Historical Song: Frederick Douglass funeral march by N. Clark Smithe.

Frederick Douglass

Historical Song: Frederick Douglass funeral march by N. Clark Smithe.

1895

Historical Song

The Library of Congress features an 1895 historical song, written by N. Clark Smithe, that acts as a funeral march for Frederick Douglass--a formerly enslaved African American, who became known for his prominent role in the abolitionist movement as well as for his speeches and writing against the institution of slavery--who died from heart failure in 1895. The cover of the sheet music depicts a photograph of Douglass, dressed in a suit and facing towards the right, that is surrounded by vignettes of his journey from enslavement to freedom.

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Library of Congress

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