The Maryland State Colonization Society was the Maryland branch of the

American Colonization Society The American Colonization Society (ACS), initially the Society for the Colonization of Free People of Color of America, was an American organization founded in 1816 by Robert Finley to encourage and support the repatriation of freeborn peop ...

, an organization founded in 1816 with the purpose of returning free

African Americans African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from any of the Black racial groups of Africa ...

to what many Southerners considered greater freedom in

Africa Africa is the world's second-largest and second-most populous continent after Asia. At about 30.3 million km2 (11.7 million square miles) including adjacent islands, it covers 20% of Earth's land area and 6% of its total surfac ...

. The ACS helped to found the

colony A colony is a territory subject to a form of foreign rule, which rules the territory and its indigenous peoples separated from the foreign rulers, the colonizer, and their ''metropole'' (or "mother country"). This separated rule was often orga ...

Liberia Liberia, officially the Republic of Liberia, is a country on the West African coast. It is bordered by Sierra Leone to Liberia–Sierra Leone border, its northwest, Guinea to Guinea–Liberia border, its north, Ivory Coast to Ivory Coast–Lib ...

in 1821–22, as a place for

freedmen A freedman or freedwoman is a person who has been released from slavery, usually by legal means. Historically, slaves were freed by manumission (granted freedom by their owners), emancipation (granted freedom as part of a larger group), or self- ...

. The Maryland State Colonization Society was responsible for founding the

Republic of Maryland The Republic of Maryland (also known variously as the Independent State of Maryland, Maryland-in-Africa, and Maryland in Liberia) was a country in West Africa that existed from 1834 to 1857, when it was merged into what is now Liberia. The area ...

West Africa West Africa, also known as Western Africa, is the westernmost region of Africa. The United Nations geoscheme for Africa#Western Africa, United Nations defines Western Africa as the 16 countries of Benin, Burkina Faso, Cape Verde, The Gambia, Gha ...

, a short lived independent state that in 1857 was annexed by

. The goal of the society was "to be a remedy for slavery", such that "slavery would cease in the state by the full consent of those interested". The ultimate victory of the Union in the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861May 26, 1865; also known by Names of the American Civil War, other names) was a civil war in the United States between the Union (American Civil War), Union ("the North") and the Confederate States of A ...

in 1865 led to the end of slavery in

Maryland Maryland ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It borders the states of Virginia to its south, West Virginia to its west, Pennsylvania to its north, and Delaware to its east ...

Foundation

The Maryland Colonization Society was founded in 1827, and its first president was the wealthy planter

Charles Carroll of Carrollton Charles Carroll (September 19, 1737 – November 14, 1832), known as Charles Carroll of Carrollton or Charles Carroll III, was an American politician, planter, and signatory of the Declaration of Independence. He was the only Catholic signatory ...

, who was himself a Marylander and a substantial slaveholder. Although he supported the gradual abolition of slavery, he did not free his own slaves, perhaps fearing that they might be rendered destitute in the process. Carroll introduced a bill for the gradual abolition of slavery in the Maryland senate but it did not pass. Many wealthy Maryland Planters were members of the MSCS. Among these were the

Steuart family The Steuart family of Maryland was a prominent political family in the early history of Maryland. The Steuarts, of Scottish descent, have their origins in Perthshire, Scotland. The family grew wealthy in the early 18th century under the patronage o ...

, who owned considerable estates in the Chesapeake Bay, including George H. Steuart, Major General of the Maryland Militia, who was on the board of Managers, along with his father James Steuart, who was vice-president, and his brother, the physician

Richard Sprigg Steuart Richard Sprigg Steuart (1797–1876) was a Maryland physician and an early pioneer of the treatment of mental illness. In 1838 he inherited four contiguous farms, totalling approximately 1900 acres as well as 150 slaves.MSA C153-10, Liber TTS #1, ...

, also on the board of managers. In an open letter to John Carey in 1845, published in

Baltimore Baltimore is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland. With a population of 585,708 at the 2020 census and estimated at 568,271 in 2024, it is the 30th-most populous U.S. city. The Baltimore metropolitan area is the 20th-large ...

by the printer John Murphy, Richard Sprigg Steuart set out his views on the subject of slavery in Maryland:

The colored man ustlook to Africa, as his only hope of preservation and of happiness ... it can not be denied that the question is fraught with great difficulties and perplexities, but ... it will be found that this course of procedure ... will ... at no very distant period, secure the removal of the great body of the African people from our State. The President of the Maryland Colonization Society points to this in his address, where he says "the object of Colonization is to prepare a home in Africa for the free colored people of the State, to which they may remove when the advantages which it offers, and above all the pressure of irresistible circumstances in this country, shall excite them to emigrate.

