“A Free Republic, Like Our Own”: The US Navy and the Colonization Movement in Public Discourse, 1819-60
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.25071/2561-5467.1409Keywords:
Liberia, colonization movement, United States Navy, officer corps, black Atlantic, slaveryAbstract
This article examines how US naval officers’ attitudes about slavery, race, and American empire led many to support for America’s African colonization movement in the antebellum era. It argues that beyond the well-documented support they provided in Africa, many American naval officers joined colonization societies, gave speeches, published in newspapers, and authored books to advocate for colonization in the United States. Drawing on their firsthand experience, they provided credibility to the movement at a time when it was sorely needed in response to attacks from both sides of the political spectrum.
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