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The Frederick Douglass Organization
Frederick Douglass Biography
1859 - 1865
- 1859 the abolitionist Liberty Party headed by Gerrit Smith, later
with the new Republican Party. Endorses Republican John C. Fremont for
president in 1856.
- 1853, February Visits Harriet Beecher Stowe at her home.
- 1855, August Publishes second of his autobiographies My Bondage and
My Freedom, a more balanced account of his early life than the Narrative.
- 1855, September 12 Attends Liberty Party Convention at Ithaca, New
York; nominated for office of Secretary of State of New York, first
time such an honor conferred on an American Negro.
- 1857, May 11 Delivers lecture on “The Dred Scott Decision,”
before American Anti-Slavery Society in New York.
- 1858, February 1 John Brown stays at Douglass' home in Rochester while
perfecting plans for encouraging slave revolt.
- 1859, August 20 Meets Brown secretly at stone quarry near Chambersburg,
Pennsylvania; learns of plan to attack Harpers Ferry; refuses to join
Brown's forces.
- 1859, October 17 Delivers lecture on “Self-Made Men” at
Philadelphia; lecture interrupted by news of John Brown's raid at Harpers
Ferry; within a week hurries to Canada to evade arrest on charge of
being a Brown accomplice.
- 1859, November 12 Sails from Quebec for England, where he stays six
months.
- 1860, March 13 Daughter Annie dies.
- 1860, May Returns to United States on learning of death of ten years
old daughter Annie.
- 1860, August 29 Attends radical Abolition national convention at Syracuse;
chosen one of Two presidential electors-at-large; first time a Negro
nominated for such a post.
- 1860, December 3 Boston meeting to commemorate anniversary John Brown's
execution; attacked by pro-slavery mob and meeting disrupted.
- 1861, April 22 Hails news of northern determination to fight to save
the Union after attack on Fort Sumter; predicts destruction of Slavery
or destruction of the Union can be the war's only outcome; calls for
use of black troops in Union army.
- 1861, November Renews friendship with Garrisonians.
- 1862, December 31 Attends gathering at Boston's Tremont Temple to
celebrate the issuance of the Emancipation Proclamation, effective at
midnight.
- 1863 January 1 Joins in celebrations when announcement arrives that
Lincoln has issued the Emancipation Proclamation.
- 1863, February 24 Becomes an agent for the U.S. Government to recruit
Negro soldiers into the Union Army.
- 1863, February 27 Issues “Men of Color, To Arms.”
- 1863, February-July Travels throughout North recruiting black troops;
sons Lewis and Charles are among first to enlist; both see action with
Fifty-fourth Massachusetts Regiment.
- 1863, May 28 Sees departure of his two sons at Boston for South Carolina
in Massachusetts all-Negro Fifty-Fourth Regiment.
- 1863, July Visits President Lincoln, protests discrimination against
black troops; visits President Lincoln in White House to plead the case
of the Negro soldiers discriminated against the Union army; receives
assurance from Lincoln that problem will be given every consideration;
visits secretary of War Stanton and assured that he will receive a commission
in Union Army to Recruit Negro soldiers in South.
- 1863, August 10 Receives pass from President Lincoln enabling him
to go safely through the Union lines.
- 1863, August 16 Ceases publication of Douglass' Monthly, successor
to The North Star and Frederick Douglass' Papers, ending fifteen-year
career as editor and stating that he is going to the South to recruit
Negro soldiers.
- 1864, August 25 Called to White House by Lincoln for advice on problems
of Lincoln's re-election campaign; reverses earlier stand and endorse
Lincoln.
- 1864, November 17 Returns to Maryland for first visit in twenty-six
years; delivers six lectures in Baltimore; is reunited with sister Eliza
whom he has not seen for thirty years.
- 1865, March 4 Attends second Lincoln inauguration, is personally greeted
by the president at Inauguration Ball.
- 1865, April 15 Speaks at memorial meeting in Rochester on evening
following the assassination of Lincoln.
- 1865, April Speaks at annual meeting of Massachusetts Anti-Slavery
Society in Boston on “What the Black Man Wants.”
- 1865, May 30 Speaks at memorial meeting on life and death of Lincoln
called by Negroes of New York City after New York Common Council refused
to permit Negroes to participate in the funeral procession when Lincoln's
body passed through the city.
- 1865, August 17 Thanks Mrs. Lincoln for sending him the martyred president's
walking stick.
- 1865, October Delivers lecture at inauguration of Douglass Institute,
school for Negro children established in his honor in Baltimore.
- 1865- After Lincoln's assassination, denounces President Johnson's
1866 - 1887