Indiana Emigrants to Liberia · Indiana Emigrants to Liberia ... India-napolis, IN 46204; 317-232-2535. ... prejudice in Indiana was Article XIII of the Indiana Constitution of 1851,

The Indiana Historian A Magazine Exploring Indiana History

Indiana Emigrantsto Liberia

Indiana EmigIndiana Emigrrantsantstto Libero Liberiaia

Answer of the Agent, 476-77.

2 The Indiana Historian, March 2000 © Copyright Indiana Historical Bureau 2000

Focus

The Indiana HistorianMarch 2000

ISSN 1071-3301Order Number 7051

EditorPamela J. Bennett

Lead ResearcherPaula A. Bongen

DesignerDani B. Pfaff

Contributing EditorsCarole M. Allen, Janine Beckley,

Paula Bongen, Alan Conant, Dani B. Pfaff,James Williams

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In 1852, the Indiana General Assem-bly formed the Indiana ColonizationBoard and began providing funds tohelp Indiana free blacks emigrate toLiberia on the western coast ofAfrica. Today, this may sound likean extraordinary idea, but blackcolonization had been proposed asearly as 1815.

This issue explores blackcolonization and Indiana’s part inthe nationwide movement in thenineteenth century. The guesteditor, Mary Anthrop, Lafayette, isintroduced on page 3. Thanks to herfor sharing her fascinating work.

On pages 4-5, there is anoverview of the legal and socialstatus of blacks in Indiana duringthis period.

On pages 6-9, the history of

colonization in the context ofantislavery and abolitionist move-ments in the U.S. and Indiana isdiscussed.

On page 10, there is a briefoverview of the founding of Liberiaand conditions there at that time.

On pages 11-13, life in Liberiais presented through the stories ofseveral emigrants, mainly from theWabash Valley of Indiana.

On page 14, “You be thehistorian” provides suggestions forfurther work. An interesting ques-tion of a conflict of documents isalso presented.

On page 15, there is the usualpage of bibliography and resources.

Page 16 lists the knownHoosiers who emigrated to Liberia.

Front cover illustrations: On February 3,1852, the Indiana General Assemblyrequested information about Liberia fromJames Mitchell, agent of the IndianaColonization Society. Mitchell responded inthe pamphlet, portions of which arereproduced on the cover. Pamphlet is in theIndiana Division, Indiana State Library. Themap of Africa is reproduced from a schoolgeography textbook, circa 1850.

Questions about Liberia

Reproduced above is the list of questions asked by the Indiana GeneralAssembly in February 1852. The state was considering whether to supportthe establishment of an Indiana colony in Liberia.

© Copyright Indiana Historical Bureau 2000 3The Indiana Historian, March 2000

One afternoon about twelve years ago,as I was reading microfilm copies ofnewspapers in the Tippecanoe CountyPublic Library, my attention wan-dered to a small local article. The1854 notice announced the visit toLafayette of John McKay, an African-American agent of the IndianaColonization Society. Having recentlyreturned from Liberia, he was travel-ing around the state recruitingemigrants and securing financialsupport from white benefactors. Howinteresting, I thought, and I copiedthe article.

Several years later I was askedto prepare a program on African-American life in Tippecanoe Countybefore the Civil War. When I remem-bered the clipping on John McKay’svisit to Lafayette, I began a researchjourney that would take me fromcounty and state depositories to theLibrary of Congress.

Researching African-Americanhistory and the colonization move-ment in Indiana has been challengingas well as fascinating. Indiana refer-ences to colonization relied almostsolely on Indiana governmentalrecords, and did not reveal theemigrants’ personal stories. So Iturned to county secondary andprimary resources.

Unfortunately secondary countyhistories often do not discuss minorityexperiences prior to the Civil War. Atfirst, some of the fragmented glimpsesof African-American life in primarysources appeared insignificant. I dis-covered, however, that these collectedbits of primary information presented

the key to understanding nineteenth-century African-American life.

Contemporary newspapers andperiodicals occasionally made refer-ences to African Americans and theiractivities. Newspapers noted churchand social gatherings. African-American barbers described theirbusinesses in newspaper ads. Localwhite commentary on African-American activities, however, oftenreflected a biased viewpoint. Newspa-per articles rarely quoted AfricanAmericans.

Legal documents, such asmarriage records, court records, anddeeds, helped to answer questionsabout family life, religious practices,legal disputes, and land ownershipamong African Americans.

Census records of 1850 listedheads of household, family members,occupations, and personal wealth. Afew historical depositories heldbusiness account books, whichdescribed African-American economicexchanges.

Locating original writings ofAfrican Americans was anotherdifficult task. The Indiana Coloniza-tion Society agents frequently quotedexcerpts of emigrant letters in theirreports or reprinted them in localnewspapers. Some historians, how-ever, question the authenticity ofsuch letters. Opponents of coloniza-tion had often charged that agentshad edited emigrant letters. Originalcopies of the letters which wouldprove the authenticity of the printedversions have almost all disappeared.

Mary Anthrop, guest editor

1518 1619 17001509

The American ColonizationSociety Collection at the Library ofCongress provides an invaluable sourceof primary materials; it containsletters from Indiana emigrants.Microfilm of the records is availablethrough interlibrary loan.

I began my research journey witha single newspaper clipping. Now Ihave an overflowing archival box offile folders. I do not, however, considerthe journey complete. On the researchtrail, I explored only one experience ofHoosier African Americans. Now Ihope to begin a writing and sharingjourney, and I encourage younghistorians to take on similar challeng-ing trips.

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Beginnings ofslave trade;Spanish settlers totake Africanslaves to NewWorld(Grun,␣ 227).

Lorens de Gominotgranted license toimport 4,000Africanslaves to Spanish-American colonies(Grun, 231).

First Africanslaves in NorthAmerica arrive atVa. (Grun, 279).

Samuel Sewall’sbook, The Sellingof Joseph,becomes 1stAmerican protestagainst slavery(Grun, 321).

1746

Five black slavesbelonging to Frenchsettlers in Vincennes are1st documented blacksliving in what is now Ind.(Thornbrough, Negro, 1).

1778

U.S. Congressprohibits importof slaves intoU.S. (Grun,361).

U.S. Congresspasses NorthwestOrdinanceprohibiting slaveryin NorthwestTerritory (Hawkins,23).

1787 1792

Denmarkbecomes 1stnation toabolish slavetrade (Grun,368).

U.S. law requiresescaped slaves bereturned to owners(Grun, 369).

1793

Mary Anthrop noticed this article in an1854 Lafayette, Indiana newspaper. Her

curiosity about this article has led her on acontinuing search for more information

about Indiana emigrants to Liberia.

