ABSTRACT
Frederick Douglass returned to American shores on April 20, 1847. The date and fact of his coming marked the beginning of a new chapter in his career. To be free and feel free was a great source of strength both to himself and to his friends, in renewing the struggle for emancipation. On the December 3, 1847, appeared the first issue of the North Star. The name was afterwards changed to Frederick Douglass's Paper, in order to avoid all possible confusion with other anti-slavery organs with similar names. After a year's effort the circulation increased from 2,000 to 4,000, and enough money was realised to pay off all indebtedness and lift the mortgage from Mr. Douglass's home. The paper grew in popularity and influence, and its patrons and financial helpers included such men as Gerrit Smith, Horace Mann, Salmon P. Chase, Joshua R. Giddings, Charles Sumner, William H. Seward, and John G. Palfrey.
