What was the colonization movement? Was it in the best interest of black people; were black people for or against colonization?
Initially, I thought that ‘Colonization’ referred to the abolition and integration of blacks into American society. In truth it was the abolition of slavery, by means of removing freed slaves out of America to other countries such as Africa, the Caribbean or Central America. According to Foner, “colonization rested on the premise that America is fundamentally a white society (p. 421).” Many white people saw it as a way to end slavery and they didn’t believe that black people could ever overcome the racial barrier that existed in the US and be fully integrated as equals. While other’s thought that the removal of slaves from the presence of slave owners gave them the ability to ease their minds towards the evils that they committed towards black people.
Whilst some black people looked at departing as an opportunity to return to their home lands, a place to spread their Christianity to other African’s, a place of freedom, equality and ability to enjoy rights denied to them in America. One might think that this was a great opportunity for black people to free themselves from bondage in the U.S. However, blacks were divided on this issue and a majority of black people were not in favor of colonization. For many they were not natives to these ‘homelands’ and a return would be to a place of unfamiliarity and a life they were not accustomed. Additionally, they were not making this choice by freewill, but instead they were being forced into the decision by white men. Many black people considered themselves American’s and wanted to stay and fight for their rights of freedom and equality that were enjoyed by whites. A black abolitionist named David Walker when addressing the white readers wrote, “tell us no more about colonization for America is as much our country as it is yours.” (Foner p. 422)
Source:
Foner, Eric. Give Me Liberty! An American History. New York: W.W. Norton & Company, Inc 2009
I did not know either what was meant by “colonization” in the context of freed slaves during the Civil War. Sending the freed African-Americans back to Africa was yet another example of the prevalent racism and segregationist desires even among the white abolitionists. Abraham Lincoln contemplated this policy, explicitly asking African American leaders to "encourage emigration," as the two races, Lincoln thought, were not meant to co-exist together. (Foner, 493) I did some more research in this topic since it’s barely discussed in our textbooks. According to the website www.mrlincolnandfreedom.org, the American Colonization Society (ACS) was actually founded in 1816 by both blacks and whites in an effort to deal with the “black problem,” their logic being to allow blacks to return to Africa voluntarily. Since, emigrant blacks would likely be re-enslaved or sent back to America if simply dropped off the African Atlantic Coast, efforts were made under President Monroe’s administration to acquire territories in West Africa. This led to the foundation of the country of Liberia in 1819, with its capital, Monrovia, named after President Monroe. Between that year and 1862, thousands of blacks immigrated voluntarily to Liberia. Other blacks signed petitions to Congress to allow them to be sent to Central America instead. In one such letter in 1862, forty blacks explained that “… Liberia is too distant from the land of our birth, and that however kindly and wisely the original plans of colonization may have been laid for that country, neither those plans, nor that region, are suited to our present condition, and that it will be impossible for us ever to move there in sufficient numbers to secure for us the full liberties of the human race, the elements of which we have learned here.” (mrlincolnandfreedom.org) Additionally, the Lincoln administration seriously considered other destinations for the freed blacks, whether as colonies or independent nations in regions in Central America and the Caribbean. Most African-Americans, however, understandably opposed the expatriation idea and deemed it immoral and racist. Many historians have criticized Lincoln for his approval of such policies. However, the colonization schemes in Central America and the Caribbean died out as impractical, and Lincoln resorted to the Emancipation Proclamation in 1863, dealing with the freed black communities inside the United States.
ReplyDelete-Carolina Meza