Rangers guide daily tours of the historic house at scheduled times.
Frederick Douglass spent his life fighting for justice and equality. Born into slavery in 1818, he escaped as a young man and became a leading voice in the abolitionist movement. People everywhere still find inspiration today in his tireless struggle, brilliant words, and inclusive vision of humanity. Douglass's legacy is preserved here at Cedar Hill, where he lived his last 17 years.
Join us at the Frederick Douglass National Historic Site for the annual Independence Day reading of one of Frederick Douglass’s most famous speeches “What to the American Slave is the Fourth of July?” It will be dramatically read by longstanding Douglass actor Michael Crutcher whose impression strongly resembles that of the elder Douglass when he resided in Washington, D.C. The program is given on the front porch of the historic Douglass home in Anacostia.