The renowned African-American abolitionist Frederick Douglass, a former ambassador to Haiti, served as manager of the Haitian pavilion at the request of its government. Douglass and other black intellectuals, including anti-lynching activist Ida B. Wells Barnett, objected to the Exposition’s poor treatment of African Americans. The Haitian pavilion became a focus for black representation at the fair.
Manuscript Division, Library of Congress
Official invitation to the ceremonies dedicating the buildings of the World's Columbian Exposition, sent to Frederick Douglass
Showcasing American Ideas
The Columbian Exposition of 1893, commemorating the 400th anniversary of Columbus’s first voyage to America, gave the United States a forum to show the world its achievements in technology, science, agriculture, and other fields of knowledge. Congress selected Chicago as the site, and leading architects quickly created a temporary city of grand classical buildings to house the displays. The fair attracted and informed a huge public audience. It also raised questions about what America had achieved in regard to racial equality.
The renowned African-American abolitionist Frederick Douglass, a former ambassador to Haiti, served as manager of the Haitian pavilion at the request of its government. Douglass and other black intellectuals, including anti-lynching activist Ida B. Wells Barnett, objected to the Exposition’s poor treatment of African Americans. The Haitian pavilion became a focus for black representation at the fair.
Manuscript Division, Library of Congress
