ORIGINAL SOURCE LIBRARY
Selected Documents
INTRODUCTION
Jefferson, Thomas Notes on the State of Virginia 1787
Fairfax, Ferdinando "Plan for Liberating the Negroes in the United States" 1790
Tucker, St. George A Dissertation on Slavery 1796
Jefferson, Thomas Letter to St. George Tucker 1797
Tucker, George Letter to a Member of the General Assembly 1801
American State Papers Correspondence between Virginia and Federal Government on Colonization 1801
Finley, Robert Thoughts on the Colonization of Free Blacks 1816
Jefferson, Thomas "Memoir" (published in 1829) 1821
Douglass, Frederick "The Question of Amalgamation" 1860
CHAPTER 1 — FOUNDING MOMENT: DECODING THE RHETORIC
American Colonization Society A View of Exertions Lately Made for the Purpose of Colonizing the Free People of Colour 1817
American Colonization Society First Annual Report 1818
Niles' Register "The Colonization Scheme" 1819
Walker, David Appeal, in Four Articles (Third Edition) 1830
Garrison, William Lloyd Thoughts on African Colonization, Part II 1832
CHAPTER 2 — ENDING SLAVERY: 1817–1833
Bacon, Leonard "Reports of the American Society for Colonizing the Free People of Colour" 1823
Sparks, Jared Historical Outline of the American Colonization Society 1824
American Colonization Society Seventh Annual Report 1824
American Colonization Society "Colonization Society" 1825
Grattan, Peachy Speech at Rockingham County Colonization Society (Virginia) 1825
American Colonization Society ACS's Memorial to Congress 1827
Clay, Henry Senate Speech in Favor of the ACS's Memorial 1827
Turnbull, Robert The Crisis; Or, Essays on the Usurpations of the Federal Government 1827
Key, Francis Scott Speech in Favor of the ACS's Memorial 1828
Senate Committee Senate Report Opposing the ACS's Memorial 1828
Bacon, Leonard "Review on African Colonization" 1830
Clay, Henry First Senate Speech in Favor of the Land Bill 1832
Clay, Clement House Speech in Opposition to the Land Bill 1833
CHAPTER 3 — STRENGTHENING THE UNION: 1833–1853
Freedom's Journal Inaugural Issue 1827
Freedom's Journal John Russwurm's Editorials on Emigrating to Liberia 1829 (see Feb 14, 21, March 14, 1829 issues)
Rights of All "Barbarism in America" 1829
First Annual Convention of the People of Color 1831
Second Annual Convention of the Free People of Color 1832
Garrison, William Lloyd Thoughts on African Colonization, Part I 1832
Third Annual Convention of the Free People of Color 1833
American Anti-Slavery Society Proceedings of the American Anti-Slavery Society Founding Meeting 1833
Hamilton, William Address to the Fourth Annual Convention of the Free People of Color 1834
Ruggles, David The "Extinguisher" Extinguished! or David M. Reese, M.D. "Used Up" 1834
Fifth Annual Convention of the Free People of Color 1835
Calhoun, John Senate Speech on the Reception of Abolition Petitions 1837
Public Circular on Colonization Signed by Numerous Congressmen 1838
Clay, Henry Senate Speech on the Subject of Abolition Petitions (and colonization) 1839
Cornish, Samuel and Wright, Theodore The Colonization Scheme Considered 1840
American Colonization Society Proceedings of the ACS's 1842 Convention in Washington 1842
House Committee House Report Endorsing the ACS's 1842 Memorial (Kennedy Report) 1843
Senate Committee Senate Report Rejecting ACS's Memorial 1844
North Star Inaugural Issue 1847
American Colonization Society Declaration of Independence of Liberia 1847
Clay, Henry Public Letter on Gradual Emancipation and Colonization in Kentucky 1849
North Star "Henry Clay" (Frederick Douglass's Critique of Clay's Public Letter) 1849
North Star "Great Anti-Colonization Meeting in New York" 1849
House Committee House Report Endorsing the Liberian Steamer Proposal 1850
Clay, Henry Speech in Favor of the Liberian Steamer Proposal 1851
Stanton, Frederick Perry Speeches in Favor of the Liberian Steamer Proposal 1851 (includes 1851 ACS speech)
Proceedings of the State Convention of Colored People, Held at Albany 1851
Webster, Daniel Speech in Favor of the Liberian Steamer Proposal 1852
Proceedings of the Colored National Convention, Held in Rochester 1853
CHAPTER 4 — PREVENTING DISUNION: 1854–1860
North Star "Colonization. Sailing of the Liberian Packet" 1849
Lincoln, Abraham Eulogy on Henry Clay 1853
U.S. Supreme Court Dred Scott Opinion 1857
Lincoln, Abraham Speech in Springfield 1857
Blair, Jr., Frank First Congressional Speech on Colonization 1858
Slaughter, Philip Speech at ACS Annual Meeting 1858
Blair, Jr., Frank The Destiny of the Races of this Continent 1859
National Era "Jefferson's Birthday in Washington" 1859
Trumbull, Lyman Senate Remarks on Colonization 1859
Douglass' Monthly Inaugural Issue 1859
Douglass' Monthly "F.P. Blair's Lecture in Boston" 1859
Latrobe, John Speech at ACS Annual Meeting 1859
Wade, Benjamin Senate Remarks on Colonization 1860
Blair, Jr., Frank Speech on Colonization at the Cooper Institute 1860
The Liberator "The Colored Citizens of New York and the African Civilization Society” 1860
