Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglass: The Story Behind an American Friendship

By Russell Freedman

From the author of Lincoln: A Photobiography, comes a clear-sighted, carefully researched account of two surprisingly parallel lives and how they intersected at a critical moment in U.S. history. Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglass were both self-taught, both great readers and believers in the importance of literacy, both men born poor who by their own efforts reached positions of power and prominence—Lincoln as president of the United States and Douglass as the most famous and influential African American of his time. Though their meetings were few and brief, their exchange of ideas helped to end the Civil War, reunite the nation, and abolish slavery. Includes bibliography, source notes, and index.

• Language: English
• Publisher: HarperCollins
• Release date: Jun 19, 2011
• ISBN: 9780547822860

Russell Freedman

Russell Freedman (1929-2018) received the Newbery Medal for Lincoln: A Photobiography. He was the recipient of three Newbery Honors, a National Humanities Medal, the Sibert Medal, the Orbis Pictus Award, and the Laura Ingalls Wilder Award, and was selected to give the 2006 May Hill Arbuthnot Honor Lecture. Mr. Freedman lived in New York City and traveled widely to research his books.

Reviews for Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglass

[amydelpo · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Good biographical information about both men -- along with brief histories of slavery and the Civil War. The writing is accessible, but not juvenile. A good book for middle school students. Excellent photos and drawings.

[renee.brandon · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Great way to get the basics of two incredibly influential men in American history. Also, loved how the Civil War and push to end slavery was tied in. Wonderful read and teaching tool. Good for grades 4 and up.

[meblack19 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This book by Russell Freedman takes us through the lives of Frederick Douglass and Abraham Lincoln, starting from the very beginnings of their lives all through how they became friends and influenced the course of the Abolitionist movement and the Civil War. There's a lot of amazing historical stories in here that most history textbooks don't cover about either of these amazing men. Though we know what they did during their lives and how they each changed the United States with their efforts, this story delves more into the 'how' than the 'what'. The pictures are great, including the early photographs of both men. There are pictures of not just them, but of their environments which also help to farther explain their stories. This is great for research projects or for students who just want to learn more about Lincoln or Douglass. I enjoyed reading it. It is also well sourced and documented, and credit is given where it is due.

[sjoachim-1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Very interesting book! I knew some things about both Douglass and Lincoln, but I didn't know that they had met. I was no aware of the influence that Douglass had on some of the decisions that Lincoln made regarding the Civil War. A very interesting book about two great historical men.

[sullywriter_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

A superb portrait of the remarkable friendship between these two great men, and the influence it had upon historical events and race relations.

[karenball_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

They had both come a long way, rising from poverty and obscurity. They had both educated themselves, and in fact read many of the same books... And they shared a common purpose.Impressive research leads to thoughtful storytelling. I always enjoy Russell Freedman's work because of the storytelling, but in going through the citations and notes, I am thoroughly gobsmacked at the amount and depth of his research in this book, especially his primary source notes and quotations. Though most students are aware of the historic personalities of Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglass, few authors have done much more than mention them as famous figures of the same time period. Freedman shows how their common experiences and beliefs led them from one meeting to an unusual friendship. In opening with the lead-up to their first meeting, and then backtracking to take readers through each man's life up to that point, Freedman sets the stage for the actual meeting in the White House. At the end of that meeting on August 10, 1863, Lincoln told him "Mr. Douglass, never come to Washington without calling upon me." Both men were passionate about ending slavery, and holding the country together. Their efforts were pivotal in the course of the Civil War, and in the shaping of the nation in recovery from that war. This is a fantastic book to give to students interested in Lincoln this fall, with the new Spielberg movie coming out soon! 6th grade and up.