“To Remove the Mask from Her Face”: 1845–1847

Chapter 1 examines Douglass’s first antislavery lecturing tour of Ireland and Britain. Douglass was able to capitalize upon an existing network of abolitionist organizations across the British Isles to reach very large audiences and achieve unparalleled celebrity status for a visiting African American. The chapter describes how Douglass’s performances evolved as he discovered how to best relate his antislavery arguments to audiences of varied class and social backgrounds. Douglass learned when to comment on local issues such as the Free Church of Scotland and when better to remain silent as regards Chartism in the ultimate interest of his abolition cause. The chapter also studies the impact of this British visit upon Douglass’s development of self-confidence that would allow him to break with former white abolitionist mentors after his return to the United States.