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U.S. Park Police photo by Sgt. Thomas Twiname
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Contact: Sean P. McGinty, 202-941-9108
Yesterday, the National Park Service helped facilitate the use of Frederick Douglass’ Bible in the swearing-in ceremony for Maryland Governor Wes Moore in Annapolis, Md.
Gov. Moore is the first African American elected as governor for the state of Maryland, and the third African American governor in the United States.
The Bible is cared for by the NPS as part of the Frederick Douglass National Historic Site museum collection. It was presented to Douglass by the members of the Metropolitan African Methodist Episcopal church in 1889 as he prepared to travel to Haiti, where he served as President Benjamin Harrison’s United States resident minister and consul general until July 1891. On the front cover of the leather-bound Bible, “Frederick Douglass” is inscribed in gold lettering.
Because of the fragile condition of the Bible, park and regional museum curators prepared a special carrying box that Gov. Moore’s wife Dawn used to hold the Bible while he took the oath of office. They also provided special handling and care instructions to the governor’s staff before the ceremony.
Frederick Douglass was born on a plantation on the Eastern Shore of Maryland around 1818. He died 77 years later in his home at Cedar Hill, high above Washington, DC. In his journey from an enslaved man to internationally renowned activist, Douglass changed how Americans thought about race, slavery and American democracy. Since the early 1800s Douglass’s life has been a source of inspiration and hope for millions. His legacy serves as an inspiration for all Americans to live up to the highest ideals and make the United States a land of liberty and equality for all.
Last updated: February 14, 2023