Frederick Douglass and the Hidden Power of Recording Deeds

Authors

Randall K. Johnson, University of Missouri - Kansas City, School of LawFollow

Publication Date

2022

Document Type

Article

Abstract

This Essay answers a single question: What led Frederick Douglass to accept an appointment as the D.C. Recorder of Deeds, especially at the height of his public service career? A possible answer, which is informed by the historical record and more contemporary accounts, is that Douglass accepted such an appointment for three reasons. The first reason is that the D.C. Recorder has been long recognized as an exemplar of fairness, perhaps due to its ministerial obligations, even when there could be no such expectation with respect to how Black folks are treated. The second reason is this office provided Douglass with a relatively safe position, in economic and political terms, that he used to call for more standard treatment of Black people by various governmental units such as the U.S. Supreme Court. The final reason is the D.C. Recorder collects public information, in the normal course of its business, which validates Douglass’s call for more standard treatment.

Publication Title

Southern California Law Postscript

Volume

95

Recommended Citation

Randall K. Johnson, Frederick Douglass and the Hidden Power of Recording Deeds, 95 Southern California Law Postscript 54 (2022).
Available at: https://irlaw.umkc.edu/faculty_works/737