“We’re A’ Jock Tamson’s Bairns”

Frederick Douglass and the People of Scotland

Abstract

This article is about the search for Frederick Douglass across Scotland and how this local history sheds a different light on Douglass and his time in the country. A decentered approach to Douglass is crucial because the speeches he gave across Scotland radically altered depending on his audience. From soirées in Edinburgh and Glasgow to packed meetings in areas of working-class activism, examining the locations Douglass visited in Scotland shapes how we view him.