The society proposed from the outset "to be a remedy for slavery", and declared in 1833:

''Resolved'', That this society believe, and act upon the belief, that colonization tends to promote emancipation, by affording the emancipated slave a home where he can be happier than in this country, and so inducing masters to
manumit Manumission, or enfranchisement, is the act of freeing slaves by their owners. Different approaches to manumission were developed, each specific to the time and place of a particular society. Historian Verene Shepherd states that the most wi ...
who would not do so unconditionally ...
o that O, or o, is the fifteenth letter and the fourth vowel letter of the Latin alphabet, used in the modern English alphabet, the alphabets of other western European languages and others worldwide. Its name in English is ''o'' (pronounced ), ...
at a time not remote, slavery would cease in the state by the full consent of those interested.

The society was founded in part as a response to the threat of

slave rebellion A slave rebellion is an armed uprising by slaves, as a way of fighting for their freedom. Rebellions of slaves have occurred in nearly all societies that practice slavery or have practiced slavery in the past. A desire for freedom and the dream o ...

, such as that of

Nat Turner Nat Turner (October 2, 1800 – November 11, 1831) was an enslaved Black carpenter and preacher who led a four-day rebellion of both enslaved and free Black people in Southampton County, Virginia in August 1831. Nat Turner's Rebellion res ...

in Virginia in 1831. Among Southern whites, the prospect of a slave revolt was a constant concern. The Maryland State Colonization Society was seen as a remedy for slavery that would lead ultimately to emancipation by peaceful means.

Republic of Maryland founded in Africa

In December 1831, the Maryland state legislature appropriated an annual US$10,000 for 26 years to transport free blacks and ex-slaves from the United States to Africa. The act appropriated funds of up to $20,000 a year, up to a total of $260,000, in order to commence the process of African colonization, a considerable expenditure by the standards of the time.Andrews, p.493Freehling, William H., ''The Road to Disunion: Volume I: Secessionists at Bay, 1776-1854'', p.204
Retrieved March 12, 2010. The legislature empowered the Maryland State Colonization Society to carry out the ends it had in view. Most of the money would be spent on the colony itself, to make it attractive to settlers. Free passage was offered, plus rent, of land to farm, and low interest loans which would eventually be forgiven if the settlers chose to remain in Liberia. The remainder was spent on agents paid to publicize the new colony.Freehling, William H., p.206, ''The Road to Disunion: Volume I: Secessionists at Bay, 1776-1854''
Retrieved March 12, 2010 At the same time, measures were enacted to force freed slaves to leave the state, unless a court of law found them to be of such "extraordinary good conduct and character" that they might be permitted to remain. Any slave

manumitted Manumission, or enfranchisement, is the act of freeing slaves Slavery is the ownership of a person as property, especially in regards to their labour. Slavery typically involves compulsory work, with the slave's location of work and ...

by his master must be reported to the authorities, and county clerks who did not do so could be fined. It was in order to carry out this legislative purpose that the Maryland State Colonization Society was established. In 1832 the legislature placed new restrictions on the liberty of free blacks, in order to encourage emigration. They were not permitted to vote, serve on juries, or hold public office. Unemployed ex-slaves without visible means of support could be re-enslaved at the discretion of local sheriffs. By this means the supporters of colonization hoped to encourage free blacks to leave the state. John Latrobe, for two decades the president of the MSCS, and later president of the ACS, proclaimed that settlers would be motivated by the "desire to better one's condition", and that sooner or later "every free person of color" would be persuaded to leave Maryland.Freehling, William H., p.207, ''The Road to Disunion: Volume I: Secessionists at Bay, 1776-1854''
Retrieved March 12, 2010

Settlement of Cape Palmas

Originally a branch of the

that founded

in 1822, the Maryland State Colonization Society decided to establish a new settlement of its own that could accommodate its emigrants. The first area to be settled was

Cape Palmas Cape Palmas is a headland on the extreme southeast end of the coast of Liberia, Africa, at the extreme southwest corner of the northern half of the continent. The Cape itself consists of a small, rocky peninsula connected to the mainland by a san ...

