These twelve lectures, the readings, and the discussions are to probe the nature of the life, the work, and the thought of the nineteenth century abolitionist, orator, and author Frederick Douglass.  We will examine in depth the public and private sides of Douglass’s life, his importance as a thinker, and as a political activist in the great dramas of the Civil War and Reconstruction eras.

COURSE CONTENT

• Twelve seminar sessions led by Professor David W. Blight

• Primary source readings that supplement Professor Blight's lectures

Readings: The optional readings for each seminar session are listed in the “Resources” tab on the course page. Please note that you are not required to read or purchase any print materials. Quizzes are based on the content of the seminar recordings rather than the readings.

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LEAD SCHOLAR
David W. Blight
David W. Blight is Sterling Professor of American History at Yale University, joining that faculty in January 2003, and director of the Gilder Lehrman Center for the Study of Slavery, Resistance, and Abolition at Yale. Blight works in many capacities in the world of public history, including on boards of museums and historical societies, and as a member of a small team of advisors to the 9/11 Memorial and Museum team of curators. His biography Frederick Douglass: Prophet of Freedom was the 2019 Pulitzer Prize Winner in History.