Curiosity prompts long-term search


Being black in IndianaThe earliest report of African Ameri-cans living in what is now Indianacomes from a 1746 report on Frenchsettlements which states that fortywhite men and five black slaves livedin Vincennes on the Wabash River.Frenchmen living in the area contin-ued to keep slaves throughout boththe French and English occupations.After the American Revolution, theU.S. Congress adopted the Ordinanceof 1787 to govern the new westernterritory. This Ordinance prohibitedslavery and involuntary servitude inthe Northwest Territory.

Many of the first white settlersin Indiana brought their slaves withthem from slave states in the south.After Indiana Territory was formed in1800, proslavery political leadersincluding Governor William HenryHarrison enacted laws evading theslavery prohibition in the Northwest

North Carolina, Virginia, and Ken-tucky provided most of Indiana’sblack settlers.

At least thirty black farmcommunities were established, mostlyin central and southern Indiana,between 1820 and 1850. Farming andfarm labor were the most commonoccupations of blacks listed in the1850 census. Others included barber,blacksmith, carpenter, plasterer,brickmason, whitewasher, shoemaker,cooper, teamster, cook, steward,waiter, and domestic servant. Manyblacks moving to Indiana cities settledalong the Ohio River where work inthe river boat industry was available.

Because blacks were excludedfrom white society, including publiclyfunded schools, black settlers inIndiana established their own schools,churches, and social organizations.

Increasing tensions nationallybetween antislavery and slaveryfactions beginning in the late 1830sresulted in increasing prejudiceagainst blacks. The culmination of thisprejudice in Indiana was Article XIIIof the Indiana Constitution of 1851,which stated that “No negro ormulatto shall come into, or settle inthe State, after the adoption of thisConstitution.” Section 2 set fines forviolations of the article, and Section 3provided that money from fines beused to defray costs of sending blacksin Indiana to Liberia. Additionallegislation required all blacks alreadyliving in Indiana to register with theclerk of the circuit court.Sources: Thornbrough, Negro, 1, 32, 68,142, 143, 151, 166-72; Vincent, xii, xiii.

Ordinance and restricting the rightsof all blacks in the Territory.

By the time Indiana became astate, the antislavery faction hadassumed political leadership. The 1816Constitution clearly prohibited slaveryand involuntary servitude. The effectsof the 1816 Constitution and ofIndiana Supreme Court rulings infavor of blacks over the next decadesslowly eliminated slavery and inden-tured servitude in Indiana. Nothingwas done however to restore civilrights to the growing black populationin Indiana.

Blacks were not allowed to voteor to serve in the militia. They couldnot testify in court cases involvingwhites. Black children were notallowed to attend public schools. After1831, black settlers in Indiana wererequired to register with countyauthorities and to post a $500 bondas a guarantee of good behavior.

Blacks moving to Indianabelonged to one of three groups:blacks who had been free or whosefamilies had been free for a long timein their home states; recently freedslaves; and fugitive slaves. Increasingrestrictions on the liberties of freeblacks living in slave states and lawsprohibiting recently freed slaves fromremaining in slave states provided themotivation for many to make thedangerous trek from south to north.T

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Edward J. Roye moved to Terre Haute,Indiana from Ohio. He owned and operateda succesful barbershop for several yearsbefore returning to Ohio and ultimatelyemigrating to Liberia. The text has beentranscribed for readability.

1794 1803 1805 18071807 1807

Slaveryabolished inFrenchcolonies(Grun, 371).

Ind. Territorial Legislatureenacts law which allowswhites to hold Negroesand Mulattoes, and othernoncitizens of U.S., asslaves while legallyreferring to them asservants (Philbrick,␣ 42-46).

Ind. Territorial Legislature enacts law allowingwhites to bring Negroes and Mulattoes of andbeyond the age of 15 into Ind. and indenturethem into a determined service; males under15 were to serve until 35, females until 32;masters required to register and post a $500bond for each servant (Philbrick,␣ 136-39).

Englandprohibits slavetrade (Grun,379).

Ind. Territorial Legislatureenacts law which allows slavesto be brought into territory,requiring them to sign recordedagreement to serve a master; ifthey refuse, they would beremoved to a slave state(Philbrick,␣ 523-26).

Ind. Territorial Legislature adds restrictionsfor servants; requires a pass when at, ormore than, 10 miles from master’s home,unable to go to other plantations withoutpermission, and “Riots, routs, unlawfulassemblies, trespass and seditious speeches”punished by whipping (Philbrick,␣ 463-67).

Is the sign of EDWARD ROYE’S splendid open-front Barber Shop, in which is carried on Barbering,fashionable and fancy Hair Dressing; every branchof the tonsuratic business pursued; making falsecurls, (if the hair be furnished, to be woven.) equalto the eastern article; renewing Razors; puttingthe most perfect and delicate edges on them,coloring Garments, almost any shade, as done inthe English factories; Renovating and ListeringGarments to the appearance of new. The shop andground being mine, with entire freedom fromindebtedness to all the world (except gratitudeand exchange of business.) with the best patron-age of the paying kind, prove my permanentresidence here. Without the fulfillment of theabove promises, no charge will be made. Chargesto suit the hard times, and not beyond those in theordinary shops. Strops of those bringing razors tobe renewed, re-conditioned to their first sharpen-ing qualities, without charge. Shop a few doorsNorth of Stewart’s Hotel, (Washingtonian House.)

Successful barber in Terre Haute


Indiana State Library, Indiana Division.

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State of North CarolinaRandolph County Be it known to allwhom this may concern. That where as A[las] Evans,a young man of Colour, and is a resident of thecounty Aforesaid, has Informed us the undersignedthat he Intends traveling to the western states. Andhas applied to us for our comindation. This maytherefore certify that he is afree man and that wehave been Intimately aquainted with him for eight orten years and so far as our knowledge extends webelieve him to be avery Industrious young man onein which much confidence may be placed with goodmoral characterGivin under our hands. This September 24th d—

A.D. 1849Robert Cox A. S. Harm[ey] JPElisha Co[f]fin Samuel CravenJohn Miller James Curtis

Calvin HensonHenry CravenElias HughesSamuel AllenJack H. AllisonJames ScottAdam BrownHiram HensonDaniel HensonPeter BlackHezikiah B. AllenJoseph CoxE. I. V. CravenWm. CoxJames AllenEnoch Cox

The background document above is a reduced-sizereproduction of the free papers of A[las] Evans of RandolphCounty, North Carolina. Free papers provided somesecurity to free blacks travelling from southern states tonorthern free states. The transcription of this document,which overlays the reproduction, details the necessaryinformation and lists the signers of the document.

After the adoption of Article XIII of the 1851 Constitution,blacks living in Indiana were required to register themselvesand their families with clerks of circuit courts. The document

at right is a reproduction of a registration certificate issued inGibson County, Indiana to Gilly Ann Perry. Some Indiana

counties were more diligent than others in the registration ofblacks. Many of these so-called Negro Registers are

available in the Indiana State Archives.

1808 1815 1817 1817 1818 1819

U.S. prohibitsslave tradefrom Africa(Grun, 378).

