Frederick Douglas and Abolition Printing

In the early-to-mid 1800s, a group of activists called Abolitionists fought for the end of slavery. Frederick Douglass was one of the leaders of this movement. He started a newspaper called North Star and was a supporter of women’s rights. What else did Frederick

Douglass do to influence American people?

In the early-to-mid 1800s, a group of activists called abolitionists fought for the end of slavery. These men and women traveled around the country using a variety of tactics, including holding meetings, making speeches, and leading protests to promote their cause. One of the more popular methods abolitionists used was printing. Because of advances in printing presses, abolitionists could quickly and cheaply print pamphlets, newsletters, and newspapers to help spread the word about ending slavery. One of the leaders of the abolition movement was Frederick Douglass. Douglass was a powerful speaker, a talented writer, and a popular organizer during the 19th century. His abilities combined with his experiences as a former slave prepared him to become a national abolitionist leader.

Unknown. (n.d.). Frederick Douglass. Library of Congress: Prints & Photographs.

Douglass, a former slave who learned how to read and write, strongly believed in the power of the written and spoken word. In 1847, Douglass started a newspaper, seen here, called the North Star, to help promote causes that ranged from abolition to education to women’s rights.

Douglass, F. (1849). The North Star. Library of Congress: Exhibitions, American Treasures of the Library of Congress.

Frederick Douglass also published an autobiography. The “Narrative of Frederick Douglass” was one of the most widely-read abolitionist texts in the 1800s.

Douglass, Frederick (1849). Narrative of the life of Frederick Douglass, and American slave / written by himself. Library of Congress: American Memory, The Capital and the Bay: Narratives of Washington and the Chesapeake Bay Region, 1600-1925.

William Lloyd Garrison co-founded the Anti-Slavery Society in 1833 with abolitionist Arthur Tappan. The society wanted to make the abolitionist cause more popular nationwide and openly campaigned for an end to slavery. Seen here is a broadside (a single printed sheet popular in the 1700s and 1800s) from the Society’s annual almanac.

American Anti-Slavery Society (1840). Illustrations of the Anti-Slavery Almanac for 1840. Library of Congress: Exhibitions, The African-American Mosaic: African-American Culture and History .

Abolitionists like Frederick Douglass also used popular songs to spread their message. In this document, William Wells Brown, a former slave like Douglass, writes this poem to begin his songbook.

Brown, W. W. (1848). The Anti-Slavery Harp: A Collection of Songs for Anti-slavery Meetings. Library of Congress: American Memory, African American Odyssey.