Anne F. Mattina
Fredrick Douglass on the Massachusetts’ Antislavery Circuit, 1840-1860
In 1838, newly self-emancipated Frederick Douglass arrived in New Bedford, Massachusetts, with his bride Anna Murray Douglass, seeking nothing more than the safety of freedom. Instead, he found a calling that would reshape American history. This presentation follows Douglass across Massachusetts — from his first public address to a mixed-race audience on Nantucket to the radical “One Hundred Conventions” tour sponsored by the Massachusetts Antislavery Society and his continued commitment to the commonwealth even after his break from that organization. Through examining his experiences speaking at more than 140 different cities and towns, we examine how his experiences in the Bay State served as a primary laboratory for Douglass’s activism, his groundbreaking publications, and his unwavering pursuit of justice for all.
Anne F. Mattina, PhD, (masshumanities.org/following-in-douglass-footsteps) is Professor Emerita in the Department of Communication at Stonehill College, where she served as Department Chair from 2013 to 2021. A specialist in rhetoric and political communication, her research focuses on 19th-century American social movements and 20th-century gender and politics. In 2023, she was awarded a research fellowship by Mass Humanities to contribute to that organization’s Reading Frederick Douglass Together initiative. Her work included exploring the great abolitionist orator’s time in Massachusetts from 1838–1864. She represented Mass Humanities during Douglass Week in Belfast, Northern Ireland in 2024 and at the African American Meeting House in Boston, 2025. Dr. Mattina is a Distinguished Teaching Fellow of the Eastern Communication Association. She is a dedicated community leader, currently serving as President of the Hopkinton, Massachusetts Historical Society and as a member of the Metrowest Commission on the Status of Women for the commonwealth of Massachusetts. She holds a PhD from The Ohio State University.
