Artifact web addres:
http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/doughtml/dougFolder8.html
By examining the invitation to the unveiling of the Thomas Statue, a lot can be said about the time period and Frederick Douglas himself. Looking at this artifact, it is obvious that it is antiquated from the usage of the style of text as well as the content within the invitation. However, more can be said about Frederick Douglas and the prestigious, well respected man he was. During the late 1800’s it was very uncommon for a black man to be invited to such events, therefore this artifact reiterates how influential Douglas was. Examining this artifact also poses some questions. It causes one to wonder what sort of relationship the Society of the Army of the Cumberland and Douglas had so that he and his family were personally invited to this event. Also, one could question what sort of affect the possible attendance of Frederick Douglas to this event had on the members of the nearby community and the supporters of the Army of the Cumberland. Did the outright support of a black man lessen or increase the following of the Army of the Cumberland? All these questions and many more can be posed by looking at this simple artifact, which can be researched and further examined, then can help to better explain Douglas and his impact.
Professor Sample, I’m afraid I have no idea how to make a new post. I do know how to comment though! Hope this works:
Invitation File, 1890-1892
Link: http://memory.loc.gov/cgi-bin/ampage?collId=mfd&fileName=46/46005/46005page.db&recNum=0&itemLink=/ammem/doughtml/dougFolder8.html&linkText=7
From looking at the artifact itself, I can see that it is written entirely in French. It is a very official looking document sent to Douglass by the President of Haiti, General Hyppolite in the year 1890 (45 years after Narrative of the Life was published). The artifact is an invitation, from as much as I can tell, welcoming Douglass to visit the President in the National Palace.
This artifact reveals the extent of Douglass’ fame and influence. Haiti was the first black republic to declare independence, so it is understandable why they would want to invite him, being the foremost black figure in that period of time. What is incredible is that 45 years after his book was published, he was still sought after. This is very telling about Douglass’ character. He never stopped working for his cause and was still seen as an icon 45 years after he first broke through. Many figures in history just pop in and out, but Douglass lit up the world stage for decades, so much so that he was still touring foreign governments nearly half a century later.
After reading over this artifact, I wonder how many foreign governments Douglass toured in his lifetime. Did he travel the world championing the abolitionists’ cause? Did he do work in other countries to improve the lives of their people, or did he mainly focus on the United States?
Professor Sample, I’m afraid I have no idea how to make a new post. I do know how to comment though! Hope this works:
Invitation File, 1890-1892
Link: http://memory.loc.gov/cgi-bin/ampage?collId=mfd&fileName=46/46005/46005page.db&recNum=0&itemLink=/ammem/doughtml/dougFolder8.html&linkText=7
From looking at the artifact itself, I can see that it is written entirely in French. It is a very official looking document sent to Douglass by the President of Haiti, General Hyppolite in the year 1890 (45 years after Narrative of the Life was published). The artifact is an invitation, from as much as I can tell, welcoming Douglass to visit the President in the National Palace.
This artifact reveals the extent of Douglass’ fame and influence. Haiti was the first black republic to declare independence, so it is understandable why they would want to invite him, being the foremost black figure in that period of time. What is incredible is that 45 years after his book was published, he was still sought after. This is very telling about Douglass’ character. He never stopped working for his cause and was still seen as an icon 45 years after he first broke through. Many figures in history just pop in and out, but Douglass lit up the world stage for decades, so much so that he was still touring foreign governments nearly half a century later.
After reading over this artifact, I wonder how many foreign governments Douglass toured in his lifetime. Did he travel the world championing the abolitionists’ cause? Did he do work in other countries to improve the lives of their people, or did he mainly focus on the United States?