Women's History Month: The Lost History of the Fiancé of Frederick Douglass

To recognize Women's History Month 2023, learn about the long lost history of the fiancé of Frederick Douglass in this groundbreaking presentation.

Following the August 1882 death of Anna Murray Douglass, wife of Frederick Douglass for 44 years, her husband was crestfallen. However, Frederick Douglass remained active within Washington's Black community attending weddings, school exhibitions, benefit events and political functions. By the spring of 1883 rumors began to emerge that Frederick Douglass was surprisingly engaged to a "young colored lady." However, this engagement was broken off. In late January 1884 Frederick Douglass married Helen Pitts and the history of the "young colored" fiancé of Douglass was lost. Until now.

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John Muller, author of Frederick Douglass in Washington, D.C.: The Lion of Anacostia (2012) and Mark Twain in Washington, D.C.: The Adventures of a Capital Correspondent (2013), has presented widely throughout the D.C.- Baltimore metropolitan area and Maryland's Eastern Shore at venues including the Library of Congress, Enoch Pratt Library, D.C. Public Library, Frederick Douglass National Historic Site, Harriet Tubman Museum and Educational Center in Cambridge and local universities. Muller is a frequent guest on D.C. radio stations and has been cited by the Washington Post, Washington City Paper, Baltimore Sun, Star Democrat and other publications for his local history research and subject matter expertise. Muller is currently at work turning this presentation into a publication with an ISBN.