Last updated: June 8, 2024
Place
The Douglass Family
Look at the shortest section of brick building in front of you.
In the 1850s, Fanny Douglass and her young son John Henry were enslaved by Philip Coons in that building. Fanny's husband, John Douglass, a free African American man, desired to secure the freedom of his family. Unexpectedly, the Coons family listed Fanny and John Henry for sale for $1,000 ($40,000 in today’s money). Douglass needed to act fast to keep his family together, but he had only saved $400. In a bold move, Douglass approached several town residents, seeking a loan to cover the remaining $600. The lenders agreed, making one stipulation: Douglass must provide collateral for the loan.
Desperate to seize this opportunity and ensure his family’s freedom, Douglass took a huge risk. He agreed to use his wife and son as collateral for the loan. If he couldn’t repay the loan within three years, the lenders could take Fanny and John Henry. During this period, $600 equaled twice the annual salary of the armory workers, the highest-paid workers in town.
Remarkably, Douglass earned the money and cleared his debt in one year. First, Douglass emancipated his son John Henry. Four months later, Douglass gifted Fanny her freedom on February 26, 1856, just days after her twenty-third birthday.
What is worth fighting for?
In the 1850s, Fanny Douglass and her young son John Henry were enslaved by Philip Coons in that building. Fanny's husband, John Douglass, a free African American man, desired to secure the freedom of his family. Unexpectedly, the Coons family listed Fanny and John Henry for sale for $1,000 ($40,000 in today’s money). Douglass needed to act fast to keep his family together, but he had only saved $400. In a bold move, Douglass approached several town residents, seeking a loan to cover the remaining $600. The lenders agreed, making one stipulation: Douglass must provide collateral for the loan.
Desperate to seize this opportunity and ensure his family’s freedom, Douglass took a huge risk. He agreed to use his wife and son as collateral for the loan. If he couldn’t repay the loan within three years, the lenders could take Fanny and John Henry. During this period, $600 equaled twice the annual salary of the armory workers, the highest-paid workers in town.
Remarkably, Douglass earned the money and cleared his debt in one year. First, Douglass emancipated his son John Henry. Four months later, Douglass gifted Fanny her freedom on February 26, 1856, just days after her twenty-third birthday.
What is worth fighting for?