Women's Rights: Frederick Douglass - Seneca Falls, NY

Women's Rights

Frederick Douglass

Seneca Falls, NY

Fredrick Douglass

N 42° 54.637 W 076° 48.010

Short Description: 

A statue of Fredrick Douglass is located on the first floor of the Women's Rights National Historic Park at 136 Fall Street, Seneca Falls, NY.

Fredrick Douglass

Long Description:

Frederick Douglass was born a slave in Maryland in 1817. In 1838 he escaped and fled to New York City. An eloquent speaker, he joined the abolitionist movement in 1841 where often was a speaker for the American Anti-Slavery Society. In 1847 he moved to Rochester, NY, and published the North Star, a weekly abolitionist newspaper.

Douglass became one of the most famous abolitionist and advocate for and women’s rights. He urged an immediate end to slavery and vigorously supported Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Susan B. Anthony, and other leaders of the women’s rights movement.

In July of 1848, James M’Clintock invited Fredrick Douglass to attend the first Women’s Rights Convention in Seneca Falls, NY, held on July 19-20, 1848. Douglass readily accepted, and his participation at the convention revealed his commitment to woman suffrage. He used his newspaper to press the case for women’s rights. In an issue of the North Star published shortly after the convention, Douglass wrote,

"In respect to political rights, we hold woman to be justly entitled to all we claim for man. We go farther, and express our conviction that all political rights which it is expedient for man to exercise, it is equally so for women. All that distinguishes man as an intelligent and accountable being, is equally true of woman; and if that government is only just which governs by the free consent of the governed, there can be no reason in the world for denying to woman the exercise of the elective franchise, or a hand in making and administering the laws of the land. Our doctrine is, that “Right is of no sex.”

In 1866 Douglass, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, and Susan B. Anthony, founded the American Equal Rights Association. Douglass was a strong advocate for the cause of championing the cause of equal rights until his death in 1895.

Life size bronze statues of Fredrick Douglass was created by Lloyd Lillie. She stand at ground level on the second from the left side of the front row along with other members of the First Wave, a sculptural grouping of nineteen women's rights activists. He is dressed in period clothing with a suit with knee-length jacket and vest. He has a sports full head of kinky hair. His right hand is bent up to just below waist level.

Visitor Center is open Wednesday-Sunday from 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM (except Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year's Day). All public programs, tours, exhibits, and film are free to the public.