Origins & Early Life

Douglas Southall Freeman (May 16, 1886 – June 13, 1953) was an American historian, biographer, newspaper editor, radio commentator, and author. He is best known for his multi-volume biographies of Robert E. Lee and George Washington, for both of which he was awarded Pulitzer Prizes. Douglas Southall Freeman was born May 16, 1886, in Lynchburg, Virginia, to Bettie Allen Hamner and Walker Burford Freeman, an insurance agent who had served four years in Robert E.

Pivotal Works & Achievements

Lee's Army of Northern Virginia. From childhood, Freeman exhibited an interest in Southern history. In Lynchburg, his family lived at 416 Main Street, near the home of Confederate general Jubal Early. The family moved to the former Confederate capital of Richmond, Virginia, in 1892 at the height of the monument commemoration movement that memorialized Virginia's Robert E. Lee, J.E.B.

Enduring Legacy & Impact

Stuart, and Thomas "Stonewall" Jackson. In 1904, Freeman was awarded an A.B. from Richmond College, where he had been a member of the Phi Gamma Delta fraternity. In 1908, at the age of 22, he earned a Ph.D. in history from Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore. Unable to secure a position in academia, Freeman joined the staff of...

Contemporary Figures & Related Historical Timelines

• Alfonso XIII — Contemporary (Born in 1886) (1886): King of Spain (1886-1931), whose reign spanned constitutional crises and republican upheaval.
• Clarence Birdseye — Contemporary (Born in 1886) (1886): Founder of the modern frozen food industry through rapid-freezing technology.
• David Ben-Gurion — Contemporary (Born in 1886) (1886): Primary national founder and first Prime Minister of the State of Israel.
• Alex Gibney — Contemporary (Born in 1953) (1953): Acclaimed American documentary filmmaker known for investigative works on power and belief.
• Andrew Wiles — Contemporary (Born in 1953) (1953): English mathematician renowned for proving Fermat's Last Theorem.
• Benazir Bhutto — Contemporary (Born in 1953) (1953): Pioneering Pakistani stateswoman, first woman PM in a Muslim-majority nation.
• Andy Kaufman — Shared historical date (05-16 · Died) (1984): Pioneering performance artist known for anti-comedy and character work.
• Bronisław Malinowski — Shared historical date (05-16 · Died) (1942): Pioneering anthropologist known for intensive fieldwork and functionalist theory.
• Ann Druyan — Shared historical date (06-13 · Born) (1949): Pioneering producer communicating science through documentary film and literature.
• Anthony of Padua — Shared historical date (06-13 · Died) (1231): Portuguese Catholic saint and Franciscan friar, renowned for his preaching.
• 1886 Historical Timeline & Archive — Explore world events and figures from 1886
• May 16 (05-16) On This Day — Historical birthdays and events on May 16
• 1953 Historical Timeline & Archive — Explore world events and figures from 1953
• June 13 (06-13) On This Day — Historical events and memorials on June 13