[United States Statutes at Large, Volume 126, 112th Congress, 2nd Session]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]


Public Law 112-174
112th Congress

An Act


 
To direct the Joint Committee on the Library to accept a statue
depicting Frederick Douglass from the District of Columbia and to
provide for the permanent display of the statue in Emancipation Hall of
the United States Capitol. <>

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. FINDINGS.

Congress finds the following:
(1) Frederick Douglass, born Frederick Augustus Washington
Bailey in Maryland in 1818, escaped from slavery and became a
leading writer, orator, and publisher, and one of the Nation's
most influential advocates for abolitionism, women's suffrage,
and the equality of all people.
(2) The contributions of Frederick Douglass over many
decades were crucial to the abolition of slavery, the passage of
the 13th, 14th, and 15th Amendments to the Constitution of the
United States, the support for women's suffrage, and the
advancement of African-Americans after the Civil War.
(3) After living in New Bedford, Massachusetts, Frederick
Douglass resided for 25 years in Rochester, New York, where he
published and edited ``The North Star'', the leading African-
American newspaper in the United States, and other publications.
(4) Self-educated, Frederick Douglass wrote several
influential books, including his best-selling first
autobiography, ``Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an
American Slave'', published in 1845.
(5) Frederick Douglass worked tirelessly for the
emancipation of African-American slaves, was a pivotal figure in
Underground Railroad activities, and was an inspiration to
enslaved Americans who aspired to freedom.
(6) As a well-known speaker in great demand, Frederick
Douglass traveled widely, visiting countries such as England and
Ireland, to spread the message of emancipation and equal rights.
(7) Frederick Douglass was the only African-American to
attend the Seneca Falls Convention, a women's rights convention
held in Seneca Falls, New York in 1848.
(8) During the Civil War, Frederick Douglass recruited
African-Americans to volunteer as soldiers for the Union Army,
including 2 of his sons, who served nobly in the Fifty-Fourth
Massachusetts Regiment.
(9) In 1872, Frederick Douglass moved to Washington, DC,
after a fire destroyed his home in Rochester, New York.

[[Page 1312]]

(10) Frederick Douglass was appointed as a United States
Marshal in 1877 and was named Recorder of Deeds for the District
of Columbia in 1881.
(11) Frederick Douglass became the first African-American to
receive a vote for nomination as President of the United States
at a major party convention for the 1888 Republican National
Convention.
(12) From 1889 to 1891, Frederick Douglass served as
minister-resident and consul-general to the Republic of Haiti.
(13) Frederick Douglass was recognized around the world as
one of the most important political activists in the history of
the United States.
(14) Frederick Douglass died in 1895 in Washington, DC and
is buried in Rochester, New York.
(15) Frederick Douglass's achievements and influence on the
history of the United States merit recognition in the United
States Capitol.
SEC. 2. ACCEPTANCE OF STATUE OF FREDERICK DOUGLASS FOR PLACEMENT
IN EMANCIPATION HALL.

(a) Acceptance.--Not later than 2 years after the date of the
enactment of this Act, the Joint Committee on the Library shall accept
from the District of Columbia the donation of a statue depicting
Frederick Douglass, subject to the terms and conditions that the Joint
Committee considers appropriate.
(b) Placement.--The Joint Committee shall place the statue accepted
under subsection (a) in a suitable permanent location in Emancipation
Hall of the United States Capitol.

Approved September 20, 2012.

LEGISLATIVE HISTORY--H.R. 6336:
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CONGRESSIONAL RECORD, Vol. 158 (2012):
Sept. 10, considered and passed House.
Sept. 12, considered and passed Senate.