FREDERICK DOUGLASS: THE BALLOT AND THE BULLET
Special for THE NEW TIMES HOLLER! By
© Amir Bey, 2019
FEBRUARY 1
From the Bureau of The North Star UPRISING
Please note that images by known photographers will have their names listed.
Unknown photographers will have no listing.
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Frederick Douglass: orator, writer, publisher, militant abolitionist, was one of the most courageous revolutionaries to walk the planet.
There are many dates for events in Douglass' life that can offer insights and keys to his possible horoscope. Most rectification work - whereby an horoscope can be approximated when a birth time is unknown - should include events that are not only of a subject's choosing, but those that are not by choice, such as accidents, deaths, of loved ones, and the subject's own, as well as important transits that might be relevant and accurate, such as the Full Moon that occurred hours after his escape. Only three events out of the many events that have been studied are selected to discuss here: the escape of Douglass from slavery; his first marriage; and his death. There were four important women in his life, his first wife, Anna Murray Douglass, for whom there is no clear year of birth, but a reasonably approximate time of death; Julia Griffiths, an indispensable, intimate friend and possible lover; Ottilie Assing, undeniably his lover for at least two decades, and his 2nd wife, Helen Pitts, born 1838, date unknown. There is a list of events with dates at the end of the article.
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Frederick Douglass
 Frederick Douglass Jan. 21, 1863 age 54, Edwin Burke Ives and Reuben L. Andrews, Hillsdale, MI
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Why speculate on when someone might have been born? Especially since Frederick Douglass, whose life is well known, documented, and still influences our lives today? I don't do rectifications often, but the process of understanding another person's life through the timing of events, tracing their evolution and experiences given to them can be enriching study for the astrologer, and it helps to gain a perspective beyond documents and what has been written about an individual. We can also examine about the choices someone like Douglass made that set the course for their life's journey.
All that is recorded for the birth of Frederick Douglass was February 1818, on the Wye Farm, near the Tuckahoe River in Maryland; I used nearby Cordova, MD as his place of birth. Douglass celebrated his birthday on the 14th, in the middle of the month. BTW, that date and of Lincoln's, February 12, were the inspirations for Black History Week, initially observed on the 2nd week in February by the historian Carter G. Woodson in 1926 until 1970.
During February 1818 the slower-moving planets from Mars out stayed in the same sign, with Mars, having just ended being retrograde, was moving slow, and opposing Uranus for much of the time, particularly towards the end of the month. Mars was in Gemini, consistent with an orator who was forceful, striking, bold, and courageous. Mars was in Gemini opposite Uranus in the freedom-loving, idealistic sign Sagittarius. Wherever Mars and the Uranus opposition was positioned, it would be one key to rectifying his chart.
An interesting correspondence of Mars opposition with Uranus is its echo of the United States' Mars in wide conjunction with Uranus in the US 1st House in Gemini. No matter what day he was born, there is the Mars/Uranus combination working. Meaning his independent, provocative orientation corresponds to the intrinsic Freedom nature of the US.
With his Mars in Gemini opposite Uranus in Sagittarius, with Neptune further into Sagittarius, we see an individual who was extremely independent, fiery, electrifying, restless, and impatient with the status quo. We should expect the Mars/Uranus opposition to be positioned in the angular houses, either in the personal Houses 1 and 7, or in the career/family Houses, 10th and 4th. From that planetary combination, we can see that Freedom wasn't merely a trending notion, but something intrinsic to his personal orientation. In later years that put him in conflict with fellow Abolitionists, and some African American activists.