Paul Cuffee, black Quaker,finances voyage to SierraLeone, Africa with group ofblack Americans andestablishes settlement(Library of CongressTimeline).

Ind. Constitutionforbids slavery;forbids “Negroes,Mulattoes andIndians” to serve inthe militia and vote(Hawkins,␣ 84, 86).

Based on Sierra Leonesettlement, white proponents ofblack colonization formAmerican Colonization Society(Library of Congress Timeline).

Samuel Milroy, Ind.General Assembly,proposes a resolutionto move free blacks tothe West (Crenshaw, 13).

Ind. law declares no person with afourth or more Negro blood can givetestimony in cases involving a whiteparty; intermarriage between whitesand blacks forbidden (Thornbrough,Emancipation,␣ 2).

Ill. Black Lawrestricts blackimmigration␣(Thornbrough,Negro,␣ 56).

Total Black population in Indiana

Counties with largest black populationCounty 1820 1830 1840 1850 1860Clark 138 243 388 582 520Floyd 69 265 402 574 757Grant 147 384Jefferson 112 240 429 568 512Knox 284 446 561 530 449Marion 255 650 825Randolph 5 123 544 662 825Rush 107 481 427 419Vigo 26 123 425 748 706Wayne 66 417 626 1,036 870Source: Thornbrough, Negro, 22, 44-45.

1810 1820 1830 1840 1850 1860630 1,420 3,632 7,168 11,262 11,428

1816


American Colonization Society

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The American Colonization Society raisedprivate funds to send a representative towestern Africa to purchase land suitablefor black emigrants from the U.S. The ACSfunded colonies that became Liberia,which still exists today. Excerpts from theSociety’s annual meeting, as reported inthe newspapers, are reproduced above.

Missouri Compro-mise—Me. entersUnion as free state(1820); Mo. as aslave state (1821)(Grun,␣ 386).

1820 1820 1820 1820 1821 1822 1822

In a test case, Polly v.Lasselle, Ind. SupremeCourt affirms thatConstitution abolishedslavery in Ind.; illegalindentures still exist(Thornbrough, Negro,␣ 25-27).

American ColonizationSociety sends 1st immigrantsto Sherbro Island, SierraLeone; high death rateresults from unhealthyconditions (Library ofCongress Timeline).

January 20Auxiliary of theAmericanColonization Societyorganized inCorydon, Ind.(Crenshaw, 13-14).

American ColonizationSociety obtains land atCape Mesurado, Africausing $300 worth of rum,weapons, supplies, andtrade goods␣ (Library ofCongress Timeline).

Sherbro Island survivors arriveat Cape Mesurado; begin tobuild colony, Christopolis,under American ColonizationSociety agent (Library ofCongress Timeline).

Thornton Alexander, a freeblack, settles in RandolphCo., Ind., starting theGreenville Settlement(Thornbrough, Negro,␣ 49).

The American Colonization Society(ACS) was founded in 1817. It wasmodeled after the successful ventureof Paul Cuffee, a black Quaker andmaritime entrepreneur from Massa-chusetts. In 1815, Cuffee financed asmall expedition of free blacks tothe British colony of Sierra Leone.He believed blacks could more easilyfulfill their potential in Africa thanin the restricted legal and socialclimate of the United States.

At the annual ACS meeting in1820, Bushrod Washington, nephewof George Washington, urged thestate and national governments toset aside money for the establish-ment of a settlement on the coast ofAfrica. Government funding was notmade available. The ACS was able,however, to raise enough privatefunds by 1821 to send a representa-tive to purchase land; within threeyears, the ACS had sent its firstemigrants to the area that becameLiberia.

Almost from its inception, theACS encountered opposition. Mostblack citizens believed they should

remain in the United States andfight against slavery and for equalrights as American citizens. Manywhite abolitionists saw the coloniza-tion movement as a slaveholders’plot to safeguard the institution ofslavery by ridding the country offree blacks.

Supporters of colonizationincluded an uneasy alliance ofblacks and whites. Free blacksbelieved they would never see justicein the United States; emancipationfor many slaves depended on theirwillingness to emigrate to Liberia.Some white advocates believedcolonization would ensure theseparation of the black and whiteraces, others that it would provideemigrating blacks a world free ofracial discrimination and prejudice.Some black and white advocates ofcolonization also thought the pres-ence of black American colonists inAfrica would disrupt the slave tradeand help Christianize and civilizenative tribes.Sources: Crenshaw, 13-19; Thornbrough,Negro, 73, 74, 87.

“And no reasonable man canfor a moment entertain the ideathat coloured men can ever attainan equal standing with the whitesin this country.”Maryland Colonization Journal, October 1849, p. 51.

National society promotes colonization


From its headquarters in Washing-ton, D.C., the ACS encouraged theestablishment of state auxiliaries.The Corydon Indiana Gazette,February 3, 1820 reported on aJanuary 20, 1820 meeting wheresome of the most notable citizens ofthe state organized an auxiliary “toaid and assist the American Coloni-zation Society in its laudable andhumane intentions.”

Indiana state officials spoke infavor of the colonization effort. TheIndiana General Assembly, onFebruary 7, 1825, concurred with aresolution proposed by the Ohiolegislature which asked Congress forhelp in promoting emancipation andcolonization. Indiana GovernorJames Brown Ray in his 1829message to the General Assemblyapplauded colonizationists and theiractivities.

In 1829, another group formedthe Indiana Colonization Society

American Colonization Society agentand residents of Christopolis formconstitution, government, and digestof laws of Liberia; settlement renamedMonrovia after U.S. President JamesMonroe; colony as whole formallycalled Liberia (free land) ␣ (Libraryof Congress Timeline).

18251825

February 7Ind. General Assembly concurswith resolution of Ohiolegislature recommending toU.S. Congress a plan forpromoting emancipationand foreign colonization(Thornbrough, Negro, 75).

Black community,Cabin Creek,Randolph Co., Ind.founded(Thornbrough,Negro,␣ 49).

1827

U.S. slave states, anxiousto get rid of free blacks,organize colonizationsocieties and foundcolonies in Liberia; manyforce blacks toemigrate␣ (Library ofCongress Timeline).

1829

Mexicoabolishesslavery␣(Grun,␣ 393).

1829

Ind. General Assemblypasses a resolution infavor of federal aid toAmerican ColonizationSociety (Thornbrough,Negro,␣ 75).

1829

November␣Ind. ColonizationSociety organized inIndianapolis(Thornbrough,Negro,␣ 75).

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Black citizens met in Indianapolis onJanuary 17, 1842 to discuss the

organization of a statewide conventionto promote unity among the black

population regarding colonization.Excerpts from the newspaper report

are reproduced at right.

Indiana colonization efforts(ICS) in Indianapolis. The ICS metannually until 1838-1839 and thenbecame inactive. For a time, itpublished The Colonizationist.

