7 Interesting facts about Frederick Douglass

By Michael Gryboski, Mainline Church Editor Tuesday, February 14, 2023

Was part of a presidential ticket

Former Equal Rights Party presidential candidate Victoria Woodhull, (1838-1927). | (Photo: Wikimedia Commons)

In 1872, a radical feminist named Victoria Woodhull ran for president as the candidate for the Equal Rights Party, even though she was actually too young to be eligible to hold office.

Douglass was made her vice presidential running mate, although, according to Colleen Walsh of the Harvard Gazette, Douglass had never actually agreed to be on the presidential ticket.

The Gazette quoted Harvard historian John Stauffer, who noted that many believed that Douglass was hesitant to be associated with Woodhull, given her extremist views.

“For Douglass, so much was about the specific context. ‘What can I accomplish?’ He was a prudent revolutionary. If he decided to do something, he always analyzed what potential progress,” said Stauffer, as quoted by the Gazette.

“That’s probably the best way to describe his refusal to attend Woodhull’s convention or even respond, because the potential good or progress he could gain from acknowledging and participating in this vice presidential [bid] is basically nil, and possibly it might have had negative effects.”