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Frederick Douglass on Liberty and Self-Reliance
"Personal independence is a virtue and it is the soul out of which comes the sturdiest manhood. But there can be no independence without a large share of self-dependence, and this virtue cannot be bestowed. It must be developed from within..."
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For Black History Month, we highlight one of America's foremost intellectuals and greatest figures in the American antislavery movement: Frederick Douglass.
Douglass told the story of his escape from slavery and his arguments against that "hateful thing" were some of the most persuasive of the time. Douglass's impressive oratory skills sent him to the national stage, where he influenced other American contemporaries such as Abraham Lincoln, William Lloyd Garrison, and John Brown.
Douglass believed the Founding principles, if applied as intended, would uphold freedom for every person: "In that instrument I hold there is neither warrant, license, nor sanction of the hateful thing [slavery]; but interpreted as it ought to be interpreted, the Constitution is a GLORIOUS LIBERTY DOCUMENT."
In his famous "Self-Made Men" lecture, Douglass emphasized the significance of self-dependence:
"Self-made men ... are the men who owe little or nothing to birth, relationship, friendly surroundings; to wealth inherited or to early approved means of education; who are what they are, without the aid of any of the favoring conditions by which other men usually rise in the world and achieve great results."
Douglass's faith in self-sufficiency was underscored by his belief in the American tradition of liberty through self-government.
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From Slavery to a National Stage
Frederick Douglass was born Frederick Augustus Washington Bailey in February 1818. Born a slave, Douglass only saw his mother a handful of times and never knew his father, who was white. At the age of 8, Douglass was hired out as a servant in Baltimore. While there, he taught himself to read and studied natural rights, debate, and historical speeches.
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At the age of 15, he was returned to eastern Maryland, where he rebelled by plotting escape, educating his fellow slaves, and physically fighting with his captors. Douglass's master, irritated by his rebelliousness, sent him back to Baltimore, where he successfully escaped to New York City a free man. He married Anna Murray, a free woman who had aided his escape, and they moved to Massachusetts, where they adopted the name "Douglass."
Becoming a Public Figure
Soon, Douglass began attending abolitionist meetings and speaking on his experiences as a slave. His story became even more widespread after he published Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass in 1845. Douglass traveled abroad speaking on his book and then became involved in the hotbed of reform activity in Rochester, New York. Here, he promoted the women's rights movement and became more poltically active.
By the time of the Civil War, Douglass had gained enough clout to meet with President Lincoln to discuss the unequal treatment of black soldiers. He also argued intensely for the passage of the 13th, 14th, and 15th Amendments.
After the war, Douglass moved to Washington, D.C., where he served under 5 presidents as U.S. Marshal for D.C., Recorder of Deeds for D.C., and Minister Resident and Consul General to Haiti. Right up until his death on February 20, 1895, Douglass continued to be an activist for black equality and women's rights.
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If you would like to learn more, click here to peruse a collection of works by Jack Miller Center faculty partners and others on the African-American experience, the political contributions of Black Americans, and more.
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Will you join us in the effort?
Our impact is expanding. As of this fall, one million students have been taught by a JMC fellow. We need your help to ensure many more young citizens learn about America's history and its founding principles.
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Black History Month Collection Highlights
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Where Does Frederick Douglass Fit in the Libertarian Tradition?
JMC faculty partner Nicholas Buccola considers Douglass's place in and his lasting contribution to the classical liberal movement in America.
Watch the video on YouTube >>
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Justin Dyer, Natural Law and the Antislavery Constitutional Tradition. (Cambridge University Press, 2012)
Jonathan White (editor), "The Civil War Letters of Tillman Valentine, Third U.S. Colored Troops." (Pennsylvania Magazine of History and Biography 139.2, April 2015)
Peter Myers, “Frederick Douglass’s America: Race, Justice, and the Promise of the Founding.” (The Heritage Foundation, January 11, 2011)
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About the Jack Miller Center
The Jack Miller Center is a 501(c)(3) public charity with the mission to reinvigorate education in America's founding principles and history. We work to advance the teaching and study of America's history, its political and economic institutions, and the central principles, ideas and issues arising from the American and Western traditions—all of which continue to animate our national life.
We support professors and educators through programs, resources, fellowships and more to help them teach our nation's students.
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