WHERE: 1411 W. St., Anacostia neighborhood in southeast Washington D.C.
WHEN: 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 or 5:00 p.m.
WHAT: Detailed tours of the former home of Frederick Douglass, including a film and visitor’s center.
Frederick Douglass was born into slavery in February of 1818 and spent the first years of his life moving from plantation to plantation, and owner to owner.
In 1838, after one failed attempt at escape, he did gain his freedom by wearing a borrowed Sailor Uniform and ID. From here he began his mission to educate people about the horrors of slavery. Fast becoming one of America’s first great black speakers, he gave his first public speech at the Massachusetts Anti-Slavery Society Annual Convention. His speech was eloquent and powerful and encouraged many people to rise up against slavery.
Some of his most noted accomplishments include writing his autobiography “Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, An American Slave”. Also, he was an advisor to Abraham Lincoln during the Civil War in 1863 and 1864 and a strong advocate of Women’s Rights. After many meetings and speeches he retired his post of the Consul to Haiti and went home to continue his fight against slavery. In 1895, after speaking at the National Council of Women, he died of a heart attack at his home in Anacostia Heights, Washington DC.
Frederick Douglass National Historic Site