A majority of Hoosier blackcitizens opposed colonization. Theymet in Madison and Indianapolisduring the winter of 1841-1842 todiscuss emigration. Delegatesconsidered emigration to Jamaica,Canada, or Oregon, but Africancolonization received little support.The Indiana Sentinel, March 1, 1842(excerpts printed at right) reportedon the 1842 conventions whichresolved against colonization.

In response to the growingagitation, the ICS renewed itsactivity for colonization in the fall of1845 and hired its first regularagent, the Reverend Benjamin T.Kavanaugh, a Methodist ministerfrom Wisconsin. He traveledthroughout Indiana organizing local

By the 1830s, many people, black andwhite, opposed colonization. Publicdebates about slavery and colonizationwere important means of educating thepublic about these issues.

Indiana black convention in 1842

Debate about emancipation and colonization

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auxiliaries, soliciting funds, andrecruiting emigrants to Liberia.

After several meetings inIndianapolis in 1845, Kavanaughmet with the ICS Board of Manag-ers which decided that an Indianablack citizen should go to Liberiaand report back to other Indianacitizens. At a December 1845meeting, the ICS resolved to requestall ministers in the state to take upcollections for the ACS on theSunday nearest July 4. The ICS alsomade plans to provide the newslet-ter of the ACS, The AfricanRespository, to all ministers.

With ICS approval, Kavanaughsecured the services of the ReverendWillis R. Revels, a traveling AfricanMethodist Episcopal minister.Kavanaugh believed Revels hadgreat influence within the blackcommunity in Indiana. Revels wonapproval from black citizens atmeetings in Terre Haute andLafayette, but he soon gave up his

Beech, a blackcommunity, beginsin Rush Co., Ind.(Thornbrough,Negro,␣ 49).

1829 1830

Lost Creek, Vigo Co.,Ind., site of largeland purchases byfree blacks from N.C.(Thornbrough,Negro,␣ 51).

1830 1831 1831 1832

First nationalblack conventionheld inPhiladelphia, Pa.(Thornbrough,Negro,␣ 78).

Nat Turner, afree black, leadsslave revolt inVa. (Grun,394).

William LloydGarrison begins topublish abolitionistperiodical, TheLiberator in Boston,Mass. (Grun,␣ 395).

1831

Ind. General Assemblypasses act which requiresblacks to post a $500bond as a guarantee notto become a public chargeand as a pledge of goodbehavior␣ (Laws [revised],1831,␣ p. 375).

New EnglandAnti-SlaverySociety␣ establishedin Boston, Mass.(Grun,␣ 397).

1833

British Empireabolishesslavery (Grun,399).

1837

U.S. Congresspasses Gag Law,suppressing debateon slavery(Grun,␣ 403).

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James Mitchell, agent of the IndianaColonization Society, circulated a reportto newspapers in Indiana asking for morefunds to transport blacks, including thosefrom Indiana, to Liberia.

post. According to Kavanaugh, he waspressured by abolitionists to resign.

The Reverend James Mitchell,a young Methodist minister fromFranklin, replaced Kavanaugh asagent of the ICS. Under Mitchell’sdirection, most of Indiana’s emi-grants removed to Liberia. Mitchellpersuaded William W. Findlay, whoemigrated in 1850, to write hisappeal “To the Colored People ofIndiana.” In this 1849 circular,Findlay outlined his reasons foremigrating and invited other blacksto join him. Excerpts are printedbelow.

Findlay’s appeal caused FortWayne blacks to voice an extremelystrong denunciation of Africancolonization. Excerpts are printedon page 9.Sources: Eleventh Annual Report of theIndiana Colonization Society, 12, 15; Rikerand Thornbrough, 469-70; Thornbrough,Negro, 77, 75, 79-81, 87.

African Repository and Colonial Journal, June 1849, 177-78

Excerpts from Findlay’s Appeal “To the Colored People of Indiana”

Colonization society needs money


184618431842183918381837

RobertsSettlement, ablack com-munity, begunin HamiltonCo., Ind.(Thornbrough,Negro,␣ 50).

Colonies of American ColonizationSociety, Va., and Pa. merge intoCommonwealth of Liberia; claimcontrol of settlements from CestosRiver to Cape Mount; adopt newconstitution and appoint governorin 1839 ␣ (Library of CongressTimeline).

Revolt on theAmistad; slavesoverpowerSpaniards(amistad.mysticseaport.org/timeline/amistad.html).

Miss. settlementon Sinoe Riverjoins Common-wealthof Liberia␣(Library ofCongressTimeline).

Ind. GeneralAssembly restrictspublic schools,previously opento all, to whitechildren only(Thornbrough,Negro,␣ 162-64).

Ind. laws preventNegroes andMulattoes frommarrying whites andserving as witnessesagainst whites in court(Laws [revised]1843,␣ pp. 595, 718).

Commonwealth of Liberiaangers local traders andBritish merchants with taxa-tion; British do not recognizecommonwealth sovereignty;colonists vote for indepen-dence (Library of CongressTimeline).

1847

Liberian Declarationof Independenceadopted and signed;British recognizeindependence andsovereignty, U.S.does not␣ (Library ofCongress Timeline).

1843

State government supportArticle XIII of Indiana’s 1851Constitution prohibited settlementof blacks in the state and providedfor support of colonization. It alsodirected the Indiana General Assem-bly to pass laws to implementArticle XIII.

The General Assembly in 1852enacted, and Governor Joseph A.Wright signed, a law establishingthe Indiana State Board of Coloniza-tion. The law appropriated $5,000;$3,000 was for purchase of land inLiberia for Indiana emigrants. Addi-tional funds were for transportationand support of emigrants during thetransition period in Liberia.

The General Assembly contin-ued support in 1853. The Coloniza-tion Board appointed the ReverendJohn McKay, a black African Meth-odist Episcopal minister, as agentfor the board to purchase land inLiberia and promote colonizationamong Indiana black citizens.

McKay escorted two groups ofIndiana emigrants to Liberia in1853 and toured Liberia. He wasenthusiastic about the potential ofLiberia after talking with Indianaemigrants already settled there.With board assistance, forty-sixpeople emigrated from Indiana in1853-1854. In 1855, there was a

change in board policy about landfor Indiana emigrants, and McKayresigned.

By the end of 1858, there hadbeen a total state appropriation of$15,000. Of that amount, $6,499 hadbeen spent: $3,025 for salaries and$3,245 for emigration expenses.Eighty-three Indiana emigrants,from February 1840 to November1862, have been identified. Of those,the State Board of Colonizationassisted only forty-seven. The finalreport of the board in 1863 recog-nized its failure.Sources: Crenshaw, 16-19; Thornbrough,Negro, 88-89, 91; various state reports.

From November 1852 to November 1853, thirty-three blackIndiana citizens emigrated to Liberia. The secretary of the IndianaState Board of Colonization, in 1853, reported to the Governorthat $1,650 ($50 per person) had been expended for theirtravel. During that time, the Indiana General Assembly

appropriated $3,000 to the ACS for emigration of Indianablacks. From: Report of the Secretary of the State Board ofColonization of the state of Indiana for 1853 (Indianapolis,1853),15.

