Frederick Douglass in Britain and Ireland, 1845-1895

This critical edition documents Frederick Douglass’s relationship with Britain and Ireland through unexplored oratory and print culture. A self-emancipated Maryland-born slave, Douglass became one of the best-known opponents of slavery. He travelled three times to Britain and Ireland (1845-47, 1859-60, and 1886-87). Through documents mostly never republished before, the editors explore the historical significance of Douglass’s transatlantic travels. With a comprehensive 60,000 word introduction that places the speeches, letters, poetry and images printed here in context, the sources provide extraordinary insights into the myriad performative techniques Douglass used to win support for the causes of emancipation and human rights. The editors examine how Douglass employed various media—letters, speeches, interviews and his autobiographies—to convince the transatlantic public, not only that his works were worth reading and his voice worth hearing, but also that the fight against racism would continue after his death. The volume shows that Douglass’s visits to the UK were essential to his self-fashioning, and that in turn his impact on British society was the greatest of all African Americans to visit Britain. Additional documents by Douglass about his British and Irish travels show that he recalled the uplifting experiences across the Atlantic in the rhetorical arguments he advanced on behalf of the cause of African Americans.