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Frederick Douglass, after his return from the British Isles, the first publication of his narrative, and the onset of his Newspaper, The North Star. Many abolistionists resented his independence and termed him egotistical and that he lacked gratitude. |
NORTH STAR UPRISING
 May 1848 age 30, Edward White Gallery, New York City 6th plate daguerreotype
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The date and time that I feel best described Frederick Douglass by the timing of certain events and his character is February 21, 1818, at 11:18' 48" AM, calculated for Cordova, MD. Probably the easiest and maybe the trickiest in the Astro-sleuthing of rectification work is the character of the individual. Easiest in that there are many ways a person can be seen: how many ways can purple be made, how much red, how much blue? And that is the confusing part, does this purple match what we know about the persons life? What kind of red, what kind of blue? For the timing of events, in Douglass' case where does that important Mars opposite Uranus fall during his escape from slavery, or for his first newspaper, The North Star, does the time of its first publication match with the progressed aspects, or transits, such as his Saturn Return?
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February 21, 1818, 11:18'28" AM, Cordova, Maryland |
DOUGLASS' RECTIFIED CHART
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In this chart we have Mars opposite Uranus with Mars in the 1st, giving him his militant, expressive, and direct approach to life. He was irrepressible, whether fighting against slave owners, abolitionists with competing points of view or against those who wanted to control him; such as his marriage to Helen Pitts, his second wife, and the daughter of white abolitionists who, along with some of his children, did not approve of his marriage to her.
Gemini Ascendant gives him Mercury as the chart ruler. Mercury is in Aquarius, in the 9th House; is unaspected, and ruled by Uranus; it also rules his Moon, and 5th House. His communication skills were powerful, at times overwhelming to others. Mercury in the 9th illustrates how publishing, travel, and his progressive, unconventional approach to self-education figured in his life. At one point his The North Star paper became known as Frederick Douglass Newspaper, personally connecting him to his publication. Mercury does make squares to his Nodes. It is transcendental: it is semi-square and at the midpoint between Pluto in Pisces and Neptune in Sagittarius.
Here is a description of Douglass, which is apt for a Gemini Mars in the 1st House with Sagittarius Uranus in the 7th: Standing 6ft. 1 inch, Douglass was a striking bronze orator, with a masterful baritone-voice. He became a rising star in the abolitionist movement within 3 years after his escape. He went on tours where thousands of abolitionists heard him. He used humor to communicate the horrors of slavery, threading his speeches with quotations from the Bible, he would point out the hypocrisy of slave holders who misused the Bible to justify their inhumanity. He was fearless and determined, his desire to learn word mastery was equal to his desire for freedom. Throughout his life that desire for freedom was asserted in the broader social areas and in his personal life. Again, it was necessary for him to battle slaveholders, and fellow abolitionists. What I will call his Freedom Element made him controversial, a natural revolutionary.
This chart has his birth at almost 15 hours after the Full Moon of the previous night. With his Mercury in Aquarius and a Virgo Moon he was endowed with powerful observational skills. He is one of America's foremost social analysts. Indeed, he shares a Virgo Moon with James Baldwin (Leo Sun) and Amiri Baraka (Libra Sun). With Uranus and Neptune in Sagittarius was he an ideologue, passionately devoted to his mission? Yes, and to the benefit of the anti-slavery movement, and to future generations. He was not faultless: he could be self-conscious and was sensitive to the point that he seemed thin-skinned, self-centered, and overly proud. - His Saturn in Pisces in the 10th conjunct his Sun and opposite his Moon. He was image-conscious: He was the most photographed American of the 19th Century and was consistent about his image; he wrote several essays on photography. Many of his photos have similar attitudes; he wanted to project a fixed character that could not be manipulated to portray a stereotypical exaggeration of a black man for future generations.
It should be emphasized that for Douglass, learning, the power of the Word, and intellectual explorations were a driving force in his life. Not a shrinking violet, during the times hecklers violently attacked the Abolitionists, he was one of those called on to kick some butt: "Douglass! Douglass!" and he would proceed to beat them down physically and verbally, sometimes his very life was threatened in those exchanges. However, his main weapon was his intellect and communication skills - Mars in Gemini in the 1st House, opposite Uranus. He recognized the difference between him and John Brown, who was a "warrior" to Douglass the communicator. There were other Cosmic gifts, such as his Sun conjunct Saturn, Moon in opposition, being in a tri-square to his 11° Gemini Ascendant. He had Saturn/Venus=Sun in the 10th House, which was a highly sensitive and at times painful configuration. This does describe his longing for the identity of his father, and its opposition to his natal Moon in the 4th House is another allusion to his feelings of being orphaned, or separated from his family. Later in life his family and many grandchildren, including extended family members, filled in those feelings of longing for home.