Excerpts from the Fort Wayne Response to Findlay’s Appeal

African Repository and Colonial Journal, October 1849, 311-13.


Life in LiberiaIn 1821, the American ColonizationSociety (ACS) purchased land fromthe Dey and Bassa peoples along thewest coast of Africa in the area ofCape Mesurado. Some slave statesin the U.S. became interested incolonization and established settle-ments in nearby independent colo-nies. In 1838, the Virginia Coloniza-tion Society, the Quaker YoungMen’s Colonization Society ofPennsylvania, and the ACS settle-ments merged to form the Common-wealth of Liberia. The Mississippisettlement joined in 1842.

Since European nations deniedthe legitimacy of Liberia by refusing

to pay custom duties, Liberiadeclared its independence in 1847.Many European nations were quickto recognize Liberia as an indepen-dent nation. The U.S., however, didnot recognize Liberia until 1862.

Liberia eventually controlledan area of 38,250 square miles. Asa republic, Liberia had a miniaturerepresentation of the U.S. govern-ment. There was one major differ-ence. In Liberia, no white personcould become a citizen or hold agovernment position.

The oldest and largest settle-ment in Liberia is Monrovia. It sitson an elevated site near the

Mesurado River. Behind Monrovia isa bold promontory, Cape Mesurado.Coastal land nearby affords a safeharbor.

In the mid-nineteenth century,the town of Monrovia was three-fourths of a mile in length. Thepopulation was 1,500. The settlers’homes of wood, stone, and brick saton one-fourth acre lots. The houseswere usually one-story or a story-and-a-half high.

As Monrovia was the seat ofgovernment, a large stone buildingserved as a state house. There wasalso a large stone prison. TheMethodists, Baptists, and Presbyteri-ans all had stone houses for publicworship.

In Liberia’s humid tropicalclimate, temperatures remainedbetween 65° and 90°, year roundwith distinct wet and dry seasons.

Most emigrants planned tofarm or garden. The ACS instructedthem to bring hoes, spades, andrakes. Settlers could not alwaysgrow the same crops as they did inthe U.S. Corn, for example. did notgrow well in some soils in Liberia.Sources: Library of Congress, AmericanMemory web site, http://rs6.loc.gov/ammem/gmdhtml/libhtml/liberia.html;Lugenbeel, Sketches; “Information AboutGoing to Liberia,” African Repository andColonial Journal, April 1852.

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1848 1850 1850

LiberianConstitutionratified; 1stelectionheld␣ (Libraryof CongressTimeline).

U.S.population of23 millionincludes 3.2million slaves(Grun,␣ 417).

U.S. Congress passesFugitive Slave Act; deniesjury trial to alleged fugitives,federal officers enforcereturn of blacks to south(Thornbrough, Negro,␣114-15).

Article 13 of 1851 Ind.Constitution prohibits blacksfrom entering Ind.; providesmoney to send current blackresidents to colonize Liberia,Africa (Thornbrough,Negro,␣ 67-68, 84-85).

1851 1851 1852 1853

LiberiaCollegefounded inMonrovia␣(Library ofCongressTimeline).

Ind. General Assemblypasses act to providecolonization for Negroesand Mulattoes with$5,000 appropriation;establishes State Board ofColonization (Laws[revised] 1852,␣ p. 222).

Ind. State Boardof Colonization isgiven power tocommisssion anagent to assist it,with a salary notexceeding $600(Laws 1853, p. 23).

1861

Approximately11,000 blackslive in Ind.(Thornbrough,Emancipa-tion,␣ 12).

1861-1865

U.S. Civil War(Grun,␣ 424,428).


Indiana emigrants to LiberiaEighty-three emigrants from Indiana toLiberia have been identified. The firstrecord of Hoosier emigrants sailing toLiberia is on the Saluda in February 1840.The western counties of Indiana sent moreemigrants than the eastern counties, per-haps because of the heightened influence ofthe Quaker abolitionists near the Ohioborder. Almost ninety percent of the emi-grants left Indiana between 1850 and 1854,shortly after Indiana passed Article XIII ofthe 1851 Constitution.

1862 1862 1863

U.S. PresidentAbraham LincolnofficiallyrecognizesLiberia␣ (Libraryof CongressTimeline).

U.S. Congressauthorizespresident toemploy blacksin war(Thornbrough,Negro,␣ 192).

Lincoln issuesEmancipationProclamationfreeing slaves inseceded states(Thornbrough,Negro,␣ 187-88).

1863

Ind. Gov. Oliver P.Morton authorizesblack regiment;becomes 28thRegiment U.S. ColoredTroops␣ (Thornbrough,Negro,␣ 196-99).

1865

Ku KluxKlanorganizedin Pulaski,Tenn.(Grun,␣ 429).

1865

Black citizens from nearly 30Ind. counties hold convention inIndianapolis; want repeal oflaw restricting testimony andeducation benefits; legislaturepartially repeals testimonylaw (Thornbrough, Negro,␣232).

1865-1903

Without beingindicted, orfound guilty, atleast 20 blackshanged in Ind.(Thornbrough,Emancipation,␣ 7).

1866

Ind. SupremeCourt invalidatesArticle 13(Negro exclu-sion) of 1851Constitution(Thornbrough,Negro,␣ 206).

Ind. General Assemblypasses act requiringschool trustees withsufficient black popu-lation, to organize sepa-rate schools for blackchildren ␣ (Thornbrough,Negro,␣ 323).

1869

Despite the positive reports aboutLiberia, the Indiana Colonization Societyand Indiana State Board of Colonizationagents and several Indiana emigrants werenever able to raise large parties of colo-nists. Those who did choose to emigrate,however, were most often members of free-born family groups. Only a few Hoosieremigrants were emancipated slaves.

In letters back to Indiana, emigrantsoften reported how their families reacted tothe acclimation fever caused by the tropical

climate. If all members of the familysurvived the fever, they felt very fortunate.

Few emigrants provided accounts oftheir experiences. Some wrote applicationletters to the ACS. Local newspapers occa-sionally published correspondence fromLiberian emigrants. A few original lettersexist in archival collections. Letters arealso included in official state and ICSreports. These primary resources presentincomplete but inspiring stories of courageand determination.

Edward J. Roye, fifth President ofLiberia, is the best known Liberianemigrant with Hoosier connections.Roye was born in Newark, LickingCounty, Ohio, in 1815. In 1833, heenrolled at Ohio University at Ath-ens, acquiring three years of edu-cation. He taught one year of schoolat Chillicothe, Ohio.

In 1837, Roye headed westand stopped in Terre Haute. Withina few blocks of the public square inTerre Haute he purchased a largetwo-story building and opened ashop with the remainder of histrade goods. Between 1838-1844Roye bought additional properties,hired barbers, and established thefirst bathhouse in Terre Haute.

