The Colonization Movement
Once Africans were captured and brought across
the
Atlantic on the horrific Middle Passage, they
were put into slavery in South America, the Caribbean, or the United
States. By the late eighteenth century, a growing number of people in
the United States began to express uneasiness with the slave system.
George Washington(at right), the nation's first President, freed his
slaves upon his death in 1799. Others did the same, and the
number of free blacks in America began to rise sharply in many areas
during the nineteenth century. At the same time, abolitionist groups that
demanded the emancipation of all slaves rose in strength.
From this climate was born
the idea of colonization, which proposed
sending blacks, free and slave, back to Africa. The plan was supported by
many of America's most prominent citizens, and by 1817 the movement began
officially with the founding of the American Colonization Society.
Sending their first blacks to Africa in 1820, the effort faltered at first
due to its failure to find suitable territory on which to settle. The
problem was solved, however, after the U.S. was able to acquire a large
portion of land on the west coast of the continent. Liberia was
created from this early settlement, and later became an independent
country. Colonization continued sporadically for the next few decades,
but support was inconsistent. The Civil War, and the emancipation that
came with it, basically brought an end to the era of colonization in the
United States.
To find out more about the colonization movement, click below:
-Send Them Back: The Colonization Idea
-The American Colonization Society: The Movement Begins
-Across the Atlantic: Colonization Gets Underway
-Liberia: A New Nation Is Born
-The Dream Dies: Colonization Comes to a Close
Take a look at my sources.
Check out links to explore other sites relating to African-American colonization on the web.
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