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THE ESCAPE CHART |
FEELING HIS CALLING!
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For Douglass, the most defining event was his escape from slavery. More than the death of his first wife, his trip to the British Isles in 1845, the deaths of so many of his grandchildren, and other triumphs and pains, his escape was the pivotal act of his life. Fortunately, it is possible to approximate what time of day it occurred, and from there to see which transiting planets touched on his Mars/Uranus opposition and other configurations. He went to work in the Baltimore Shipyards earlier than usual that morning, disguised as a sailor. The Escape Chart was done for an approximate time that he could have embarked, around 10 AM, local time, September 3rd, 1838, from Baltimore, when he was 20 and ½ years. The top chart is for the approximate time the boat left, the bottom chart is for the Full Moon later that night. Note that we could speculate on another time: when he left home that morning. That would be a little harder to guess, but if we look at the Moon, it is 1° 39' Pisces, indicating that the Moon went into Pisces at 7:27' 33" AM that morning; we can imagine that he could have left home before that time, and that the Moons entry into Pisces added an important current to this daring act. And the transiting Moon's conjunction with the Natal Sun of the rectified chart figures strongly with either chart. However, its wise to not assume too much and instead go with a likelier time for the boat's departure.
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Throughout his life, Douglass never wavered in his principals, even in the face of opposition from those who had been allies. |
FREDERICK DOUGLASS AT 37
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The salient features of the Escape chart are that it was the morning before the Full Moon, which occurred the day after he arrived in New York City. Uranus for the Escape was Retrograde at 10° 27 Pisces, within 10 minutes of being exactly opposite the Sun of the Escape chart; Mercury is in 4° 19 Libra, in the same degree as the South Node. Using Placidus Houses, although we can't be sure of the house cusps, the Nodes and Mercury are squaring the 3/9th Houses, the travel houses.
The Full Moon, however, gives a precise time and position for its occurrence. It should be pointed out it occurred at 1:21 52 AM, while he was still en route to New York, where he arrived at sunrise. The Full Moon, with the Sun/Moon at 11° 14 Virgo/11° 14 Pisces, and because it is the Full Moon, has relevance, and since he was born hours after a Full Moon. The Escape with its Sun/Moon Virgo/Pisces corresponds with his Sun/Moon Pisces/Virgo. There is a tight Mars/Saturn Cancer/Scorpio trine within 28 minutes that has Jupiter at its closest midpoint, suggesting breaking out or expanding from confining circumstances. The Nodes and Mercury in Libra are conjoining the MC/IC axis, within 33 minutes for the Nodes, and not much further away for Mercury. Mars is in its Fall in Cancer, and mirroring his Natal Mars, about to rise, just over 2° from the Ascendant. This Mars has a sesqui-quadrate (135°) aspect with Uranus, with a semi-square to the Sun, describing the underlying tensions of this action.
Anna Murray, a free woman, helped Frederick Douglass escape slavery. She then married him within days of his escape, and bore 5 children, one of whom died at 11. While he toured the north east, and the midwest, and during his 20 months in the British Isles, she struggled, raised their children, and created an excellent garden. She gave him the home and family that he never had as essentially an orphaned slave. |
ANNA MURRAY DOUGLASS
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What do these Nodes mean? Interestingly, Douglass Married Anna Murray, his wife for the next 44 years on September 15, 12 days after his escape in New York City. That chart shows Venus opposite his Natal Venus, with the Moon going into his 4th House, the house of home and family. The Sun on that day is opposing that cluster of progressed planets, Sun, Venus, Pluto, and Chiron, as it squares his progressed Mars.
