Publisher Description
In 1852, Frederick Douglass, former slave and, by then, a leading figure in the abolitionist movement was asked by the Rochester Ladies' Anti-Slavery Association to address the group for their July 4th celebration at Corinthian Hall in Rochester, New York. Delivered, in fact, on the 5th of July, the speech caused an immediate sensation and swiftly became a seminal rallying cry of the abolitionist movement in America. The audience in Rochester included none other than President Millard Fillmore (along with a group of politicians from Washington) as well as some of the most important leaders of the abolitionist movement at the time. Through the years, Douglass' powerful words have only grown in stature, resonance and importance. His timeless message and elegant prose have made this speech - here presented in its unabridged, original format - one of the greatest orations in history.
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About Frederick Douglass
Frederick Douglass (1818–1895), né Frederick Augustus Washington Bailey, was born into slavery in Maryland. Upon successfully escaping slavery—on his third attempt—in 1838, Douglass became one of the key leaders of the abolitionist movement in the United States. An extremely gifted orator, he repeatedly risked his own freedom as an antislavery speaker, writer, and statesman. A firm believer in equality for all people, including Native Americans, women, and immigrants, Douglass was also an activist in the women’s suffrage movement. He died in Washington DC, shortly after he attended a meeting of the National Council of Women, where he had received a standing ovation for his enormous contribution to human rights.