BEYOND SLAVERY: FREDERICk DOUGLASS AND THE QUEST FOR UNIVERSAL RIGHTS
Dr. Ira Berlin, Department of History, University of Maryland Colum McCann, Distinguished Professor of Creative Writing, Hunter College Dr. Patrick O’Shea, Vice President for Research, University of Maryland Dr. Lee Thornton, Professor Emerita, University of Maryland Tuesday, February 4, 2014 . 7:30PM Dance Theatre . FREE
In 1845, as Ireland was descending into the despair of the great famine, Frederick Douglass arrived for a four-month lecture tour of the island to promote his recently published autobiography Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, An American Slave. Seven years earlier, Douglass had escaped slavery in Maryland. He was greeted in Dublin, Belfast and Cork by enthusiastic crowds and formed many friendships on his trip. One of the most significant friendships was with Daniel O’Connell, a figure still revered in Ireland today for his role in Catholic emancipation and his fierce opposition to slavery. is conversation will feature writer and educator Colum McCann who will be joined by UMD Professors Ira Berlin, Patrick O’Shea and Professor Emerita Lee ornton as we explore the influence Douglass had on religious freedom, gender issues and slavery.
Above: Frederick Douglass photo. Source: Wikimedia Commons. Facing page, thinkstock.com; istockphoto.com
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