The Marriage of Anna Murray and Frederick Douglass
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With these charts we see the Full Moon's culminating activity, with Uranus in opposition to the Sun, and conjoining the Full Moon, Mars in the 1st House, trine Saturn, with Jupiter at the midpoint. Very tense indeed, and at the Full Moon this is a culminating event, something that had been developing and now coming to fruition. Their marriage lasted 44 years; marriage is also symbolized by the opposition of the Sun and Moon, or can we say the blending of the two lights?
He continued to make speeches on grueling tours, as he had done since his escape from slavery, far beyond his years should have allowed often experiencing Jim Crow insults, such as being forcibly removed from the white section of trains. He passed away in 1895 at the age of 77 from a heart attack.
Frederick Douglass Passes
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Above is a chart for Douglass' passing. This is accurate within 10 minutes; the time was taken from one of his sons' diaries, and he was standing next to his 2nd wife, Helen Pitts at the time. He died from a heart attack a few minutes after 7 PM, enough for these planets degrees, signs, and aspects to be reliable. The house cusps might be within two degrees. This chart finalized what I feel is his birthdate and approximate time; not as a rule, but aspects between transiting Suns and Natal Suns are more frequent than other transiting Sun/natal Sun aspects, since the Sun governs vitality, and especially relevant in Douglass case, the heart. Mercury, the ruler of this chart, is retrograde, within a degree of his natal Moon, reminiscent of Uranus of the Escape chart, squaring Neptune and Pluto in Gemini. The MC/IC conjoins/opposes his Mars/Uranus opposition, with Neptune at his Ascendant/Mars midpoint. The Ascendant squares the Mars/Uranus opposition.
The progressed Sun was within minutes of being square to his Natal MC; progressed Uranus is retrograde within minutes of being exact to its natal position. Solar Arc Mars was within minutes of opposition to his Natal Sun. The Ascendant of the Solar Arc chart was opposing his 10th House Venus. The Ascendant, at 13° 29 Leo conjoins the US 4th House, illustrating the effect of his passing on the country. I can count two relatives, a grandmother who was born two years after his passing, and her brother, born one year after his passing, carrying his name, her middle name was Fredericka, and her brother's first name was Frederick.
Mutable signs in certain degrees appear with frequency in major events. They are between 10 to 13 degrees of the Mutable signs, less so in Sagittarius. If we look at the natal chart, we can see that with his Ascendant at 11° 24 Gemini, and Mars at 16° 08 Gemini, how the 10th through the 13th degrees are so frequent. And with the Mars/Ascendant midpoint at 13° 46 Gemini, why those degrees come up so many times in almost all of the important events in his life.
A Short Biography
 Frederick Douglass, 1858 at 40 years
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Born Frederick Augustus Washington Bailey, Frederick Douglass knew that he was born in February, so he celebrated his birthday on February 14th. His father was likely one of his slaveholders or a relative; his mother passed away before he was 8, Douglass remembering only occasional visits by her. Early on, he exhibited conversational skills and a natural curiosity, which brought him to the attention of whites who wanted a playmate for their son where they lived in Baltimore. After being exposed to reading in his new Baltimore home, he wanted to understand and master the power of Word.
He was eventually returned to the farm where he lived earlier, and sent to a Mr. Covey, who was a slave breaker, to be broken. After beating Covey in a fight at age 16, and a thwarted attempt to escape at the age of 18, he finally succeeded at the age of 20, on September 3rd, 1838, with the help of his future wife, Anna Murray, a freed woman. He left Baltimore disguised as a sailor, arriving in New York City via Wilmington, Delaware, and Philadelphia. He was married to Anna on September 15, after changing his surname first to Johnson, then Douglass.
In 1845 at the age of 27, he published the first of three autobiographies, The Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass: An American Slave, was one of the most important Slave Narratives written. Later that year he sailed for the British Isles for what became a 20 month stay. Ireland, Scotland, and England were the most anti-slavery regions in the world, not including slave communities, of course. There, he made many anti-slavery speeches, his narrative was republished, having sold tens of thousands of copies there and in the US. His freedom was purchased in 1846 through the help of friends during his stay.
