Did Frederick Douglass Influence The Lives Of African Americans

Frederick Douglass was a renowned abolitionist, intellectual, and orator. Born into slavery as Frederick Augustus Washington Bailey, he would eventually successfully escape from slavery on September 3, 1838 and go on to live a very successful life. His life would include three autobiographies, various speeches and literary works, and he would be known as one of the driving forces for the prosperity of the black population in the United States. Douglass would spend many years (his very last years included) in the heart of the United States, Washington D.C. Washington D.C. was the home of numerous successful and well-known African Americans. This elites group would be the voices of the majority of African Americans who did not have one. They

In order to understand Frederick Douglass’ influence in Washington D.C., it must first be recognized that Frederick Douglass contribution the black community and his desire for racial uplift had been his political agenda for a very long time prior to his migration to Washington D.C. in the later half of his life. Douglass describes his introduction to abolitionism during the summer of 1841.1 Douglass had attended an anti-slavery convention in Nantucket, Massachusetts. He was then asked to say a few words to the crowd by William C. Coffin. Coffin was a prominent abolitionist who had once heard Douglass speaking to his black friends at Douglass’ church prior to this convention. Douglass found giving the speech to be difficult, but this would soon lead to his reputation as a well known orator. Douglass would begin mainly speaking about his experience as a slave who escaped to freedom, but would soon join in the abolitionist movement and start to spread his thought on the African Americans situation in the United States. This initial speech would be what caused him to become and abolitionist and later an advocate for African Americans. In his first autobiography, Douglass ends it by expressing the influence this speech

Like many African American leaders, Douglass actively participated in various organizations and conventions. In 1866, Douglass attended a convention of colored men in order to express their concerns about reconstruction and the impact on African Americans. The Convention of Colored Men would go on to select delegates, including Douglass, to meet with President Johnson to discuss the resolutions they had developed.4 The main topic of discussion was black men’s ability to vote. While this meeting was not Douglass’ first time discussing his concern for the future of African Americans with a political figure (or even a president), this is a prime of how dedicated these elite African American men were to ensuring the prosperity of black people. Frederick Douglass, the chairman, alongside George T. Downing, the chairman, would be the most out spoken when talking to the president. Even though Douglass is not he leader of the discussion, he does not hesitate to directly confront the president on the injustice of not allowing black men to vote. This also was not Douglass’ first encounter with president, Douglass had worked with President Abraham Lincoln, while Johnson was vice president. Douglass questions why African American don’t have the right to vote and other rights of white male citizens. “The fact that we are subjects of Government, and subject to taxation, subject to being drafted, subject to