Frederick Douglass (1818-1895) and Herman Melville (1819-1891) addressed in their writings a range of issues that continue to resonate in American culture: the reach and limits of democracy; the nature of freedom; the roles of race, gender, and sexuality; and the place of the United States in the world. Yet they are rarely discussed together, perhaps because of their differences in race and social position. Douglass escaped from slavery and tied his well-received nonfiction writing to political activism, becoming a figure of international prominence. Melville was the grandson of Revolutionary War heroes and addressed urgent issues through fiction and poetry, laboring in increasing obscurity.In eighteen original essays, the contributors to this collection explore the convergences and divergences of these two extraordinary literary lives. Developing new perspectives on literature, biography, race, gender, and politics, this volume ultimately raises questions that help rewrite the color line in nineteenth-century studies.Contributors:Elizabeth Barnes, College of William and MaryHester Blum, The Pennsylvania State UniversityRuss Castronovo, University of Wisconsin-MadisonJohn Ernest, West Virginia UniversityWilliam Gleason, Princeton UniversityGregory Jay, University of Wisconsin-MilwaukeeCarolyn L. Karcher, Washington, D.C.Rodrigo Lazo, University of California, IrvineMaurice S. Lee, Boston UniversityRobert S. Levine, University of Maryland, College ParkSteven Mailloux, University of California, IrvineDana D. Nelson, Vanderbilt UniversitySamuel Otter, University of California, BerkeleyJohn Stauffer, Harvard UniversitySterling Stuckey, University of California, RiversideEric J. Sundquist, University of California, Los AngelesElisa Tamarkin, University of California, IrvineSusan M. Ryan, University of LouisvilleDavid Van Leer, University of California, DavisMaurice Wallace, Duke UniversityRobert K. Wallace, Northern Kentucky UniversityKenneth W. Warren, University of Chicago