Douglass later broke with the Garrisonians, who saw abolition better served through moral suasion, and not through political activism, or self-defense. Interestingly, the question of The ballot or the bullet was being asked then: He believed both should be used. Douglass knew and greatly admired John Brown, acknowledging that Brown's commitment against slavery was more profound than his. He met with President Lincoln twice, and attended his 2nd Inaugural party. While initially skeptical of Lincolns intentions, he later recognized in him a like-minded soul, a shrewd politician in contrast to him, a fervent fighter against an evil that he knew first-hand.
Even with Malcolm and Martin being struck down by assassins, the Abolitionists experienced more violence: pro-slavery advocates attacked their rallies throwing bricks, rotten eggs, and physically assaulted Douglass and others. White machinists might come dressed in nice suits, outnumbering the Abolitionists, grabbing Douglass by his hair, pulling chairs from under speakers. And Douglass always gave as good as he got, whether by word or fist. Sometimes those fights could go on for hours.
The Reconstruction period that followed the Civil War was a disappointment for him, with the rise of the KKK, murder and terror gripped the freed slaves. He saw that radical Republicanism eventually gave way to the entrenched power of slaveholders, which inexorably was recovering its hold on the former slaves and the government. In response, Douglass asked whites to maintain the newly acquired freedom of the slaves, and not merely reach peace among themselves; he preached to the former slaves that it was better that they possessed land, worked diligently, and educated themselves, preceding some of the themes that Booker T. Washington and others who followed promoted, although his approach was more militant, and he did not believe voting and other rights should be curtailed as Washington did.
In his study, 1893
 Frederick Douglass, two years before his passing.
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When his 4 adult children, 1 daughter and 3 sons - a second daughter died in childhood -failed to make livings and raise their families in such an adverse environment, he was deeply pained. He had a large extended family and while comfortable compared to most African Americans, he was strained to provide for them and others who he could not refuse.
By modern-day standards, the private life of Douglass was unconventional. While firmly committed to Anna, he had two major relationships with white women before Ms. Pitts, with free-thinking talented women who were devoted to his mission. The first, Julia Griffiths, whom he met in England, possessed skills as an editor, writer, and fundraiser, giving him indispensable emotional support during the trying period he published The North Star. He nearly had a nervous breakdown because some white and black abolitionists objected to his beginning a new publication because they could not accept his independence. It is not known whether the two were lovers, but their intimacy and the special nature of their relationship was clear and expressed by Douglass in many ways, and very unusual for those times. Ms. Griffiths lived in the house with the Douglass family for two years from 1847 to 1849. Later, Douglass and Ottilie Assing from Germany certainly were lovers for decades. Ms. Assing translated his articles and his narrative into German. While she lived in Hoboken near other German intellectuals, she would often stay in Rochester, NY with the Douglass family most summers. This may seem unusual, his wife Anna was, outside of
her role as a wife and mother, by being illiterate, did not fully participate in his activities as a world-famous writer, publisher, and editor. His activities were overwhelming, and it could be said that those relationships helped to support her as well, however conflicted they were.
His wife Anna died in 1884; in 1886 he married his secretary Helen Pitts, who was the daughter of white abolitionists. Some protested the marriage, her family because she was 20 years younger, his family because they thought it was disrespectful to his wife. However, race was likely the issue for all who protested their marriage. Of the marriage, Douglass said that his first wife was the color of his mother, and his second wife was the color of his father.
Helen Pitts Douglass
 Frederick Douglass, his wife Helen seated, and her sister Eva Pitts, 1884 (Because they appear to be married in this photo, I'm wondering if there is a mistake on the date.) She was his secretary before their marriage, and was his wife for his remaining 11 years.
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DOUGLASS AND THE US COMBINED
 Top left Douglass; top right, United States. Bottom left, Davison Relationship; Bottom right, Composite.