The Liberator "Twenty-Seventh Anniversary of the American Anti-Slavery Society” 1860
Blair, Montgomery Address at the Maryland State Republican Convention 1860
Orcutt, John Criticism of Gov. Dennison (Ohio) for Endorsing Blairs' Efforts 1860
Doolittle, James Senate Speech on Homestead Bill and Colonization 1860
CHAPTER 5 — ENDING THE CIVIL WAR: 1861–1865
Proceedings of the National Emigration Convention of Colored People 1854
Lincoln, Abraham "A House Divided" Speech 1858
Lincoln, Abraham Address at Cooper Institute 1860
Blair, Sr., Francis Preston Letter to Lincoln on Slavery and Colonization 1861
Lincoln, Abraham First Annual Message to Congress 1861
Blair, Montgomery Letter to the Meeting Held at the Cooper Institute 1862
Doolittle, James Speech in Senate on D.C. Abolition Bill and Colonization 1862
Lincoln, Abraham Message to Congress on the D.C. Abolition Act 1862
Blair, Jr., Frank House Speech on the Policy of the President 1862
Douglass' Monthly “Colored Men Petitioning to Be Colonized” 1862
Henderson, John Speech at the Missouri Constitutional Convention 1862
House Committee Report of Select Committee on Emancipation and Colonization 1862
Lincoln, Abraham Message to Border State Congressmen 1862
Border State Majority's Response to Lincoln's Message 1862
Border State Minority's Response to Lincoln's Message 1862
Lincoln, Abraham "Address on Colonization to a Deputation of Negroes" 1862
Douglass' Monthly “The President and His Speeches” 1862
Douglass' Monthly "The Spirit of Colonization" 1862
Henderson, John Speech in Hannibal, MO on Emancipation and Colonization 1862
Lincoln, Abraham Preliminary Emancipation Proclamation 1862
Christian Recorder "Mrs. Frances E. Watkins on the War and the President’s Colonization Scheme” 1862
Lincoln, Abraham Second Annual Message to Congress 1862
Douglass' Monthly "The President's Message" 1863
Lincoln, Abraham Emancipation Proclamation 1863
Blair, Montgomery Speech at the Union Mass Convention in Concord 1863
Douglass' Monthly "The Meeting of Colored Loyalist[s]" 1863
Kennedy, John Pendleton Immediate Emancipation in Maryland 1863
Henderson, John Speech at the Missouri Constitutional Convention 1863
Proceedings of the National Convention of Colored Men, Held in the City of Syracuse 1864
Blair, Jr., Frank Speech in Favor of Colonization's Ongoing Importance 1864
Henderson, John Senate Speech on the Proposed Thirteenth Amendment 1864
Rollins, James House Speech on the Proposed Thirteenth Amendment 1865
CHAPTER 6 — OPPOSING BLACK SUFFRAGE: 1866–1901
Proceedings of the First Annual Meeting of the National Equal Rights League, Held in Cleveland 1865
Blair, Montgomery “Ratification Meeting at Cooper Institute" 1865
Proceedings of the National Convention of the Colored Men of America, Held in Washington, D.C. 1869
House Committee Minority Report of the Joint Select Committee to Inquire into the Condition of Affairs in the Late Insurrectionary States 1872
New National Era "African Colonization" 1872
Blair, Montgomery Article in the North American Review on Black Suffrage 1879
Christian Recorder "For The Christian Recorder: Advisory Committee on African Colonization” 1882
Christian Recorder “Bishop Turner on the Advisory Committee” 1883
Christian Recorder “Bishop Turner’s Reply” 1883
Christian Recorder “The African Question” 1883
Christian Recorder “The African Question Again” 1883
U.S. Supreme Court Civil Rights Cases Opinion 1883
Fulkerson, H.S. The Negro: As He Was; As He Is; As He Will Be 1887
Morgan, John "Shall Negro Majorities Rule?" 1889
Grady, Henry "The Race Problem in the South" 1889
McKinley, Carlyle An Appeal to Pharaoh: The Negro Problem, and Its Radical Solution 1889
Douglass, Frederick "The Nation's Problem" 1889
Morgan, John "The Race Question in the United States" 1890
Hampton, Wade "The Race Problem" 1890
Douglass, Frederick The Race Problem 1890
Morgan, John Senate Speech on Butler Bill 1890
Butler, Matthew Senate Speech on Butler Bill 1890
Vance, Zebulon Senate Speech on Butler Bill 1890
Hampton, Wade Senate Speech on Butler Bill 1890
George, James Z. Senate Speech on Lodge Bill 1890-91
Otken, Charles H. The Ills of the South 1894
U.S. Supreme Court Plessy v. Ferguson Opinion 1896
Simmons, Enoch S. A Solution of the Race Problem in the South 1898
Graves, John Temple Speech at "Race Problems of the South" Conference 1900
Morgan, John Senate Speech on Black Suffrage 1900
Graves, John Temple "The Problem of the Races" — Commencement Speech at the University of Chicago 1904
CONCLUSION
Cooper, Anna Julia A Voice from the South 1892
Douglass, Frederick Lessons of the Hour 1894
Du Bois, W.E.B. "Strivings of the Negro People" 1897
Du Bois, W.E.B. The Souls of Black Folk 1903
Cox, Earnest Sevier White America 1923
Cox, Earnest Sevier Let My People Go 1925
Bilbo, Theodore Take Your Choice; Separation or Mongrelization 1947
American Renaissance “What the Founders Really Thought About Race” 2012
American Renaissance “James Madison and the American Colonization Society” 2021
American Renaissance “What Should White Americans Do?” 2024