Black residents of Baltimore petition for redress after they are prevented from renting a concert hall to host a lecture by Frederick Douglass
Dublin Core
Title
Black residents of Baltimore petition for redress after they are prevented from renting a concert hall to host a lecture by Frederick Douglass
Description
B.R. Hawley to Edwin M. Stanton (sec of war) writing that Black residents of Baltimore have been unable to rent either the Maryland Institute Hall or the Templers Hall for a lecture meeting at which the announced speaker was Frederick Douglass. The reason given for the refusal was that Black resdients would ather in the street in front of the hall. Hawley claims discrimination against Black residents of Baltimore and "against the colored nattion."
Date
5/31/1865
Coverage
Baltimore, MD
Text Item Type Metadata
Text
Black residents of Baltimore to the Secretary of War
Baltimore [Md.] May 31st 1865
Honibl Edwin M, Stanton
War departement
Washington, D,C,
Sir I have the Honor to reporte that in obedience to the general requeste of the Colord Peple of this City for the Maryland Institute or the temples temple for a lecture by Fredrick Dougles of the State of New York, for the purpos of procuring money to convey the body of a lady to Culpeper Count House Va. We have Maid an aplication the boards of manigars for Eaither of the Halls but thay have denied us, & refuse to let the Halls to Colord ordniance. the objection is this Simpley say the Colord [ordneise?] will geather on the Street in front of the Halls & Stop the way of the Street is all the Excuse thay
make or give. sir The Colord Class have had the Hall before the war was Ended & why can they not have the use of them Now as well as before. sir I aske you to Assiste us in the matter if I am not interferring with rival wrights & if I am you will Please Excuse me for so doing, sir I thik it is predickss against the Colord men. or other Words a gainst the Colord nattion, the bord of manigers have at this time is the only reasion I can assine for the present. sir the Colord men of this city have Assiste[d] in all the war and they ought to Have the wright of the Hall for sutch a case. the bord may have a wright of refusing the Colord Class from you as secatary of war. if so you will plese in form me of the facts, & the groun[d]
to Which they have a wright to object to the Col[ord] people — Having a lecture in said Halls in Baltimor City, I will give a garientee of good order. you will state why the can not get the Hall. the Colord people are willing to Pay the price the manigers may want, and I can not see why they object in giving the Hall, I think the Colord Have a wright to the Hall as long as thay can pay for it. at time it may be vacated and for rent sir you will plese Decide this grate question. of disputee to which a letter from you can decide it at once, you will parden me if I am not wright in making apeal, to you as it is a question hear between us, the bord of manigars, respect[fu]lly yours obedient servent
B. R. Hawley
No 43, St, Paul, St
Balto, Md;
B. R. Hawley to Honible Edwin M, Stanton, 31 May 1865, H-775 1865, Letters Received, ser. 2343, Middle Dept. and 8th Army Corps, RG 393 Pt. 1 [C-4148].
Baltimore [Md.] May 31st 1865
Honibl Edwin M, Stanton
War departement
Washington, D,C,
Sir I have the Honor to reporte that in obedience to the general requeste of the Colord Peple of this City for the Maryland Institute or the temples temple for a lecture by Fredrick Dougles of the State of New York, for the purpos of procuring money to convey the body of a lady to Culpeper Count House Va. We have Maid an aplication the boards of manigars for Eaither of the Halls but thay have denied us, & refuse to let the Halls to Colord ordniance. the objection is this Simpley say the Colord [ordneise?] will geather on the Street in front of the Halls & Stop the way of the Street is all the Excuse thay
make or give. sir The Colord Class have had the Hall before the war was Ended & why can they not have the use of them Now as well as before. sir I aske you to Assiste us in the matter if I am not interferring with rival wrights & if I am you will Please Excuse me for so doing, sir I thik it is predickss against the Colord men. or other Words a gainst the Colord nattion, the bord of manigers have at this time is the only reasion I can assine for the present. sir the Colord men of this city have Assiste[d] in all the war and they ought to Have the wright of the Hall for sutch a case. the bord may have a wright of refusing the Colord Class from you as secatary of war. if so you will plese in form me of the facts, & the groun[d]
to Which they have a wright to object to the Col[ord] people — Having a lecture in said Halls in Baltimor City, I will give a garientee of good order. you will state why the can not get the Hall. the Colord people are willing to Pay the price the manigers may want, and I can not see why they object in giving the Hall, I think the Colord Have a wright to the Hall as long as thay can pay for it. at time it may be vacated and for rent sir you will plese Decide this grate question. of disputee to which a letter from you can decide it at once, you will parden me if I am not wright in making apeal, to you as it is a question hear between us, the bord of manigars, respect[fu]lly yours obedient servent
B. R. Hawley
No 43, St, Paul, St
Balto, Md;
B. R. Hawley to Honible Edwin M, Stanton, 31 May 1865, H-775 1865, Letters Received, ser. 2343, Middle Dept. and 8th Army Corps, RG 393 Pt. 1 [C-4148].
Collection
Citation
“Black residents of Baltimore petition for redress after they are prevented from renting a concert hall to host a lecture by Frederick Douglass,” Black Maryland in the Civil War—A Microedition of the Freedmen and Southern Society Project, accessed June 8, 2026, https://www.fssp.artinterp2.org/items/show/26.