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FREDERICK DOUGLASS AND THE US HOROSCOPES COMBINED
Using Composite and Davison Relationship charts, we can see further importance of his Mars/Uranus: the US has those two planets in Gemini in the US 1st House. In their combined charts their Mars/Uranus are square with Mars in the 1st House and Uranus is in the 10th House in the Composite, and in the 4th House in the Davison Relationship Chart.
There are striking contacts and parallels between the two charts. Both have Gemini Ascendants, with their Mercuries in opposite houses, the Douglass 9th House of publications, long journeys, moral and philosophical perspectives, and in the US 3rd House, its natural house, of communication, short journeys, also the press. His Mercury conjoins the US South Node within minutes at 6° Aquarius in the US 9th House, indicating how his voice and ideas fulfilled the US intellectual destiny. The US Mercury was in the same degree as his 3rd House cusp, and these two placements of their ruling planets in their houses of communication and perceptual areas are important correspondences. And Douglass did a lot of traveling, and we can see how influences of their Mercuries, along with his by itself was quite present.
The US Moon is in 18° Aquarius, the same as Douglass' Midheaven, uniting his aims with the US' domestic and public situation; the element of humanitarian innovations and processes is combined in his endeavors as it affects American progress.
For the Relationship charts, both charts are See-Saw Patterns, suggesting the ups and downs, and contrasting events that his work with American societal conditions would not have a steady path, but its progress will move forward through compromise and adaptation. Douglass was not the accomodationist that Booker T. Washington was, he supported the 14th Amendment to the Constitution that was ratified on July 9, 1868, granting citizenship to all persons born or naturalized in the United States, which included the former slaves recently freed. However, over the course of the demise of Reconstruction, he had to fight those threats to the new freedoms of the former slaves.
An example of how he worked within a society that was opposed to him in idea if not form, during the Chicago Worlds Fair of 1893 there was not even token inclusion of African American culture or history. At the Fair, he was the official representative of Haiti. However, at one point the organizers condescendingly granted a small window of time for a presentation to be made by African Americans. Ida B. Wells, then a daring young activist publisher, refused to take the offer up. Douglass insisted on using the small allotted time effectively by asserting the Civil Rights of Blacks. This was more than the organizers had planned for. Later Wells apologized to her mentor for not exploiting the opportunity no matter how apparently small, and seemed to welcome the lesson. During a speech, white hecklers tried to drown him out. Paul Lawrence Dunbar, a young writer at the time, witnessed the affair, saw Douglass set aside his prepared speech, took his glasses off, and gave such a forceful oratory loaded with some of his familiar themes that was so powerful that it shut the hecklers up. At that time, the 75-year old Douglass was a seasoned demi-god warrior, an orator lion, and seemed to thrive on such challenges.
As mentioned above, the Mars/Uranus combination is strong in both natal charts and carries over to their combined charts. This describes the challenges of the relationship, and how personal independence and assertion is key. However, the 12th House emphasis, with both charts having the Sun, Mercury, and Venus there, and with the Moon in the Davison 12th, and in the 6th in the Composite, and Neptune in the 6th House in both, suggests penalties and limits to full ongoing expressions of this dynamic Mars/Uranus combination.
There are many more details between these two charts and their combinations, but for those who use Sabian Symbols, there are several shared degrees between planets and important points. For those unfamiliar with the Sabian Symbols, they are psychically derived images that are specific for each degree of the 360° zodiac; keep in mind that if a point is 6° Aries, it is listed as 7° Aries, since 0° of any sign is the first degree, etc.