, in 1834, somewhat south of the rest of Liberia. The Cape is a small, rocky peninsula connected to the mainland by a sandy isthmus. Immediately to the west of the peninsula is the estuary of the Hoffman River. Approximately 21 km (15 mi) further along the coast to the east, the Cavalla River empties into the sea, marking the border between Liberia and the Côte d'Ivoire. It marks the western limit of the Gulf of Guinea, according to the International Hydrographic Organization (IHO). Most of the settlers were freed

African-American African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from any of the Black racial groups of Africa. ...

slaves and freeborn African-Americans primarily from the

state State most commonly refers to: * State (polity), a centralized political organization that regulates law and society within a territory **Sovereign state, a sovereign polity in international law, commonly referred to as a country **Nation state, a ...

. The colony was named Maryland In Africa (also known as Maryland in Liberia) on February 12, 1834.

John Brown Russwurm

In 1836, the colony appointed its first black governor,

John Brown Russwurm John Brown Russwurm (October 1, 1799 – June 9, 1851) was a Jamaican-born American abolitionist, newspaper publisher, and colonist of Liberia, where he moved from the United States. He was born in Jamaica to an English father and enslaved mothe ...

(1799–1851), who remained governor until his death. Russwurm encouraged the migration of African-Americans to Maryland-in-Africa and supported agriculture and trade. He had begun his career as the colonial secretary for the

between 1830 and 1834. He also worked as the editor of the ''

Liberia Herald The ''Liberia Herald'', founded in 1826 is the first newspaper ever published in Liberia which at the time was a colony. It was founded by Charles Force who died shortly after the first issue was published. In March 1827 Samuel Cornish and John B ...

'', though he resigned his post in 1835 to protest America's colonization policies. In 1838, a number of other African-American settlements on the west coast of Africa were united into the

Commonwealth of Liberia Liberia, officially the Colony of Liberia, later the Commonwealth of Liberia, was a Colony, private colony of the American Colonization Society between 1821, before becoming the self-proclaimed independent nation of the Liberia, Republic of Liberi ...

, which then declared its independence in 1847. However, the colony of Maryland in Liberia colony remained independent, as the Maryland State Colonization Society wished to maintain its trade monopoly in the area. On February 2, 1841, Maryland-in-Africa was granted statehood, and became the State of Maryland. In 1847 the Maryland State Colonization Society published the ''Constitution and Laws of Maryland in Liberia'', based on the

United States Constitution The Constitution of the United States is the Supremacy Clause, supreme law of the United States, United States of America. It superseded the Articles of Confederation, the nation's first constitution, on March 4, 1789. Originally includi ...

Declaration of Independence and annexation by Liberia

On May 29, 1854, The State of Maryland declared its independence, naming itself the Republic of Maryland, or Maryland in Liberia, with its capital at

Harper Harper may refer to: Names * Harper (name), a surname and given name and place names, for example: Harper Islands, Nunavut. Places ;in Canada * Harper Islands, Nunavut * Harper, Prince Edward Island ;In the United States *Harper, former name ...

. It held the land along the coast between the

Grand Cess Grand Cess is a town in Grand Kru County, Liberia Liberia, officially the Republic of Liberia, is a country on the West African coast. It is bordered by Sierra Leone to Liberia–Sierra Leone border, its northwest, Guinea to Guinea–Liberi ...

and San Pedro Rivers. However, the new republic would survive just three years as an independent state. Soon afterward, local tribes including the Grebo and the

Kru KRU are a Malaysian pop boy band formed in 1992. The group comprises three Abdul Halim brothers, namely Datuk Norman Abdul Halim, Datuk Yusry Abdul Halim and Edry Abdul Halim'. Apart from revolutionising the Malaysian music scene with their b ...

attacked the State of Maryland in retaliation for its disruption of the slave trade. Unable to maintain its own defense, Maryland appealed to Liberia, its more powerful neighbor, for help. President Roberts sent military assistance, and an alliance of Marylanders and Liberian militia troops successfully repelled the local tribesmen. However, it was now clear that the Republic of Maryland could not survive as an independent state, and on March 18, 1857 Maryland was annexed by Liberia, becoming known henceforth as

Maryland County Maryland County is a county in the southeastern portion of Liberia. One of 15 counties that comprise the first-level of administrative division in the nation, it has two districts. Harper serves as the capital with the area of the county meas ...

