Frederick Douglass' gift of oratory come from the West African tradition of story telling, a griot. Following the steps of Charles E. Redmond, Douglass republishes his best selling first auto-biography in Ireland.
Ann Coughlin explains the trajectory of Frederick Douglass from a slave boy purchasing his first book in Baltimore, Maryland, the "Columbian Orator" to his arrival in Ireland. During the 19th Century, the gift of oratory was prized and thousands would flock to hear a good speech today likened to a good "Ted Talk."
When Douglass arrives in Dublin he must republish his best selling "Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, An American Slave." Douglass writes his own forward in the Irish Narrative, taking steps to create his own identity, a formative step toward his independence.