Title

Letter written by John Brown and Frederick Douglass to Brown's wife and children, January 30, 1858. Creators: Frederick Douglass, John Brown.

Caption

A letter written by abolitionists John Brown and Frederick Douglass from Rochester, New York, on January 30, 1858, to Brown's wife and children. Brown writes of missing his wife and children very much, but of not being able to visit them. He also asks his daughter Ruth about her husband, Henry Thompson, becoming involved in Brown's "school," coded language for Brown's militant abolitionist dealings. He further speaks of recruiting his sons for his work and requests that the family write to him under the name "N. Hawkins: Care of Fred'k Douglas [sic] Esq'r Rochester N[.] Y." Douglass speaks of his friendship with the Brown family and invites any of them to his home, where John Brown is staying, signing as "Fred. Douglass."

Credit line

Photo12/Heritage Images/Heritage Art

Reference

HRM21A73_368

Model release

NA

Property release

NA

License type

Rights managed

Available size

557,2Mb (15,7Mb) / 41,5in x 52,1in / 12458 x 15632 (300dpi)

Keywords

education country letter museum courage paper underground text location century handwriting papers paperwork sadness document concept African American African-American B&W courageous afro-american emancipation United States of America Smithsonian Institution 19th century black & white black and white B W Educational Institution abolitionist nineteenth century heritage American America USA abolition scientific institution united states Brown John Brown Day Brown John Ink on paper cultural heritage Black History Mary Ann Heritage Art National Museum of African American History and Culture NMAAHC letters (correspondence) Frederick Douglass Douglass Frederick Bailey Frederick Augustus Washington Frederick Augustus Washington Bailey Mary Ann Brown Mary Ann Day