U.S. Mint Will Issue Frederick Douglass National Historic Site Quarter

As part of the ongoing America the Beautiful Quarters Program, the U.S. Mint will issue a quarter commemorating the Frederick Douglass National Historic Site in Washington DC.

Frederick Douglass was born into slavery in Maryland in 1818. In 1838, Douglass escaped to New York City with the help of a free black woman named Anna Murray (whom he later married). Douglass became active in the abolition movement and was in demand as a speaker both in the U.S. and in Europe. Douglass became an advocate for equal rights for all, including women, and tirelessly lobbied for the abolition of slavery. During the Civil War, Douglass campaigned to allow black soldiers into the Union Army, and helped recruit former saves and other African American soldiers once they were allowed into the army. His continued to advocate for equal rights and citizenship after the war was over and slavery had been abolished. He served in several government posts from the 1870s into the 1890s. A writer and gifted speaker, Douglass was one of the most famous people in America in the second half of the 19th Century, and is believed to be the most photographed person of his time. Douglass died February 20th, 1895.

In 1877, Douglass bought a house in Washington DC in an area of the city that is now called Anacostia. Douglass named his home Cedar Hill, and he lived there until the time of his death. The estate was turned over to the National Park Service in 1962 and is now the Frederick Douglass National Historic Site. The back of the Frederick Douglass National Historic Site quarter shows Douglass sitting at a writing desk with his home behind him.

The projected release date for the quarter is April 3rd, 2017, though that is subject to change.