Frederick Douglass & Anna Murray Douglass

In this unforgettable installment of Love Through the Ages, we turn our gaze to 19th-century America and the remarkable bond between Frederick Douglass—once enslaved but destined to become a towering abolitionist—and Anna Murray Douglass, the free Black woman who risked everything to help him escape. From clandestine meetings in Baltimore to building a life together in New Bedford, we explore how their shared courage, steadfast devotion, and unbreakable faith in each other fueled a seismic shift in the fight against slavery. Discover the personal sacrifices Anna made—often out of the spotlight—that enabled Frederick’s meteoric rise as a speaker, writer, and champion of human rights. If you’re ready for a tale of love, peril, and an unrelenting pursuit of freedom, join us for an episode that proves true partnerships can reshape history.

Bibliography

Primary Sources

• Douglass, Frederick.
• Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave. Boston: Anti-Slavery Office, 1845.
• My Bondage and My Freedom. New York: Miller, Orton & Mulligan, 1855.
• Life and Times of Frederick Douglass. 1881; revised edition, Boston: De Wolfe & Fiske, 1892.
• Douglass, Rosetta.
• My Mother As I Recall Her. Privately published pamphlet, ca. 1900. (Recollections by Frederick and Anna’s eldest daughter.)
• Frederick Douglass Papers.
• Various letters, speeches, and documents housed at the Library of Congress, Washington, D.C., and other repositories.
• Online facsimiles and transcripts available at https://www.loc.gov/collections/frederick-douglass-papers.
• Contemporary Newspapers and Abolitionist Publications
• The Liberator (William Lloyd Garrison, ed.).
• The North Star (Frederick Douglass, ed.).

Secondary Sources

• Blight, David W.
• Frederick Douglass: Prophet of Freedom. New York: Simon & Schuster, 2018.
• A comprehensive modern biography providing in-depth analysis of Douglass’s life and the contributions of Anna Murray Douglass.
• Quarles, Benjamin.
• Frederick Douglass. Washington, D.C.: The Associated Publishers, 1948.
• One of the earliest major scholarly works on Douglass’s life and legacy, with references to Anna Murray Douglass.
• Fought, Leigh.
• Women in the World of Frederick Douglass. New York: Oxford University Press, 2017.
• Examines the roles and influences of the women in Douglass’s life, including Anna Murray Douglass.
• Andrews, William L.
• “Introduction.” In Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, by Frederick Douglass, xv–xxxvi. New York: Oxford University Press, 1999.
• Offers scholarly context on Douglass’s early life, escape, and family relationships.
• McFeely, William S.
• Frederick Douglass. New York: W.W. Norton, 1991.
• Provides biographical insights and discusses the Douglass family’s day-to-day experiences.

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