It’s hard to find anyone these days who can honestly say they’ve never heard of “Hamilton”. Lin-Manuel Miranda’s 2015 hit Broadway musical, which was later released on “Disney+” during the COVID-19 pandemic, has already cemented itself as the fourth highest grossing theatre production of all time, with nearly 3,000 world-wide viewings raking in just shy of a billion dollars USD as of 2024.
The play chronicles the life of America’s previously oft-forgotten founding father Alexander Hamilton, from his role in the revolution to his more scandalous personal life, shining light on one of history’s most interesting figures. But Hamilton, as fascinating as his life may be, is far from the only intriguing historical character of ages past. Although there are hundreds of people who deserve their own spot on the stages of Broadway, here’s one particular 19th century abolitionist preacher who would certainly give Miranda plenty of material for a sequel.
Early Life
For an African-American living in a time of rampant social injustice, Frederick Douglass accomplished much more than anyone could have anticipated.
Born into slavery in a Maryland plantation in 1818, Douglass never knew his father. His mother passing away when he was only six. Not long after, he was separated from his grandmother and given to Hugh Auld as a personal slave servant in Baltimore, Maryland.
As his new masters forbade him from learning, a 12-year-old Douglass would teach himself how to read and write in secrecy. At 16, he was sent to work as a farmhand under Edward Covey, who severely beat the young boy and further drove his desires for freedom.
Thankfully for Douglass, Baltimore’s status as a major transportation hub gave him the opportunity to escape northward to so-called “free states”, where slavery was illegal. In 1838, after smuggling himself onto a train leaving for the north, he crossed through Delaware and Pennsylvania before eventually reaching free-state New York, his entire journey to freedom taking less than 24 hours.
Once in the north, he moved again to Massachusetts, taking up residency in an abolitionist settlement populated primarily by fellow escapees. While in Massachusetts, the self-taught education he received would prove to come in handy, with Douglass becoming a licensed church preacher a year after his arrival.
Rise to Fame
While in Massachusetts, Douglass would meet and befriend an abolitionist newspaper editor named William Lloyd Garrison. In 1841, Garrison would invite Douglass to speak at the annual meeting of the New England Anti-Slavery Society. Douglass used his experience as a former slave to deliver an impassioned abolitionist speech to the convention which greatly boosted his standing among the intellectual anti-slavery community.
All throughout the remainder of the 1840s, Douglass would tour the country, advocating for the abolition of slavery while also writing an autobiography entitled “Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass”, which would go on to be a bestseller noted for its eloquent writing, writing which far surpassed the ability of many white authors at the time. By the 1850s, Frederick Douglass was one of the most famous Black men in the world.
While Douglass’ fame grew throughout the country, so did his infamy. After he considered running for a seat in the U.S. House of Representatives in 1854 (a seat he would have very likely easily won), he was advised not to by friends who feared the election of a black man to Congress could potentially provoke the southern states into secession.
The Civil War
When the country did finally split over slavery in 1860, into the Union in the north and Confederacy in the south, Douglass worked to bolster the Union army by personally financing efforts to promote enlistment among African-American communities.
Thanks in part to his efforts, nearly 200,000 black men enlisted to fight during the war, massively assisting the Union’s war effort and contributing to their victory over the Confederacy.
Also during this time, Douglass met with President Abraham Lincoln numerous times, advocating for improving the treatment of African-American soldiers and for using the opportunity presented by the war to end slavery. In 1865, that end did come, as the 13th Amendment to the Constitution forever outlawing slavery would be ratified.
But, as Douglass saw it, the end of slavery did not bring an end to his cause. For the rest of his life, Douglass would travel the country, advocating for tough reconstruction policies in the south and for measures designed to secure total equality for African-Americans.
Additionally, Douglass was an outspoken advocate for women’s suffrage, stating once “Let no man be kept from the ballot box because of his color. Let no woman be kept from the ballot box because of her sex”.
Later Life
Rather unusually for the time, Douglass had massive respect from the white political establishment, frequently advising several U.S. Presidents and other government officials.
During the 1888 Republican Convention, to determine the nominee for President, Douglass was invited to speak and received one delegate vote, which made him the first African-American to receive a vote for President at a major party convention.
Despite receiving respect, however, it’s undeniable he faced massive opposition throughout his entire life, particularly in the realm of elected politics. Although one of the nation’s foremost intellectuals, he was always denied the chance to enter into politics as a candidate due to his ethnicity and the desire of many northerners to not overly ‘offend’ southerners.
In 1889, he was appointed to the position of Ambassador to Haiti, a position he served until 1891. Four years later, on Feb. 20, 1895, he would pass away at the age of 77.
Frederick Douglass’ story truly shows the capability any person has for greatness. Even if born with every disadvantage, living in a time where you are considered lesser because of something you cannot control, it is still possible to rise up and change the world.
Sources
- 1888 Republican National Convention – Wikipedia
- Disney Plus ‘Hamilton’ Viewership Exceeds Those Who’ve Seen It Live, Research Company Says | Next TV.
- Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglass: Inside Their Complicated Relationship | HISTORY
- Williamsport: Boomtown on the Susquehanna
- Frederick Douglass
- Frederick Douglass | Biography, Accomplishments, & Facts | Britannica
