[Congressional Record Volume 161, Number 148 (Thursday, October 8, 2015)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1455]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                     IN HONOR OF FREDERICK DOUGLASS

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                        HON. ELIJAH E. CUMMINGS

                              of maryland

                    in the house of representatives

                       Thursday, October 8, 2015

  Mr. CUMMINGS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Frederick Douglass, 
a Maryland native who made tremendous contributions to our country. 
This year marks the 170th anniversary of his first autobiography, 
Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, An American Slave, Written 
by Himself which gives us a first glimpse of his remarkable life.
  Born into chattel slavery on February 14, 1818 on the Wye Plantation 
near Tuckahoe, Maryland, Frederick Augustus Washington Bailey became 
internationally known as Frederick Douglass, a champion in his own time 
for eliminating slavery and an impassioned voice demanding freedom for 
all.
  In 1838, he married Anna Murray, a free born black woman who provided 
him with money to escape slavery. Together they settled in New Bedford, 
Massachusetts and raised four children.
  After escaping slavery, Mr. Douglass began to work for the abolition 
of slavery in the United States. In 1845, Mr. Douglass wrote and 
published the Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, An American 
Slave, Written by Himself. It is the first of a trilogy of 
autobiographical writings. The second, entitled My Bondage and My 
Freedom, was published in 1855, and the final work, titled The Life and 
Times of Frederick Douglass, was published in 1881.
  The first autobiography, like its successors, described the system of 
chattel slavery and Mr. Douglass' rejection of its premise that he, 
like other slaves, was not a human being. Stunningly direct in its 
portrayal of friends and foes, the autobiographies present the 
conflicts between freedom and slavery. This book recounts the honors of 
slavery, his courageous efforts to educate himself, and his harrowing 
but successful escape.
  In 1847, Mr. Douglass published the North Star, a weekly abolitionist 
newspaper. It was the first of 4 newspapers he owned and wrote for as a 
journalist.
  A strong supporter of women's rights, in 1848, Mr. Douglass attended 
the critical Seneca Falls Convention in Seneca Falls, New York for 
women's suffrage and supported women's right to vote.
  In 1852, Mr. Douglass gave what is regarded as the greatest 
abolitionist speech, ``What to the Slave Is the Fourth of July?'' in 
Rochester, NY.
  In 1863, during the middle of the Civil War, Mr. Douglass met with 
President Lincoln and successfully persuaded him to allow black men to 
fight for the Union. This led to the formation of the 54th 
Massachusetts Regiment, the first all-black combat regiment.
  In addition to his writings, Mr. Douglass served his country in a 
number of government positions. In 1871, he was appointed by President 
Grant as Assistant Secretary to the Santo Domingo Commission. In 1876, 
he was appointed by President Hayes as United States Marshal for the 
District of Columbia. In 1881, he accepted an appointment from 
President Garfield as Recorder of Deeds for the District of Columbia. 
And in 1889, he was appointed by President Harrison as Minister and 
Consul General to Haiti.
  In 1894, at the Metropolitan African Methodist Church in Washington, 
D.C., Mr. Douglass delivered ``Lessons of the Hour,'' a searing 
critique of lynching.
  A year later, at the age of 77, Mr. Douglass died of a heart attack 
at Cedar Hill, his home in the Anacostia neighborhood of Washington, 
D.C.
  Today, Cedar Hill is a national historic site where visitors from 
around the world can learn about the many contributions of Frederick 
Douglass, an American treasure who dedicated his life to winning 
freedom for all Americans.

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