Frederick Douglass in Newburgh: Home
Frederick Douglass came to Newburgh on August 11, 1870 as part of his speaking tour on the 15th Amendment.
In His Own Words
Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave by ISBN: 9780300088311Publication Date: 2001-02-08This is Frederick Douglass's account of his life in bondage as a slave and his triumph over oppression. Originally published in 1845, this edition includes a chronology of Douglass's life, historical notes and reader responses to the 1845 edition.
The Oxford Frederick Douglass Reader by ISBN: 9780195091182Publication Date: 1996-01-18The Oxford Frederick Douglass Reader collects in one volume the most outstanding and representative work from Frederick Douglass's fifty-year writing career, including all the major genres in which he worked: autobiography, journalism, oratory, and fiction.
My Bondage and My Freedom by ISBN: 9781976348433Publication Date: 2017-09-13My Bondage and My Freedom is an autobiographical slave narrative written by Frederick Douglass and published in 1855. It is the second of three autobiographies written by Douglass, and is mainly an expansion of his first (Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass), discussing in greater detail his transition from bondage to liberty. Following this liberation, Douglass, a former slave, went on to become a prominent abolitionist, speaker, author, and publisher.
Life and Times of Frederick Douglass by ISBN: 3849554198Publication Date: 2013-08-01In this engrossing narrative he recounts early years of abuse; his dramatic escape to the North and eventual freedom, abolitionist campaigns, and his crusade for full civil rights for former slaves. It is also the only of Douglass' autobiographies to discuss his life during and after the Civil War, including his encounters with American Presidents such as Lincoln, Grant, and Garfield.
What To the Slave is the Fourth of July
Frederick Douglass National Historic Site
Useful Websites for more information on Frederick Douglass
- American Writers Museum Virtual Exhibit: Frederick Douglass: AgitatorExplore this virtual exhibit. From the end of the Civil War until his passing in 1895 Douglass continued his public speaking with more than 800 speeches. He also wrote all the time, published his newspaper, and served in various government positions for more than 30 years.
- Frederick Douglass: A Resource GuideFrederick Douglass was an abolitionist, orator, and the first African American leader of national stature in United States history. This guide provides access to primary source digital materials at the Library, as well as links to external resources.
- Frederick Douglass Newspapers, 1847-1874This online collection presents newspapers edited by Frederick Douglass (1818-1895), the African American abolitionist who escaped slavery and became one of the most famous orators, authors, and journalists of the 19th century. Douglass believed in the importance of the black press and in his leadership role within it, despite the struggles of earlier black newspaper enterprises.
- Frederick Douglass Papers at the Library of CongressThe online collection, containing approximately 7,400 items (38,000 images), spans the years 1841-1964, with the bulk of the material dating from 1862 to 1865. Many of Douglass’s earlier writings were destroyed when his house in Rochester, New York, burned in 1872.
- Frederick Douglass | Orator, Editor, and AbolitionistPBS FREE, standards-aligned videos, interactives, lesson plans on Frederick Douglass
Frederick Douglass in Newburgh
The 150th Anniversary of Frederick Douglass’ Visit to Newburgh
Did you know the Newburgh Free Library was the site of the Opera House where Frederick Douglass spoke? In just 5 years from the passage of the 13th Amendment ending slavery, two more momentous civil rights amendments were enacted. The passage of the 14th Amendment to the Constitution on July 28, 1868 made African-Americans citizens of the United States. Less than two years later, on Feb. 3, 1870, the 15th Amendment granted African American men the right to vote. In celebration of the successful passage of the 15th Amendment, abolitionist and AME minister Frederick Douglass conducted a national speaking tour; and, on August 11, 1870, he came to Newburgh. An estimated that 4,000 people came here to listen to him at the opera house. The library /BOE complex now encompasses the property where the opera house once stood. He also took part in a march on Washington Street and visited the AME Zion church.
- Newburgh Daily Journal Article August 12, 1870, pg. 3Newburgh Daily Journal Article on August 12, 1870, pg. 3 regarding his visit.
- Frederick Douglass in Newburgh FB GroupIn honor of Frederick Douglass' visit to Newburgh in 1870 and his legacy of voter rights, a city-wide commemoration is being planned for 2020 for the city's residents and visitors. #FrederickDouglassinNewburgh.
- Frederick Douglass Walking TourThis is a self-guided walk of sites in Newburgh steeped in African American history. Tour stops include the Alsdorf School of Music and Dance, AME Zion Church, and Downing Park. The locations outlined in a printed map are a project sponsored by the County of Orange and Orange County Tourism.
- Frederick Douglass in Newburgh, August 11, 1870-August 11, 2020150th anniversary of Frederick Douglass in Newburgh, NY August 11, 1870-August 11, 2020, History presentation by Johanna Porr Yaun, Orange County, NY Historian
