History

Abolitionist Frederick Douglass to be remembered at events in Ireland

Anti-slavery campaigner’s time in country important to family due to ‘transformative’ impact

Frederick Douglass wrote about how heartened he was by his visit to Ireland. Photograph: MPI/Getty Images

Olivia Kelleher
Sat Jul 8 2023 - 11:48

American anti-slavery campaigner, social reformer, writer and statesman Frederick Douglass is to be remembered at events in Ireland and the US next week.

Frederick Douglass spent four months in Ireland in 1845 as part of a two-year speaking tour which also included Britain.

During the tour he delivered powerful speeches denouncing slavery and raised funds for the abolitionist cause in the United States.

Mr Douglass had escaped enslavement just seven years earlier at the age of 20. He described his time in Europe as “transformative” and key to the development of his political thinking.

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[ When emancipated slave Frederick Douglass met Daniel O’Connell in Dublin ]

Douglass returned home to the United States in 1847 and settled in Rochester in New York state where he published the anti-slavery North Star newspaper.

He also continued his remarkable career as an adviser to at least three US presidents, including Abraham Lincoln.

Two years ago, Kenneth B Morris, who is a great great great grandson of Mr Douglass, travelled to Cork to launch a walking trail which traces the footsteps of his famous ancestor.

Mr Morris told The Irish Times that seeing the Abolitionists Trail in Cork was an emotional experience for him.

“To walk in the footsteps that my great ancestor walked in over 170 years ago and to know that this place was so transformative for him at a time where he was still considered chattel property in the United States ... For him to come here at the age of 27 for the first time and to really feel like a man not being judged by the colour of his skin. Not feeling the heat of the dogcatchers on his heels. So for the Douglass family it is really important that he was treated in the way in which he was here.”

This year, Douglas week celebrations will be held in Rochester with additional in-person and online events in Washington DC and Ireland. The week is organised by US non-profit organisation The Globe Lane Initiative. It will get under way this Monday, June 10th.

[ ‘Frederick Douglass and Ireland: In His Own Words’: A compelling account of a historic moment ]

Dr Caroline Dunham-Schroeter, who is a co-organiser of Douglass Week, said that the organisers are delighted to be able to commemorate the efforts of Douglass to abolish slavery.

“We believe it’s vital to bring these stories to the locations where he had an impact during his lifetime, and we hope to bring his legacy to a wider audience, including more young people,” she said.

An inaugural Douglass Week was held in Cork in 2021.

Next Wednesday, Dr Adrian Mulligan of Bucknell University in Pennsylvania will lead a guided tour of the Abolitionists Trail in Cork. This is a walking route of sites where Douglass lived and spoke during his time in Cork.

Additional events on Frederick Douglass in Ireland include an online Anti-Slavery Belfast Tour by Mark Doherty and Dr Tom Thorpe, on July 14th. Two days later there will be a virtual workshop in Barrettstown, Co Kildare.

Members of the public are also encouraged to tune in online to attend a host of events ranging from a screening of a play about Douglass’ relationship with Lincoln, to talks about the role of museums, curators and activism and the history of the Underground Railroad in the United States.

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