Favorable or Unfavorable #254: Frederick Douglass

[vcczar]

Frederick Douglass, usually of NY, has a high number of actions for a figure allowed to only hold minor offices. He was typically unofficially involved in the upper circles of the national scene, which is why he's included as much. His first action is only an action because it's crucial to his other actions and to the entire idea of Frederick Douglass and his cause. Typically, purely autobiographical facts don't make actions. I do allow rare exceptions. 

Some clarifications. For 1847 and WL Garrison, Douglass disagreed that the Constitution had to be dealt away with to ensure freedom. Garrison was fixated on the 3/5th's Cause which is undeniably pro-slavery and based on slavery, but Douglass had the foresight to understand that the amendment process would defend freedom. 

For 1852, he's not attacking religion. He was religious and became a preacher. He was attacking only those religious people that hold to their faith but allow slavery to continue. 

His actions:

Douglass, Frederick	1838	Escapes from slavery at about age 21 and soon learns to read and write for the first time
Douglass, Frederick	1845	Writes best-selling autobiography of his life as a slave, thrusting him into the political spotlight
Douglass, Frederick	1847	Argues that he cannot have patriotism or love of country if his country doesn't recognize him as a man
Douglass, Frederick	1847	Splits w/ fellow abolitionist WL Garrison, arguing the Constitution isn't pro-slavery, because it should be used and will be used to end slavery.
Douglass, Frederick	1848	Only black person to attend the famous Seneca Falls Convention--the 1st Women's Rights Convention in US History
Douglass, Frederick	1852	Gives speech "What to the Slave is the Fourth of July?," attacking religious people who kept silent about slavery
Douglass, Frederick	1854	Gains support to run for US Rep of NY, but dissuaded by Gerrit Smith, who feared it would cause Civil War and they wouldn't seat him anyway
Douglass, Frederick	1859	Declines John Brown's offer to join his raid b/c suicide mission; Douglass was nearly arrested anyway
Douglass, Frederick	1863	Leads recruitment effort of black volunteers for new black units
Douglass, Frederick	1864	Supports Fremont's short lived candidacy, as Lincoln would not publicly endorse black voting rights
Douglass, Frederick	1865	Advises Pres. Johnson on black suffrage
Douglass, Frederick	1869	Agrees w/ Grant that Santo Domingo should be annexed for blacks to have a state
Douglass, Frederick	1871	Appt to Santo Domingo Commission in attempt to get support from Radical Republicans.
Douglass, Frederick	1872	VP on Woodhull's Equal Rights Party w/o his consent, in what was an illegal ticket b/c Woodhull wouldn't have been 35 on inauguration day
Douglass, Frederick	1877	Appt by Hayes to become the 1st ever black US Marshal
Douglass, Frederick	1884	Upsets social conservatives and racists by marrying a white woman 20 years his junior
Douglass, Frederick	1888	1st black person to receive support at a major party conv for president (GOP Conv here)
Douglass, Frederick	1889	Appt Amb to Haiti by Harrison

[Pringles]

1 hour ago, vcczar said:

VP on Woodhull's Equal Rights Party w/o his consent, in what was an illegal ticket b/c Woodhull wouldn't have been 35 on inauguration day

Did this party get any genuine votes counted? This reminds me of Cenk Uygers' doomed, and illegal, run for the Democratic nomination. 

[vcczar]

5 minutes ago, Pringles said:

Did this party get any genuine votes counted? This reminds me of Cenk Uygers' doomed, and illegal, run for the Democratic nomination. 

Yeah, I don't know if they were even on a ballot. There were 10k votes that went to "write-ins" and minor 3rd parties, so they may be in that group.