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| Field name | Value |
|---|---|
| Collection Reference Number | GLC05819 |
| From Archive Folder | Documents Relating to the 1880s |
| Title | Frederick Douglass to Amy Post, discussing various topics, including his marriage to Pitts |
| Date | 27 August 1884 |
| Author | Douglass, Frederick (1818-1895) |
| Recipient | Post, Amy |
| Document Type | Correspondence |
| Content Description | Douglass writes to Post, a New York abolitionist and suffragist. Had been to Post's home in Rochester, and regretted her absence. Relates that he and Helen, his wife (they married in January 1884) had for their honeymoon traveled through Chicago, Montreal, Maine, Massachusetts, and New York, among other locations without "a single repulse or insult in all the journey." Expresses annoyance with the letters and questions regarding his wife's age, their difference in race (Pitts was white), how their friends and family feel, and other topics pertaining to the marriage. Notes that they are both very happy despite predictions and questions otherwise. |
| Subjects | African American History Marriage Women's History Reform Movement African American Author |
| People | Douglass, Frederick (1818-1895) Post, Amy (b. 1802) Douglass, Helen (1838-1903) |
| Place written | Washington, D.C. |
| Theme | African Americans; Women in American History |
| Sub-collection | The Gilder Lehrman Collection, 1860-1945 |
| Additional Information | Douglass' second wife, Helen Pitts was the daughter of abolitionists and feminists. Douglass hired Helen as a clerk in his office in 1882. They were married in 1884 despite disapproval from Douglass' children, Helen's family, and others who objected to their mixed race marriage. |
| Copyright | The Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History |
| Module | Civil War, Reconstruction and the Modern Era: 1860-1945 |