The coming of Civil War

By the 1850s few Marylanders still believed that Colonization was the solution to the problem of slavery.Chapelle, Suzanne Ellery Greene, p.148, ''Maryland: A History of Its People''
Retrieved August 10, 2010 By this time around one in every six Maryland families had slaves, but support for the institution of slavery was localized; varying according to its importance to the local economy. Marylanders might agree in principle that slavery could and should be abolished, but turning theory into practice would prove elusive, and the overall numbers of slaves remained stubbornly high. Slavery was too deeply embedded into Maryland society for it to be voluntarily eradicated, and the end would come only with war and bloodshed.

Legacy and dissolution

The Maryland State Colonization did not achieve its goal of being a remedy for slavery, but it did leave a lasting legacy in Africa, in the form of its contribution to the creation of the modern state of

. Ironically however, despite having been settled by freed slaves, Liberia would continue the

slave trade Slave trade may refer to: * History of slavery - overview of slavery It may also refer to slave trades in specific countries, areas: * Al-Andalus slave trade * Atlantic slave trade ** Brazilian slave trade ** Bristol slave trade ** Danish sl ...

well in the Twentieth Century. As late as the early 1930s the Liberian elite continued to traffic in human cargo from the country's interior, selling African labor on to Spanish plantations on the island of Fernando Po, where they were held in conditions akin to slavery. The former slaves had themselves become slave-traders.Butcher, Tim, p. 21, ''Chasing the Devil: the Search for Africa's Fighting Spirit'', Chatto & Windus, London (2010). The

, of which the MSCS was a branch, was formally dissolved in 1964.

References

*Andrews, Matthew Page, ''History of Maryland'', Doubleday, New York (1929). *Butcher, Tim, ''Chasing the Devil: the Search for Africa's Fighting Spirit'', Chatto & Windus, London (2010).
Flint, John E., et al, ''The Cambridge History of Africa: From c. 1790 to c. 1870'' Cambridge University Press (1977)
Retrieved February 16, 2010.
Freehling, William H., ''The Road to Disunion: Volume I: Secessionists at Bay, 1776-1854''
Retrieved March 12, 2010 * Hall, Richard, ''On Afric's Shore: A History of Maryland in Liberia, 1834-1857''
Latrobe, John H. B., p.125, ''Maryland in Liberia: a History of the Colony Planted By the Maryland State Colonization Society Under the Auspices of the State of Maryland, U. S. At Cape Palmas on the South - West Coast of Africa, 1833-1853'' (1885).
Retrieved Feb 16 2010
Stebbins, Giles B., ''Facts and Opinions Touching the Real Origin, Character, and Influence of the American Colonization Society: Views of Wilberforce, Clarkson, and Others'', published by Jewitt, Proctor, and Worthington (1853).
Retrieved February 16, 2010.
Yarema, Allan E., ''American Colonization Society: An Avenue To Freedom?''
Retrieved September 2010
''Maryland Colonization Journal'' published by the Maryland State Colonization Society
Retrieved February 16, 2010.
''Discussion on American Slavery: Between George Thompson, Esq., Agent of the British and Foreign Society for the Abolition of Slavery Throughout the World, 17th of June, 1836''
Published by

Isaac Knapp Isaac Knapp (January 11, 1804 – September 14, 1843) was an American abolitionist printer, publisher, and bookseller in Boston, Massachusetts. He is remembered primarily for his collaboration with William Lloyd Garrison in printing and publ ...

, 46 Washington Street (1836). Retrieved February 16, 2010.

Notes

{{Reflist, 2

External links

Gurley, Ralph Randolph, Ed., p.251, ''The African Repository'', Volume 3
Retrieved February 15, 2010.
Proceedings of the Maryland Colonization Society at ''Niles' National Register, Volume 47''
Retrieved February 16, 2010.

Retrieved February 16, 2010.

Retrieved February 16, 2010. History of colonialism African-American history of Maryland History of slavery in Maryland African-American repatriation organizations 19th century in Africa History of Maryland 1827 establishments in Maryland Republic of Maryland