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Frederick Douglass
Frederick Douglass (born Frederick Augustus Washington Bailey, February 1817 or 1818 – February 20, 1895) was an American social reformer, abolitionist, orator, writer, and statesman. After escaping from slavery in Maryland, he became a national leader of the abolitionist movement in Massachusetts and New York, becoming famous for his oratory and incisive antislavery writings. Accordingly, he was described by abolitionists in his time as a living counterexample to slaveholders' arguments that slaves lacked the intellectual capacity to function as independent American citizens. Northerners at the time found it hard to believe that such a great orator had once been a slave. It was in response to this disbelief that Douglass wrote his first autobiography. Douglass wrote three autobiographies, describing his experiences as a slave in his '' Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave'' (1845), which became a bestseller and was influential in promot ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Helen Pitts Douglass
Helen Pitts Douglass (1838–1903) was an American suffragist, known for being the second wife of Frederick Douglass. She also created the Frederick Douglass Memorial and Historical Association, which became the Frederick Douglass National Historic Site. Early life and education She was born in Honeoye, New York, in 1838. Her parents were activists in the abolitionist and suffragist movements. She was also a descendant of John Alden and Priscilla Alden, who sailed to America on the ''Mayflower'', and a cousin of John and John Quincy Adams. Pitts graduated from Mount Holyoke College (then called the Mount Holyoke Female Seminary) in 1859. After her graduation, she returned to her parents' home in Honeoye. After the U.S. Civil War, she taught at the Hampton Institute, a school that educated black men and women. While teaching at the institution, she caused local controversy by accusing several local residents of directing insults and abuse towards her students, resulting in thei ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