Roye left Indiana in 1845 toattend Oberlin College in Ohio. Heinitially intended to study Frenchin order to emigrate to St. Domingo.He later claimed he had opposedcolonization most of his life, butthat a fellow boarder at Oberlinconvinced him of the virtues ofLiberia.

In 1846, Roye purchased tradegoods and passage on the BarqueChatam for Liberia. He became awealthy merchant owning severalsailing vessels. His ships were thefirst to carry the Liberian flag intoAmerican and European ports.

Roye’s interest soon turnedto politics. In 1849 he became theSpeaker of the House of Represen-tatives, and from 1865-1868 heserved as Chief Justice. Electedpresident in 1870, Roye proclaimedan ambitious program of financial,educational, and transportation im-provements. To implement hisideas Roye sailed to England tosettle a boundary dispute and ne-gotiate a loan. His activities led toresentment and accusations ofembezzlement. In October 1871,he was deposed from office andsummoned to trial. He escaped,but allegedly drowned attemptingto reach an English steamer inMonrovia’s harbor.

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Edward J. Roye, c. 1856-1860, as senatorfrom Montserrado County, Liberia.

Sources: Svend E. Holsoe, “A Portrait ofa Black Midwestern Family During theEarly Nineteenth Century: Edward J. Royeand His Parents,” Liberian Studies Jour-nal, Vol. 3:1 (1970-1971), 41-52; “TheFifth President of the Republic of Liberia,”African Repository and Colonial Journal,April 1870, 121 - 24; “Drowning of Presi-dent Roye,” African Repository and Colo-nial Journal, July 1872, 220-21.


1879-1885187718751869

Ind. ratifies 15thAmendment toU.S. Constitutiongiving voteto black men(Thornbrough,Negro,␣ 248).

U.S. Congress passesCivil Rights Act prohibi-ting discrimination inpublic accommodations,amusements, andconveyances(Thornbrough,Negro,␣ 257).

Ind. General Assemblyamends school law and per-mits black students to attendwhite schools where no blackschools exist, therebyopening public high schoolsto black students(Thornbrough, Negro,␣ 341).

Brothers Robert,Benjamin, and JamesBagley publishIndianapolis Leader,first black newspaper␣in Ind. (Thornbrough,Negro,␣ 383-84).

1880

James S. Hinton,1st black citizenelected to Ind.House ofRepresentatives(Thornbrough,Emancipation,␣ 9).

1885

Ind. General Assemblypasses Civil Rights Lawprohibiting discriminationin public accommodations,amusements, and convey-ances; law generallyignored by white residents(Thornbrough, Negro,␣ 394).

1896

In Plessy v. Ferguson,U.S. Supreme Courtdeclares that “separatebut equal” facilities donot violate the equalprotection clause of 14thAmendment␣ (Thornbrough,Negro,␣ 328n).

More than57,000 blackslive in Ind.;16,000 live inIndianapolis(Thornbrough,Emancipa-tion,␣ 15).

1900

William W. Findlay, a barber fromLafayette and Covington, hoped toorganize a company of forty to fiftyemigrants. He approached the Foun-tain County Colonization Society forassistance. It agreed to procure oneor two large flatboats and solicit localfarmers for supplies of wheat, corn,barley, flour, and pork. Emigrantswould travel to New Orleans wherethey would sell off the produce notneeded for Liberia. The proceeds ofthe sale would pay the passage toLiberia.

Forced to abandon his original

William Findlay from Lafayette

Findlay’s letter to Indiana GovernorJoseph A. Wright (excerpted here)described conditions in Liberia and

sought suppport for an Indiana colony inLiberia at Grand Cape Mount. These

excerpts reproduced at right are from theAfrican Repository and Colonial Journal,

August 1853. The original is located inthe Joseph A. Wright collection at the

Indiana State Archives.

plan, but with assistance from theACS, Findlay and his family, and theHenry Fry family of Covington, re-moved to Liberia on the D. C. Fosterin the fall of 1850.

Findlay settled on a forty acrefarm on the St. Paul River nearCaldwell. In 1854, he was appointedJustice of the Peace in MontserradoCounty. Through letters to friends inIndiana he hoped to lead future Hoo-sier emigrants to an Indiana settle-ment. He wrote: “I believe this is thetrue home of the colored man, andthose who come here with the right

spirit will never regret it. We are allvery much pleased with the country,and hope our colored friends inIndiana will join us.”

He wrote to Indiana GovernorJoseph A. Wright in 1853 hoping toinvolve investors in Liberia’s export-able crops. He assured GovernorWright that he would “be able tomake money for them and myself.”Sources: W. W. Findlay to W. F. Reynolds,May 8, 1850, Lafayette Daily Journal, July 8,1850; W. W. Findlay to Joseph A. Wright,March 8, 1853, African Repository and Colo-nial Journal, August 1853, 235-36.


19101908190319031902

Young black men inIndianapolis form groupas branch of Ind. YoungMen’s ChristianAssociation; becomes theSenate Avenue YMCA(Thornbrough, Emancipa-tion,␣ 84).

Governments ofLiberia and GreatBritain agree onSierra Leone andLiberian borders(Library of CongressTimeline).

JulyViolent raceriots in Evansville;state militia sentby Gov. WinfieldDurbin(Thornbrough,Negro, 284-85).

Jack Johnsonbecomes theworld’s 1stblackheavyweightboxingchampion(Grun,␣ 461).

W. E. B. DuBoisestablishesNationalAssociation forthe Advancementof ColoredPeople in U.S.(Grun,␣ 462).

1914-1919

World War I(Grun,␣466-76).

1924

Ku Klux Klan-backedRepublicanparty wins Ind.elections(Thornbrough,Emancipa-tion,␣ 31-33).

1935

Ind. law requiresIndianapolis to providetransportation for blackstudents required toattend segregatedschools (Thornbrough,Emancipation,␣ 56).

1935

Black athlete, JesseOwens, wins fourgold medals atOlympic Games,Germany(Grun,␣ 511).

Samuel B. Webster, a Lafayettebarber and president of the AfricanMethodist Episcopal Sunday SchoolAssociation, participated in the “Col-ored Peoples Convention” in Lafayettein 1843. He planned to emigrate toLiberia with his wife and two daughters.After the death of his wife, Webstermade the trip alone on the BarqueShirley in November 1852. After settlingon Roberts’ Point Grand Cape Mount,he taught school at the garrison.

In 1853, Webster wrote of hisfirst impression of Monrovia. “Thepeople of Monrovia are generally con-tented and happy, and live in a stylesuperior to the people in Cincinnati orBaltimore. They have every thing onthe table that heart could wish orappetite crave. Some of the citizenslive in fine stone and brick houses, andthe houses are much better than thoseoccupied by the colored people of thetowns in the West.”

