Douglass truly was the “prophet of freedom” all the way until his death in 1895, fighting for civil rights until the very end. Though he often scolded and admonished in his speeches and writings, often in King James–style vernacular, he also never gave up hope of a coming time of freedom for his black brethren. From there, Blight makes the case for Douglass as an American prophet in the mold of the Old Testament’s Jeremiah or Isaiah. It’s in these later years that Blight’s work really shines in fact, Douglass’ early slave life and escape only cover roughly the first 100 pages of the 760-page narrative (followed by 100 pages of notes). While many readers may be familiar with Douglass’ escape from slavery, self-education, and early life (thanks to his autobiographies), most nonscholars are not as well-versed in the details of his later life-e.g., his role in the Civil War, political campaigning, fight for suffrage, complicated family relationships, and more. American Oracle: The Civil War in the Civil Rights Era, 2011, etc.), a winner of the Bancroft, Abraham Lincoln, and Anisfield-Wolf prizes, ably captures his complex subject from all angles. 1818-1895) scholar Blight (American History/Yale Univ. In this superbly written book, Civil War and Frederick Douglass (c. A lengthy but easily digestible biography of the famed ex-slave, abolitionist, and autobiographer.
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