebted to whites for freeing them. Through his
arguments, what are some of the other ways that Douglass tries to instill
a sense of pride, accomplishment, and self-reliance in African Americans?
1. Frederick
Douglass wrote three versions of the narrative. The three versions are Narrative
of the Life of Frederick Douglass, An American Slave, Written by Himself (1845),
My Bondage and My Freedom (1855) and Life and Times of Frederick Douglass (1881). The first was written
at the urging of William Lloyd Garrison and other abolitionists as an
abolitionist tract. The second was meant to delve deeper into the
complexities of slavery, trying to give a more complex account of the
violence inherent in the institution of
slavery. This can be seen in such episodes as the beating of
Douglass' aunt (chapter 1 of the first version), the fight Douglass had
with the slave master, Edward Covey (Chapter 10 of the first version), and
Douglass' relationship with the master Thomas Auld (chapters 9 and 10 of
the first version). The final
version of the narrative was written after Reconstruction and has
additional observations on the Civil War and its aftermath. In a research
paper compare and contrast the three versions of the narrative, looking
for changes and additions. How would you account for the changes Douglass
made in his account of his life? How might the changes correspond with
historical developments?
2. Using Douglass's speech at the unveiling of the Freedmen's Monument to
begin, find other evidence of Douglass's life as a prominent American,
particularly in online links to material about Douglass. Examples might
include discussions he had at the White House with President Andrew
Johnson about Reconstruction, or the speech he gave on Negro Day at the
Chicago World's Fair in 1893. What might a narrative of his later life
include? What stance did he take as a spokesperson for African Americans?
Resource
Bedford source: Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, An American Slave, Written by Himself, edited with and introduction by David W. Blight (1993).
Print sources: The leading studies of Frederick Douglass’ life
are William S. McFeely’s Frederick
Douglass (1991), Nathan I. Huggins,
Slave and Citizen: The Life of Frederick Douglass (1980), Philip S. Foner, Frederick
Douglass: A Biography (1964), Waldo E. Martin Jr., The Mind of Frederick
Douglass (1984), David W. Blight, Frederick Douglass' Civil War: Keeping
Faith in Jubilee (1989), and Benjamin Quarles, Frederick
Douglass (1948). For information on Douglass’ early life, see Dickson J.
Preston, Young Frederick Douglass
(1980). Douglass himself wrote three versions of his own autobiography: The Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, An American Slave
(1845), an anti-slavery tract; My Bondage
and My Freedom (1855), which provides more personal reflection on the nature
of slavery; and The Life and Times of
Frederick Douglass, Written by Himself (1881), which discusses the Civil War
and Reconstruction. Written at different times and for different purposes, all
three are essential sources on his life and thought. For considerations of
Douglass’ autobiographies in context, see Robert B. Stepto, From
Behind the Veil: A Study of Afro-American Narrative (1979) and Peter Walker,
Moral Choices: Memory, Desire, and Imagination in Nineteenth-Century
Abolitionism (1978). For further examples of Douglass’ writings see John
W. Blassingame, ed., The Frederick
Douglass Papers (1979-), and Philip Foner, ed., The
Life and Writings of Frederick Douglass, 5 vols. (1950-1975). On
African American life during Reconstruction, see Leon Litwack, Been in the
Storm So Long: The Aftermath of Slavery (1979), and Eric Foner,
Reconstruction: America's Unfinished Revolution, 1863-1877 (1988).
Internet sources: To visit the web site for the Frederick Douglass National Historic Site in Washington, D.C., see <http://www.nps.gov/frdo/freddoug.html>. For an online exhibit on Douglass from the same museum, see <http://www.cr.nps.gov/csd/exhibits/douglass/overview.htm>. A photo gallery from the Frederick Douglass Museum and Cultural Center in Rochester, N.Y. is available at <http://www.ggw.org/freenet/f/fdm/gallery.html>.