The St. Paul, the St. John, and theJunk are the only rivers of any consid-erable length or width in Liberia. Someof the more prosperous farm settle-ments, such as Caldwell, Virginia, Ken-

tucky, and Millsburg were located alongthe St. Paul River. Webster comparedthe St. Paul to one of Indiana’s mostfamous rivers: “I have been up St. Paulriver as far as Caldwell, and I came to theconclusion to make it my future home.It is certainly the finest country I haveever seen. There are no parts of theWabash, from its mouth to its head, thatcan in any way compare with it in beautyand fertility.”

Webster also described the farm-ing he saw in Liberia: “I have actuallyseen, with my own eyes, large fields ofsugar-cane, and drank of the syrup madefrom it; and as fine specimens of coffeeas the world produces. I also saw rice,cotton, cassada, yams, chickens in abun-dance, and as fine, if not finer hogs thanare seen running about the streets ofLafayette, and plenty of them; as finecattle, although they are not quite aslarge as our two years old cattle, butmake excellent beef. I have eaten severalmeals of entire African production.”Source: Samuel B. Webster to Morris and Birtch,January 12, 1853, African Repository and Colo-nial Journal, June 1853, 171-72.

Samuel Webster from Lafayette

The family of Peter and HarrietTompkins of Madison emigrated on theBrig Alida in February 1851. In lessthan a year, five members of the familydied including Peter. Harriet Tompkinsand the surviving children were lefthomeless and penniless. She wroteseveral letters to her benefactor, theReverend John Finley Crowe of HanoverCollege, asking for aid. “My familybeing so long sick that before my

Tompkins Family from Madison

husbend dead he had spent all the monythat he had brot to this country . . . heleft me without any thing. . . . So if youwould send me a cage of nales, a box ofsoap, three or for peaces of coten cloths,calocos . . . some secant handed clothing.”Crowe attempted to send supplies to thefamily, but the ship carrying the provi-sions sank off the shores of Liberia. As theship had already docked at Monrovia,insurance did not cover the loss!

Tompkins, however, would notgive up on her new home. She wrote, “Iam well contented in this contry as Icould be with eny country in the world.I have n[ever] seen any country that Iliked better. . . .”Source: Tompkins to John Finley Crowe,February 28, 1850, John Finley CroweCollection, Indiana Historical Society. (Origi-nal letters at Hanover College, Duggan Li-brary, Hanover, Indiana).

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You be the historianSarah A. Fry’s letterSarah A. Fry’s letterSarah A. Fry’s letterSarah A. Fry’s letterSarah A. Fry’s letterPotential emigrants frequentlysought reliable information—espe-cially eyewitness testimony—onliving and working conditions inLiberia. The American ColonizationSociety published reports and lettersfrom emigrants. These publicationswere sent out to free blacks inter-ested in emigrating to Liberia.

Indiana newspapers alsoprinted letters from Hoosier emi-grants. Debate over authenticity andaccuracy of letters, however, wasnot uncommon between opponentsand proponents of colonization.

In the summer of 1851, aletter reputedly from emigrantSarah A. Fry appeared in Indiananewspapers. She had emigrated toLiberia with her husband andchildren from Covington on the D.C. Foster in the fall of 1850. Aletter from emigrant Samuel B.Webster in 1853 includes a state-ment that “Mrs. Fry says she didnot write that letter that was incirculation there” in Indiana (Afri-can Repository and Colonial Jour-nal, August 1853, pp. 232-33). Giventhis denial, can the Fry letter stillbe used as evidence of life inLiberia?

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1940-1945 1949194719461943

World War II␣(Grun,␣516-24).

Evaluate the document• Why might Sarah A. Fry havewritten the letter?• List and compare positive andnegative aspects of life according tothe letter. Do you think the letter isan accurate description of life inLiberia for Hoosier settlers? Com-pare this one to other letters citedin this issue.• Do you believe that the letterwould encourage Hoosier blacks tomove to Liberia?• What would opponents of coloni-zation have to gain from printingFry’s letter and the denial inWebster’s letter?• What would supporters of coloni-zation have to gain from printingFry’s letter and the denial inWebster’s letter?• If Sarah A. Fry did write theletter, why might she later denywriting the letter?

Further Research• Check sources in your area to seeif you can find more informationabout emigrants to Liberia.• How many people emigrated fromneighboring states and other states?Is there a geographical pattern ofemigration?• What is Liberia like today?

Race riotsin severalmajor U.S.cities␣(Grun,␣521).

Indigenouspeoples ofLiberia givenright to vote andparticipate inelections␣ (Libraryof CongressTimeline).

JackieRobinsonbecomes 1stblack to signwith majorleaguebaseball team(Grun,␣ 527).

Ind. GeneralAssembly banssegregation inpublic schools(Thornbrough,Negro,␣ 395).

1954

U.S. SupremeCourt outlawssegregationin publicschools(Grun,␣ 536).

1955

Blacks boycottbuses inMontgomery,Ala. (Grun,␣538).

1957

President DwightD. Eisenhowersends troops toLittle Rock,Ark.; schoolsrefuse to deseg-regate (Grun,541).

1958

Liberian representativesattend 1st conferenceof independent Africannations (Library ofCongress Timeline).

1963

Civil rights demonstrationsby blacks in Birmingham,Ala.; riots, beatings bywhites and police result;“Freedom Marchers,”200,000 blacks and whites,demonstrate in Washington,D.C. (Grun,␣ 550).


Selected ResourcesA Note Regarding Resources: Items are listed on this page that enhance workwith the topic discussed. Some older items, especially, may include datedpractices and ideas that are no longer generally accepted. Resourcesreflecting current practices are noted whenever possible.

1963

PresidentJohn F. Kennedyassassinated inDallas, Tex.(Grun,␣ 552).

Malcom X assassinated in N.Y.; racial violencein Selma, Ala.; 4,000 civil rights demonstratorsled by Martin Luther King, march from Selma toMontgomery: race riots in Watts, district of LosAngeles: 35 dead, 4,000 arrested, $40 millionin property damage␣ (Grun,␣ 554).

1965 1968

Martin Luther Kingassassinated inMemphis, Tenn.(Grun, 560).

1980

Military coup overthrowsgovernment; Liberia’spresident assassinated;ends 1st republic ofLiberia␣ (Library ofCongress Timeline).

1985

Civilian rulerestored inLiberia␣ (Libraryof CongressTimeline).

1986

2nd republic ofLiberia established(Library ofCongressTimeline).

Liberiangovernmenttoppled; civil warensues (Libraryof CongressTimeline).

President of 3rdrepublic of Liberiaelected after peacerestored (Libraryof CongressTimeline).

