Acknowledgments

Publication of the second volume of the Autobiographical Writings Series by the Frederick Douglass Papers is a notable event in that it is the last volume directed by the project's founding editor, John W. Blassingame. Beginning in 1973, Blassingame guided the project through many editorial successes. In I 992 he oversaw completion of the five-volume series of Douglass's speeches. He stepped down as the project's principal investigator in 1994 but continued to lend direction to editorial work on Douglass's autobiographies until his death in February 2000. John R. McKivigan who became principal investigator at West Virginia University in 1994 has taken the reins as editor and will pursue Blassingame's vision for the project.

Many individuals deserve thanks for their contributions to the second volume of the Autobiographical Writings Series. Teresa Baer, Julianna Barr, Vickie Cimprich, Hugh Davis, Merton L. Dillon, Marcus Hayes, Margaret Payne, Paul Salstrom, John Stauffer, and Carol Wilson all assisted the project staff in verifying the accuracy of the final transcription of the text. The librarians of the Indiana University Library System were a great help to us in finding obscure sources used in the introduction and historical annotations.

At Indiana University-Purdue University at Indianapolis, where the project relocated its operations in the summer of 1998, the School of Liberal Arts and the History Department have provided valuable institutional support. A special debt is owed the following individuals at Indiana University-Purdue University at Indianapolis for their assistance to the project: Jon Eller, Mary Gelzleichter, Leah Guinn, Joy Kramer, Mariam Langsam, Stephanie Osborne, Tracy Peterson, Sharon Peterman, Gail Plater, Diana Reynolds, Herman Saatkamp, Philip Scarpino, William Schneider, Don Schultheis, Cynthia Stone, and Sarah Wagner.

Gratitude is also due to Timothy Connelly from the National Historic Publications and Records Commission and the staff at the National Endowment for the Humanities for their advice and support over the years. Leo Nollmeyer at the Oxford Museum in Oxford, Maryland, also aided