American Colonization Society: An Exercise in Compromise
Introduction
The American Colonization Society was founded in 1817 as a result of agreements reached during a meeting on December 21, 1816. The purpose of this meeting was to bring together the efforts of state legislatures and colonization societies to create a national group supporting the idea of relocating freed slaves to Africa. Given the diverse group who supported colonization for different reasons, the society was doomed to be an effort in compromise.
Formation of the American Colonization Society
The mandate set forth by the society was to send freed slaves to Africa instead of their emancipation into the United States. The ...