In light of Black History Month, the New York Historical Society & Library has just debuted a new exhibit called “Our Composite Nation: Frederick Douglass’ America”. The museum and library is located on the Upper West Side, just across the street from the Museum of Natural History. The installation highlights the importance of the “Our Composite Nation” speech written by the famed abolitionist and goes into depth on what his vision of equality in America would look like.

The collection of artifacts and analyses is designed around the work of Scholar Trustee David Blight and his Pulitzer Prize-nominated book Frederick Douglass: Prophet of Freedom. It takes up a small portion of the museum’s first floor and is divided into four visual sections: Absolute Equality, Composite Nationality, Religious Liberty, and Hope. Each section ties elements of Douglass’s “Our Composite Nation” speech to many of the core social issues in America during the 19th century. The impact of the 15th Amendment, the influx of Chinese immigrants, freedom to practice religion, and fear to embrace racial backgrounds were some core issues of the time that the exhibit touches on. PURCHASE TICKET