Frederick Douglass first met Abraham Lincoln on August 31, 1863. Lincoln was touring the Soldiers' Home in Washington, D.C. when Douglass was introduced to him by Senator Charles Sumner. The two men had a brief conversation, and Douglass was impressed by Lincoln's intelligence and friendliness. Douglass did not have any formal relationship with Lincoln. However, he was an outspoken supporter of Lincoln and the Republican Party during the Civil War, and he worked to secure the vote for African American men. After the war, Douglass continued to support Lincoln's policies, and he was a pallbearer at Lincoln's funeral in 1865.