Crossing the River | Objects, Setting & Important Places

Crossing the River Objects/Places

American Colonization Society

The Baptist mission group called the American Colonization Society is ostensibly dedicated to repatriating former American slaves to Liberia, where they are to become industrious and bring the message of Christ to the African heathens. The society officially recognizes that getting rid of the slaves also helps relieve social stress in America, but they claim that is a secondary benefit. At the time, Liberia is an American colony, established specifically for this purpose. Although the white American founders of, and participants in, the society perceive themselves as good Christians trying to right the wrongs of American slavery, in fact they have created a system that condemns most of the former slaves they liberate to death by the African fever (malaria). Most of the former slaves who do survive the passage in wooden boats to Africa and the first year of exposure to strange illnesses sink into drunkenness and debauchery in...
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