Table Of ContentThe heroic Slave
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F r e d e r i c k do u g l a s s
The heroic Slave
a cultural and critical edition
Edited by
robert s. levine,
John stauFFer, and
John r. Mckivigan
New Haven & London
Published with assistance from the national historical Publications and
records commission.
Published with assistance from the louis stern Memorial Fund.
copyright © 2015 by Yale university. all rights reserved.
this book may not be reproduced, in whole or in part, including
illustrations, in any form (beyond that copying permitted by sections 107
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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
douglass, Frederick, 1818–1895.
the heroic slave / Frederick douglass ; a cultural and critical edition ; edited by
robert s. levine, John stauffer, and John r. Mckivigan.
pages cm
includes bibliographical references.
isbn 978-0-300-18462-4 (pbk. : alk. paper) 1. Washington, Madison—
Fiction. 2. slaves—united states—Fiction. 3. creole (brig)—
Fiction. 4. slave insurrections—united states—history—19th
century—Fiction. 5. Mutiny—united states—history—19th century—
Fiction 6. douglass, Frederick, 1818–1895 heroic slave. i. levine, robert s.
(robert steven), 1953– editor. ii. stauffer, John, 1965– editor. iii. Mckivigan,
John r., 1949– editor. iv. title.
Ps1549.d66h47 2015
813'.3—dc23 2014029869
a catalogue record for this book is available from the british library.
this paper meets the requirements of ansi/niso Z39.48–1992
(Permanence of Paper).
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
Contents
acknowledgments ix
introduction xi
Part 1: The Text of Frederick Douglass’s
The Heroic Slave
Frederick douglass, The Heroic Slave 3
a note on the text 53
Part 2: Contemporary Responses to the Creole
Rebellion, 1841–1843
“another amistad case—What Will grow out of it?” 59
“the creole Mutiny” 62
Protest of the officers and crew of the american
brig creole 66
“the hero Mutineers” 75
deposition of William h. Merritt 81
“Madison Washington: another chapter in his history” 85
daniel Webster, letter to edward everett 88
William ellery channing, from The Duty of the Free
States, or Remarks Suggested by the Case of the Creole 99
vi Contents
Joshua r. giddings, resolutions 104
henry highland garnet, from “an address to the slaves of the
united states of america” 107
Part 3: Douglass on the Creole and
Black Revolution
Frederick douglass, from “american Prejudice
against color” 113
Frederick douglass, from “america’s compromise with
slavery and the abolitionists’ Work” 116
Frederick douglass, from “american and scottish Prejudice
against the slave” 118
Frederick douglass, from “Meeting in Faneuil hall” 121
Frederick douglass, from “address at the great
anti-colonization Meeting in new York” 123
Frederick douglass, from “What to the slave
is the Fourth of July?” 127
Frederick douglass, from “West india emancipation” 133
Frederick douglass, “a black hero” 138
Part 4: Narratives of the Creole
Rebellion, 1855–1901
William c. nell, “Madison Washington” 145
samuel ringgold Ward, “Men and Women of Mark” 147
William Wells brown, “slave revolt at sea” 150
lydia Maria child, “Madison Washington” 161
robert Purvis, “a Priceless Picture: history of sinque,
the hero of the amistad” 168
Pauline e. hopkins, “a dash for liberty” 178
Part 5: Criticism
robert b. stepto, from “storytelling in early
afro-american Fiction” 191
Contents vii
William l. andrews, from “the novelization of voice in
early african american narrative” 202
richard Yarborough, from “race, violence, and Manhood” 207
Maggie Montesinos sale, from “The Heroic Slave” 220
celeste-Marie bernier, from “‘arms like Polished iron’” 226
ivy g. Wilson, from “transnationalism, Frederick
douglass, and ‘the heroic slave’” 231
carrie hyde, from “the climates of liberty” 238
chronology of Frederick douglass, Madison
Washington, and resistance to slavery 251
selected bibliography 263
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Acknowledgments
For their assistance with documents and images, we would like to
thank the harvard university librarians emily bell (in government
documents), gregory eow (Widener library), and Peter accardo
(houghton library); the university of Maryland librarian Patricia
herron; and the knowledgeable staff at the library of congress. For
their helpful suggestions along the way, we are grateful to celeste-
Marie bernier, deborah cunningham, david brion davis, henry louis
gates, Jr., howard Jones, Jim oakes, robert Paquette, Manisha sinha,
robert stepto, and Zoe trodd. offering crucial assistance with the text
of The Heroic Slave, which was developed at the Frederick douglass
Papers at indiana university–Purdue university indianapolis, were
eamonn brandon, kate burzlaff, James a. hanna, and rebecca Pattillo.
their work was supported by the national historical Publications and
records commission and the indiana university school of liberal arts
at indianapolis. robert s. levine did much of his work on the edition
while a guggenheim Fellow, and he is grateful for the support of the
guggenheim Foundation. For their encouragement and advice, we
are pleased to thank sarah Miller, heather gold, and Margaret otzel,
our editors at Yale university Press. our thanks as well to the Press’s
anonymous readers and to our skillful copy editor, kip keller.
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