In the long history of the Black Freedom Struggle, few individuals are as captivating Frederick Douglass. A former slave who worked ceaselessly for Black freedom, civil rights, and women’s equality, Douglass was a remarkable figure whose life (and connection to Coventry) is an expiring example for learners and thinkers of all ages. The Frederick Douglass in Coventry Project aims to reconnect Coventry with this overlooked part of our shared history and tell the story of not just of Douglass’s visits, but the example he set and the values he helped to inspire.
Born a slave around 1817, Douglass spent the first 21 years of his life as a slave in the state of Maryland. Despite being denied an education – most masters believed it was dangerous to teach slaves how to read or write. Despite this, Douglass was able to trick local white children into teaching him his letters. This opened up a completely new world to Douglass, who learned new concepts and ideas, and set him on the path to freedom. Douglass escaped slavery in 1838 and quickly became a leading voice in the abolitionist movement. In 1845 he published his first volume of autobiography, the Narrative of the Life of Frederick, An American Slave, a landmark piece of African American literature.
Fearing that his former exploiter would attempt to kidnap him back into slavery, Douglass travelled to Britain in 1845 where he commenced on a long speaking tour. In January of 1847, Douglass visited the city of Coventry, where he delivered three public lectures between January 21st in February 2nd. The final of these lectures was delivered at St. Mary’s Guild Hall to a receptive and enthusiastic audience. When he took the stage, Douglass noted that he was surrounded by a ‘sea of upturned faces [who] filled him with hope that the day was not far distant when there would be not a slave in all the world’.
The Frederick Douglass in Coventry Project is a collaboration between staff and students of the History program at Coventry University. We believe that by studying the past, we can shape the future – and there are few better examples for us to look to than that set by Douglass.