PUBLIC LAW 112–174—SEPT. 20, 2012 126 STAT. 1311 

Public Law 112–174 

112th Congress 

An Act 

To direct the Joint Committee on the Library to accept a statue depicting Frederick 

Douglass from the District of Columbia and to provide for the permanent display 

of the statue in Emancipation Hall of the United States Capitol. 

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of 

the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

SECTION 1. FINDINGS. 

Congress finds the following: 

(1) Frederick Douglass, born Frederick Augustus Washington Bailey in Maryland in 1818, escaped from slavery and 

became a leading writer, orator, and publisher, and one of 

the Nation’s most influential advocates for abolitionism, 

women’s suffrage, and the equality of all people. 

(2) The contributions of Frederick Douglass over many 

decades were crucial to the abolition of slavery, the passage 

of the 13th, 14th, and 15th Amendments to the Constitution 

of the United States, the support for women’s suffrage, and 

the advancement of African-Americans after the Civil War. 

(3) After living in New Bedford, Massachusetts, Frederick 

Douglass resided for 25 years in Rochester, New York, where 

he published and edited ‘‘The North Star’’, the leading AfricanAmerican newspaper in the United States, and other publications. 

(4) Self-educated, Frederick Douglass wrote several influential books, including his best-selling first autobiography, ‘‘Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave’’, 

published in 1845. 

(5) Frederick Douglass worked tirelessly for the emancipation of African-American slaves, was a pivotal figure in 

Underground Railroad activities, and was an inspiration to 

enslaved Americans who aspired to freedom. 

(6) As a well-known speaker in great demand, Frederick 

Douglass traveled widely, visiting countries such as England 

and Ireland, to spread the message of emancipation and equal 

rights. 

(7) Frederick Douglass was the only African-American to 

attend the Seneca Falls Convention, a women’s rights convention held in Seneca Falls, New York in 1848. 

(8) During the Civil War, Frederick Douglass recruited 

African-Americans to volunteer as soldiers for the Union Army, 

including 2 of his sons, who served nobly in the Fifty-Fourth 

Massachusetts Regiment. 

(9) In 1872, Frederick Douglass moved to Washington, 

DC, after a fire destroyed his home in Rochester, New York. 

Sept. 20, 2012 

[H.R. 6336] 


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126 STAT. 1312 PUBLIC LAW 112–174—SEPT. 20, 2012 

LEGISLATIVE HISTORY—H.R. 6336: 

CONGRESSIONAL RECORD, Vol. 158 (2012): 

Sept. 10, considered and passed House. 

Sept. 12, considered and passed Senate. 

Æ 

(10) Frederick Douglass was appointed as a United States 

Marshal in 1877 and was named Recorder of Deeds for the 

District of Columbia in 1881. 

(11) Frederick Douglass became the first African-American 

to receive a vote for nomination as President of the United 

States at a major party convention for the 1888 Republican 

National Convention. 

(12) From 1889 to 1891, Frederick Douglass served as 

minister-resident and consul-general to the Republic of Haiti. 

(13) Frederick Douglass was recognized around the world 

as one of the most important political activists in the history 

of the United States. 

(14) Frederick Douglass died in 1895 in Washington, DC 

and is buried in Rochester, New York. 

(15) Frederick Douglass’s achievements and influence on 

the history of the United States merit recognition in the United 

States Capitol. 

SEC. 2. ACCEPTANCE OF STATUE OF FREDERICK DOUGLASS FOR 

PLACEMENT IN EMANCIPATION HALL. 

(a) ACCEPTANCE.—Not later than 2 years after the date of 

the enactment of this Act, the Joint Committee on the Library 

shall accept from the District of Columbia the donation of a statue 

depicting Frederick Douglass, subject to the terms and conditions 

that the Joint Committee considers appropriate. 

(b) PLACEMENT.—The Joint Committee shall place the statue 

accepted under subsection (a) in a suitable permanent location 

in Emancipation Hall of the United States Capitol. 

Approved September 20, 2012. 


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