Beschreibung:

ARCHIVE OF DOUGLASS ENDORSEMENTS FROM HIS YEARS AS RECORDER OF DEEDS. Born a slave, Frederick Douglass escaped in early adulthood and went on to become one of the nation's most prominent abolitionists, as well as a newspaper publisher, orator, and public servant. The first of his three memoirs, Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, is justly celebrated as a landmark work of American literature. In addition to his abolitionist work, Douglass also became a champion of women's rights. He was an associate of John Brown and a letter from Douglass was found on Brown when he was captured, forcing Douglass to flee to Canada to avoid being charged as an accomplice in Brown's raid on Harper's Ferry. He later returned to the US and was not charged. During the Civil War he was involved in recruiting African-American soldiers for the 54th Massachussetts regiment. At one point after the war he was nominated for Vice-President on the Equal Rights Party's ticket. President Ulysses S. Grant appointed Douglass as Recorder of Deeds for the District of Columbia, then a high-paying job. Douglass held the position for four years, resigning in 1884 to spend the next two years traveling to Europe and Africa with his second wife. This lot features a large collection of over 300 District of Columbia area deeds from 1881 to 1884, most signed by Douglass in his capacity as recorder of deeds ("Fred.k Douglass"), a small percentage signed secretarially, many with additional annotations in Douglass's hand, some thumbing and wear throughout.