The Political Thought of Frederick Douglass: In Pursuit of American Liberty

228 Pages·2012·1.284 MB·English

by  Nicholas Buccola

The Political Thought
of Frederick Douglass
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The Political Thought
of Frederick Douglass
In Pursuit of American Liberty
Nicholas Buccola
a
NEW YORK UNIVERSITY PRESS
New York and London
NEWYORK UNIVERSITY PRESS
New York and London
www.nyupress.org
© 2012 by New York University
All rights reserved
References to Internet websites (URLs) were accurate at the time of writing.
Neither the author nor New York University Press is responsible for URLs
that may have expired or changed since the manuscript was prepared.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Buccola, Nicholas.
The political thought of Frederick Douglass : in pursuit of American liberty / Nicholas
Buccola.
p. cm.
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN-13: 978-0-8147-8711-3 (cl : alk. paper)
ISBN-13: 978-0-8147-2540-5 (ebook)
ISBN-13: 978-0-8147-2541-2 (ebook)
ISBN-10: 0-8147-8711-8 (alk. paper)
1.  Douglass, Frederick, 1818-1895 — Political and social views.
2. Douglass, Frederick, 1818-1895 — Philosophy.
3.  Liberty — Philosophy.  I. Title.
E449.D75B83 2011
973.8092 — dc23 2011043494
New York University Press books are printed on acid-free paper,
and their binding materials are chosen for strength and durability.
We strive to use environmentally responsible suppliers and materials
to the greatest extent possible in publishing our books.
Manufactured in the United States of America
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
To the memory of
Catherine Martinet, my cousin and my friend
(June 3, 1961–June 5, 2006)
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Contents
Acknowledgments ix
1 The Facts and the Philosophy: 1
Frederick Douglass as Political Thinker
2 “Every Man Is Himself and Belongs to Himself”: 14
Slavery and Self-Ownership as the Foundations
of Douglass’s Liberalism
3 From Slavery to Liberty and Equality: 41
Douglass’s Liberal Democratic Politics
4 “Each for All and All for Each”: 76
Douglass’s Case for Mutual Responsibility
5 “Friends of Freedom”: 101
Reformers, Self-Made Men, and the
Moral Ecology of Freedom
6 “Man Is Neither Wood Nor Stone”: 128
Top-Down Moral Education in Douglass’s Liberalism
7 Conclusion: Frederick Douglass in the American Mind 158
Notes 171
Bibliography 201
Index 209
About the Author 215
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Acknowledgments
The completion of this book would not have been possible without the sup-
port of many people. First, I am grateful to the incredible group of people
that surrounded me as a graduate student at the University of Southern
California. Many colleagues and professors at USC—especially Howard Gill-
man, Judith Stiehm, Sharon Lloyd, Jonathan O’Hara, Dave Bridge, Jillian
Medeiros, Amy Below, Jesse Mills, and Art Auerbach—provided vital intel-
lectual and emotional support as I began my research on Frederick Douglass.
Alison Renteln and Jim Kincaid read and commented on early versions of
this manuscript. Thanks to Alison for teaching me that the formulation of a
research agenda is, and ought to be, an exercise of mind and heart. Thanks to
Jim for his thoughtful feedback on this project and for inspiring me to think
about the vocation of a scholar in a new light. The greatest gift I received
while I was at USC was the opportunity to work with Mark Kann. Mark went
above and beyond the call of duty as my advisor and mentor. Without Mark’s
wisdom, encouragement, and responsiveness, this project would not have
been possible. He has taught me so much about writing, teaching, and the
history of American political thought.
When I left USC I was fortunate enough to secure my dream job at Lin-
field College in McMinnville, Oregon. Although Linfield is a small liberal
arts college where one’s performance as a teacher matters more than anything
else, it has proven to be a wonderful place to do research. I am grateful to
all the folks in the Office of Academic Affairs—especially Barbara Seidman,
Victoria McGillin, Meridith Symons, Nancy Drickey, and Liz Atkinson—for
supporting this project. Faculty Development Grants and Summer Collab-
orative Research Grants from that office as well as grants from the Institute
for Humane Studies, the Acton Institute, and the Jack Miller Center for
Teaching American Founding Principles and History have allowed me the
time and resources to finish this book. I owe a great debt of gratitude to my
colleagues in the Linfield Department of Political Science—Dawn Nowacki,
Patrick Cottrell, and Howard Leichter—who have provided much-needed
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