19971989

Bibliography• African Repository and ColonialJournal. Washington, D.C., 1825-1892.• American Colonization SocietyPapers. Manuscript Division, Libraryof Congress.• Answer of the Agent of the IndianaColonization Society. Indianapolis,1852.• “Black Settlers in Indiana.” TheIndiana Junior Historian. Indianapo-lis, February 1993.• Blackford, Isaac. An Address of theFirst Stated Meeting of the IndianaColonization Society. Indianapolis,1829.• Circular to the Friends of AfricanColonization. Jeffersonville, 1855.• Crenshaw, Gwendolyn J. “Bury Mein a Free Land”: The AbolitionistMovement in Indiana, 1816-1865.Indianapolis, 1986.• Grun, Bernard. The Timetables ofHistory. 3rd ed. New York, 1991.• Eleventh Annual Report of IndianaColonization Society. Indianapolis,1846.• Hawkins, Hubert, comp. Indiana’sRoad to Statehood. Reprint. India-napolis, 1997.• Information About Going to Liberia.Washington, D.C., 1852.• Journal of the House of Representa-tives of the State of Indiana during theFortieth Regular Session. Indianapolis,1859.• Laws of Indiana, revised 1831.Indianapolis, 1831.• Laws of Indiana, revised 1843.Indianapolis, 1843.• Laws of Indiana, revised 1852.Indianapolis, 1852.• Laws of Indiana, revised 1853.Indianapolis, 1853.

• Lugenbeel, James Washington. Sketchesof Liberia. Washington [D.C], 1853.• Moses, Wilson Jeremiah, ed.Liberian Dreams: Back-to-AfricaNarratives from the 1850s. UniversityPark, Pa., 1998.• Philbrick, Francis S., ed. The Lawsof Indiana Territory, 1801-1809.Reprint. Indianapolis, 1931.• Report of the Agent of the Coloniza-tion Society. Indianapolis, 1855.• Report of the Rev. John McKay,Colored Agent of the State Board ofColonization On Liberia. Indianapolis,1854.• Report of the Secretary of the StateBoard of Colonization. Indianapolis,1853.• Report of the Secretary of the StateBoard of Colonization. Indianapolis,1857.• Report of the Secretary of the StateBoard of Colonization. Indianapolis,1859.• Report on Colonization for 1863.Indianapolis, 1864.• Riker, Dorothy, and GayleThornbrough, eds. Messages andPapers . . . of James Brown Ray.Indianapolis, 1954.• Thornbrough, Emma Lou. SinceEmancipation, a Short History ofIndiana Negroes, 1863-1963. [India-napolis, 1964].• Thornbrough, Emma Lou. TheNegro in Indiana Before 1900. India-napolis, 1957.• Twelfth Annual Report of theIndiana Colonization Society. India-napolis, 1847.• Vincent, Stephen A. Southern Seed,Northern Soil. Bloomington, 1999.

Internet Resources• The African-American Mosaic athttp://lcweb.loc.gov/exhibits/african/intro.html• African-American Perspectives:Pamphlets from the Daniel A. P.Murray collection, 1818-1907 at http://lcweb2.loc.gov/ammem/aap/aaphome.html

Resources on Liberia• Boley, G. E. Saigbe. Liberia: TheRise and Fall of the First Republic.New York, 1983.• Cassell, C. Abayomi. Liberia: TheHistory of the First African Republic.New York, 1970.• Dunn, Elwood D., and Svend E.Hails. Historical Dictionary of Liberia.African Historical Dictionaries Series.Metuchen, N.J., 1985.• Johnston, Harry. Liberia. London,1906.• Liebenow, J. Gus. Liberia: TheQuest for Democracy. Bloomington,1987.• Nelson, Harold D., ed. Liberia: ACountry Study. Washington, D.C.,1985.• Shick, Tom W. Behold the PromisedLand: The History of Afro-AmericanSettler Society in Nineteenth CenturyLiberia. Baltimore, 1980.• Smith, James Wesley. Sojourners inSearch of Freedom: The Settlement ofLiberia by Black Americans. Lanham,Md., 1987.• Staudenraus, P. J. The AfricanColonization Movement, 1816-1865.Reprint. New York, 1980.• Woodtor, Dee Palmer. Finding aPlace Called Home: A Guide toAfrican-American Genealogy andHistorical Identity. New York, 1999.

Indiana Emigrants to Liberia

Sources: African Repository and Colonial Journal;Tom W. Shick, “Emigrants to Liberia, 1820-1843,” Liberian StudiesResearch Working Paper No. 2 (Newark, Del., 1971); Robert T. Brown,“Immigrants to Liberia, 1843 to 1865,” Liberian Studies ResearchWorking Paper No. 7 (Philadelphia, 1980).

Cornelius Simms (49) VincennesElizabeth (33)Charles (18)William (14)Sarah (12)George W. (10)Charlotte (6) - died whooping coughThomas J. (4)

Jacob Stephenson (56) PrincetonHarrison (14)Robert (12)Charles (10)James W. (8)

David Matthews (37) Wayne CountyAlley (28)William H. (12)Frederick (7)David (2)

Rev. John McKay (39) Madison (escort for party)

Samuel Coleman Attica - source: ACS records - List of emigrants

November 1854Lamar (Tamar?) Peters (50) EuphrasiaGeorge (30)Alexander (25)Priscilla (20)Mary (18)Simon (6)Charles (4)Mary (2)Martha (20)Rachel (25)

William Robinson (50)Mary (30)Emily (17)Mary (10)

John D. Stewart (20)The above emigrants may be from Putnam County andMontezuma, Indiana.

November 1859Rev. M. M. Clark M. C. StevensThere should be two more emigrants on this ship fromIndiana.

November 1862Isabella Harris (30) M. C. StevensJ. H. Harris (34)

February 1840Names not available Saluda(5 emigrants)

March 1850William W. Findlay (36) Covington D. C. FosterFrances (27)Sarah J. (11)Samuel (9)W. W. (8)H. J. (5)C. S. (3)J. (1)

Henry Fry (48) - died CovingtonSarah (27)Isabella (11)Elizabeth (7)H. (5)Eliza (9)C. (3)F. D. (1) - diedInfant (2 days) - died

February 1851Peter Tompkins (44) Madison Brig Alida- died January 1852Harriet (45)Salina Clay (21) - diedMartha Clay (18) - diedAnn Eliza Clay (17)Emily Jane Clay (15) - died January 9, 1851Josiah Tompkins (7)Clay Tompkins (3) - died August 5, 1851

November 1852Samuel B. Webster (30) Lafayette Barque Shirley

April 1853Elvin Ash (44) Jackson Co. BansheeLucinda (45)Josephine (10)Gabriel (8)Nice (4)Nancy J. (2)

November 1853Joseph Ladd (28) Attica BansheeSusan (17)George W. (2 mos.)

William Brown (45)Susan (28)John (4)Isabella (4 mos.) - died whooping cough

Name (age) Home Ship Name (age) Home Ship

Documents

Indiana Emigrants to Liberia · Indiana Emigrants to Liberia ... India-napolis, IN 46204; 317-232-2535. ... prejudice in Indiana was Article XIII of the Indiana Constitution of 1851,