Letter from Frederick Douglass to Secretary of State James G. Blaine, Accepting the Appointment as U.S. Minister to Haiti

Frederick Douglass, one of the foremost social reformers of the 19th century, was born into slavery in 1817 or 1818. Having gained his freedom as a young man, he devoted his life to the cause of human freedom and equality. In 1889 President Benjamin Harrison appointed Frederick Douglass as Minister-Resident and Counsel General to the Republic of Haiti. Douglass had long admired the people of Haiti for fighting for and winning their independence, and, as this letter illustrates, he readily accepted the position. He served as Minister to Haiti until July 30, 1891.