Person

Frederick Douglass

Related Excerpts

An "Information Wanted" advertisement from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Courtesy of the National Archives.

Last Seen: Finding Family After Slavery

Last Seen is recovering stories of families separated in the domestic slave trade. The following explains how the project engages with these family histories.

American Secular

The founding moment of the United States brought a society newly freed from religion. What went wrong?
Abolitionist image of an enslaved man in chains and the words "Am I not a man and a brother?"

The Truth About Abolition

The movement finally gets the big, bold history it deserves.
Booker T. Washington writing at a desk.

Toward a Usable Black History

It will help black Americans to recall that they have a history that transcends victimization and exclusion.

There's No National Site Devoted to Reconstruction—Yet

The National Parks Service, which preserves many Civil War sites, is finally looking for a way to mark the struggles that defined its legacy.

Black History Is American History

What is the greatest libertarian accomplishment of all time? The abolition of slavery.

The Problem of Slavery

David Brion Davis’s philosophical history.

Straight Razors and Social Justice: The Empowering Evolution of Black Barbershops

Black barbershops are a symbol of community, and they provide a window into our nation's complicated racial dynamics.

Origins of Black History Month

Why did Carter G. Woodson choose February, and what was his vision for the annual commemoration?
Eagle on the front cover of Lynd's "Origins of American Radicalism" book
partner

The Return of Staughton Lynd

A look back at the historian's work suggests that contemporary radicals may be all too invested in the myth of American consensus.

Making Sense of Robert E. Lee

“It is well that war is so terrible, or we should grow too fond of it.”— Robert E. Lee, at Fredericksburg
Photograph of Martin Luther King Jr. speaking into microphones.

Let Justice Roll Down

"Those who expected a cheap victory in a climate of complacency were shocked into reality by Selma."