AbrAhAm LincoLn And Frederick dougLAss · a Power Point presentation for the class on one of the following topics: the Missouri Compromise, the Kansas-Nebraska Act, the Dred Scott

A d i s c u s s i o n G u i d e

Clarion Books • Houghton Mifflin Harcourt • www.hmhbooks.com

AbrAhAm LincoLn And Frederick dougLAssThe sTory behind An AmericAn Friendship

by russell Freedman

978-0-547-38562-4 $18.99 Rnf. / $22.95 CAN

About the book

From the author of Lincoln: A Photobiography comes a clear-sighted, carefully researched account of two surprisingly parallel lives and how they intersected at a pivotal time in U.S. history. Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglass were both self-taught, both great readers and believers in the importance of literacy, both men born poor who by their own efforts reached positions of power and prominence—Lincoln as president of the United States and Douglass as the most famous and influential African American of his time. Though their meetings were few and brief, their exchange of ideas helped to end the Civil War, reunite the nation, and abolish slavery.

pre-reading Activity

Freedman discusses several important events in the book of which students may have little or no knowledge. Assign small groups of students to research and prepare a Power Point presentation for the class on one of the following topics: the Missouri Compromise, the Kansas-Nebraska Act, the Dred Scott decision, the Lincoln-Douglass debates, and the Harpers Ferry raid.

discussion guide

The story begins with Frederick Douglass going to the White House without an appointment to see President Lincoln. Although there were other officials and citizens present, the author notes: “Douglass was the only black man among them” (p. 1). Considering the year is 1863, when most black people in America are still enslaved and those who are free do not share the rights of white citizens, what does this action reveal about Douglass’s personality and character?

What did Douglass and Lincoln share in their backgrounds and experiences?

When Douglass is sent as a young boy to live in Baltimore, his master’s sister-in-law tries to teach him how to read, but her husband orders the lessons stopped. Why was it considered dangerous to teach slaves how to read? What would white people have to fear from literate slaves?

How did Douglass teach himself to read and write? How was it similar to Lincoln’s own path to literacy?

In what ways was The Columbian Orator an important and influential book to both Douglass and Lincoln?

When Douglass stood up to Edward Covey’s brutality and fought back, why didn’t Covey subject Douglass to the harsher punishment that would be expected for a rebellious slave?

Why is Douglass surprised and astonished at what happens after he is captured in his first escape attempt? What would you expect to happen to a slave who tried to escape?

What agreement does Douglass make with Master Hugh that gives him his first taste of what it would be like to live as a free man?

Look at the illustration on the cover to the sheet music of “The Fugitive’s Song” (p. 18). How does the depiction of Douglass’s escape differ from reality? Why do you think the song publisher chose to depict Douglass’s escape this way?

Considering the commonly held prejudices of the time, what was so unusual about the way Lincoln treated Douglass?

In what ways do you think the friendship between Douglass and Lincoln symbolized a new beginning for the United States?

post-reading Activities

Encourage students to explore the collection of digital resources on Frederick Douglass compiled by the Library of Congress at www.loc.gov/rr/program/bib/douglass.

Assign pairs or small groups of students to research and prepare a Power Point presentation for the class on a topic related to the abolition movement. The Library of Congress’s African-American Mosaic, www.loc.gov/exhibits/african/intro.html, is a good place to begin.

Suggest that students read and learn more about the Emancipation Proclamation at the National Archives site,

www.archives.gov/exhibits/featured_documents/emancipation_proclamation.

When Lincoln authorized the enlistment of black soldiers in the Union Army, two of Douglass’s sons joined the Fifty-Fourth Massachusetts Regiment. Have students use print and electronic resources to research information on the unit and share their findings.


What expressions of racism did Douglass experience when he settled with his wife, Anna, in New Bedford, Massachusetts?

How did Douglass find his calling as an orator? Why did so many people who attended Douglass’s lectures find it hard to believe that he had been a slave?

Why did Douglass flee to the British Isles when his Narrative was published? How did Douglass become a legally free man?

Freedman writes that as a young man, Lincoln “was often rented out by his father to work for neighboring settlers” (p. 35). How was this similar to Douglass’s experiences as a slave?

In what ways was Lincoln’s journey in a flatboat down the Mississippi to New Orleans a formative experience?

Why was Lincoln reluctant to embrace abolitionist issues as a state representative?

What two events regarding slavery prompted Lincoln’s reentry into politics and his campaign against Stephen Douglas for a U.S. Senate seat? Why was Lincoln alarmed over these two developments?

How did Stephen Douglas use Frederick Douglass to attack Lincoln in the Senate campaign?

What was Douglass’s connection to the militant abolitionist John Brown and the raid on the Harpers Ferry arsenal? Why was a warrant issued for Douglass’s arrest?

What was it about Lincoln’s position on the war and enlisting black soldiers that disappointed Douglass?

What changed Douglass’s attitude toward Lincoln and made him an admirer of the president?

When Douglass went to the White House to meet with Lincoln, what surprising reception did he receive? What impressions did each man have of the other after meeting?

How did Lincoln’s views on slavery evolve over time, from the beginning of his political career and throughout his presidency up to the time of his assassination? What influence do you think Douglass had on Lincoln’s evolving views?



by russell Freedman

About the Author

Russell Freedman has won nearly every award given to writers of nonfiction for children, including the Newbery Medal for Lincoln: A Photobiography, several Newbery Honors, the Sibert Medal, the Orbis Pictus Award, the Boston Globe–Horn Book Award, the Laura Ingalls Wilder Award for Lifetime Achievement, the May Hill Arbuthnot Honor Lecture Award, and a National Humanities Medal. Formerly a journalist and Korean War veteran who served with the Second Infantry Division, Mr. Freedman is the author of some fifty books for young readers. He lives in New York City and travels widely to do the research for his books.

This guide was created by Edward T. Sullivan, a librarian and author who has written many articles about and reviews of children’s and young adult books. Visit his website at www.sully-writer.com.

recommended Further reading on Lincoln, douglass, and slavery

Fiction

Anderson, Laurie Halse. Chains. Simon & Schuster, 2008.

Bradley, Kimberly Brubaker. Jefferson’s Sons. Dial, 2011.

Lester, Julius. Day of Tears. Hyperion, 2005.

Moses, Shelia P. I, Dred Scott: A Fictional Slave

Narrative Based on the Life and Legal

Precedent of Dred Scott. Illus. Bonnie Christensen. McElderry, 2005.

Paulsen, Gary. Nightjohn. Delacorte, 1993.

Nonfiction

Burchard, Peter. Lincoln and Slavery. Atheneum, 1999.

Freedman, Russell. Lincoln: A Photobiography. Clarion, 1987.

Lester, Julius. To Be a Slave. Illus. Tom Feelings. Dial, 1968.

Meltzer, Milton. Frederick Douglass: In His Own Words. Illus. Stephen Alcorn. Harcourt, 1995.

—Lincoln in His Own Words. Illus. Stephen Alcorn. Harcourt, 1993.




by russell Freedman

Documents

AbrAhAm LincoLn And Frederick dougLAss · a Power Point presentation for the class on one of the following topics: the Missouri Compromise, the Kansas-Nebraska Act, the Dred Scott