"A New Vocation before Me": Frederick Douglass's Post-Civil War Lyceum Career

This article examines the oratorical strategies adopted by Frederick Douglass in the late 1860s and early 1870s when he joined the ranks of professional lyceum speakers. Douglass's speaking shifted away from the long-established topics of slavery and civil rights to appeal to a broader audience...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:The Howard journal of communications 2018-07, Vol.29 (3), p.268-281
Main Author: McKivigan, John R.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Abolition of slavery
Abolitionists
African American studies
Audiences
Civil rights
Civil war
Douglass, Frederick (1817?-95)
Ethnicity
Public figures
Race
Speeches
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Summary:This article examines the oratorical strategies adopted by Frederick Douglass in the late 1860s and early 1870s when he joined the ranks of professional lyceum speakers. Douglass's speaking shifted away from the long-established topics of slavery and civil rights to appeal to a broader audience. Douglass also shifted from a spontaneous speaking style, honed in years of abolitionist campaigning, to rely upon written texts prepared in advance and delivered repeatedly. A close analysis of those lyceum addresses, newspaper reports of their delivery, and Douglass's personal correspondence reveal that he retained many elements of his older performance style and facilely adapted his topic, sometimes in mid-lecture, to suit many audiences' demand to hear him address the "race question."
ISSN:1064-6175
1096-4649
DOI:10.1080/10646175.2018.1424668