The American Minervan

Tag: Black historical figures

  • Frederick Douglass’s Travels to Italy and Egypt (1886-1887)

    Frederick Douglass’s Travels to Italy and Egypt (1886-1887)

    Reflections tying classical worlds to Black American history and Douglass’s rhetorical strategy in engaging with classical antiquity and critiquing aspects of Catholic ceremonial from a republican, Protestant perspective. In the waning days of September 1886, Frederick Douglass, the abolitionist and statesman set sail from New York aboard the steamer City of Rome, beginning an extended…

  • Introduction to Black Republicanism: Five Early Figures, Wheatley to Douglass

    Introduction to Black Republicanism: Five Early Figures, Wheatley to Douglass

    In the late 18th and early 19th centuries, a small but influential group of Black intellectuals engaged deeply with Greco-Roman classics and the ideals of classical republicanism. This engagement was multifaceted in that they drew on ancient texts to demonstrate Black intellectual capacity in the face of racist denials. This challenged e.g., claims by Thomas…