First, looking at their comparisons: Douglass' Mercury and the US South Node at 6° Aquarius; the Douglass Midheaven and the US Moon at 18° Aquarius; and the opposition between their Jupiters, while in different degrees, are less than one degree of opposition, and thus provide for their combined Jupiters to be at 6° Aries in 11th Houses of both charts This gives their Jupiters powerful foundations for having such strong contacts in all charts. Jupiter as noted, is the planet of publishing, but also of foreign affairs, and his participation in various commissions concerning Santo Domingo, including as the Haitian representative after being the US representative to Haiti earlier is remarkable. Their Neptunes in 9° Scorpio in the 6th speaks on his role as a dedicated public servant, who was at times caught up in confusing circumstances, due to his generosity and lack of understanding of details. Finally, the Venus in both charts is at 0° Taurus in the 12th Houses points to underlying bonds that are not always clear. Mercury of the Composite is also in 0° Taurus, so we have three planets in that degree. Taking what could appear to be the two most influential, the 6° of Aries and the 0° of Taurus are interesting. Their images are: For 6° (7°) Aries: A man succeeds expressing himself in two realms. !! If that does not aptly describe the dual role of Douglass as a reprentative of both countries! And for 0° (1°)Taurus: A clear mountain stream this symbol represents the recognition of the natural character of life. Since this degree is in the 12th House, it may imply that there is a hidden reality or current that must be acknowledged. And in Taurus, there is a hidden resource, the stream, runs powerfully, but unseen.
IMPORTANT DATES AND EVENTS IN FREDERICK DOUGLASSS LIFE
Born, February 1818 near Cordova, Maryland
Age 6 separated from his grandmother; Age 7 the last time he saw is mother Harriet Bailey; around age 8 mother died.
March 18, 1826 Departs for Baltimore (Age 8) to be a playmate for Tommie Auld, where he first learns to read and is inspired by the wonders of words. - And the wonders of carpet under his feet!
January 1834 Sent to Covey, a slave breaker.
August 1834 Fight with Covey where he is the victor.
April 2, 1836 Unsuccessful attempt to escape slavery.
September 3, 1838 Escaped slavery. Sources suggest a time of late morning. He went to work earlier than usual, and it can be assumed that the boat he sailed on did not leave in the afternoon, likely not late in the day.
September 15, 1838 1st Marriage, to Anna Murray, New York City.
October 9, 1840 Son Lewis born - I do not have the dates for their other 4 children.
August 12, 1841 Speech in Nantucket, where his oratory became recognized.
May 9, 1845 Announcement of 1st Narrative.
August 16, 1845 Departs for the British Isles for 20 months. He left from Boston, at approximately 3 PM, give or take a few hours.
December 10th (?) 1846 Freedom purchased from Hugh Auld.
December 3, 1847 North Star, his first paper, Published.
June 6, 1851 Frederick Douglass' Paper - "Den of Villainy Section," 3/4/1853
July 4, 1852 Famed 4th of July Speech (One of many famed speeches)
March 13, 1860 Daughter Annie dies, age 11.
August 10, 1863 1st Meeting with Lincoln at the White House.
August 19, 1864 2nd Meeting with Lincoln at the White House.
February 7, 1866 Stormy combative meeting with President Johnson.
January 17, 1871 Left for Santo Domingo as part of an annexation Committee.
June 2, 1872 Home and surrounding compound is burnt down, causing him and his family to move from Rochester, New York, to Washington DC. The burning happened at night, but it is not clear whether that was in the early hours of June 2nd, or late at night before June 3rd. I would have liked to studied those planets, since it was not a planned event, and it caused him to leave his home and beloved garden of his wife, and move to Washington DC. Until I can tell which part of June 2nd it occurred, I will leave it be. He suspected KKK or similar activity was behind it.
August 4, 1882 Wife Anna Murray Douglass dies; a series of strokes began on July 7, 1882 between 6-7 AM, Washington. DC. This time was taken from one of his son's diaries.
January 24, 1884 Marries Helen Pitts, shortly after 6 PM, Washington, DC This time can be within 10 minutes.
February 20, 1895 Frederick Douglass suffers a fatal heart attack, a little after 7 PM; Washington, D.C. This time was taken from the notes of witnesses, and his wife was by his side when it occurred; they were on their way for him to make a speech.
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