Robert Finley (1772 – November 3, 1817) was an American

Presbyterian Presbyterianism is a historically Reformed Protestant tradition named for its form of church government by representative assemblies of elders, known as "presbyters". Though other Reformed churches are structurally similar, the word ''Pr ...

clergyman Clergy are formal leaders within established religions. Their roles and functions vary in different religious traditions, but usually involve presiding over specific rituals and teaching their religion's doctrines and practices. Some of the ter ...

and educator who is known as one of the founders 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 ...

, which established the colony of

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 West Africa as a place for free African Americans. He was a pastor for 20 years at a Presbyterian church in

Basking Ridge, New Jersey Basking Ridge is an Local government in New Jersey#Unincorporated communities, unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) located within Bernards Township, New Jersey, Bernards Township in the Somerset Hills region of Somerset ...

, and also taught in elementary school and at a boys' academy. He served briefly in 1817 as the president of the

University of Georgia The University of Georgia (UGA or Georgia) is a Public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university with its main campus in Athens, Georgia, United States. Chartered in 1785, it is the oldest public university in th ...

before his death. Born in

Princeton, New Jersey The Municipality of Princeton is a Borough (New Jersey), borough in Mercer County, New Jersey, United States. It was established on January 1, 2013, through the consolidation of the Borough of Princeton, New Jersey, Borough of Princeton and Pri ...

, Finley had graduated at the age of 15 from the College of New Jersey (later developed and renamed as

Princeton University Princeton University is a private university, private Ivy League research university in Princeton, New Jersey, United States. Founded in 1746 in Elizabeth, New Jersey, Elizabeth as the College of New Jersey, Princeton is the List of Colonial ...

Early life

Finley was born in

, in 1772 to James Finley and his wife Ann Angrest. His father, James Finley, was born 1737 in

Glasgow, Scotland Glasgow is the Cities of Scotland, most populous city in Scotland, located on the banks of the River Clyde in Strathclyde, west central Scotland. It is the List of cities in the United Kingdom, third-most-populous city in the United Kingdom ...

, where he was trained as a yarn merchant and where he became acquainted with Rev John Witherspoon, then a pastor in the town of Paisley about six miles from Glasgow. His father immigrated from Scotland to

New Jersey New Jersey is a U.S. state, state located in both the Mid-Atlantic States, Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern United States, Northeastern regions of the United States. Located at the geographic hub of the urban area, heavily urbanized Northeas ...

in 1769. His paternal grandparents were James Finley from Paisley, and Ann McDonald Finley.

Career

Robert Finley entered the College of New Jersey at the age of 11 and graduated in 1787, at the age of 15, at a time when it served more as a boys' academy."Guide to the Robert Finley Papers,"
the Presbyterian Historical Society. He taught at several places, including

Charleston, South Carolina Charleston is the List of municipalities in South Carolina, most populous city in the U.S. state of South Carolina. The city lies just south of the geographical midpoint of South Carolina's coastline on Charleston Harbor, an inlet of the Atla ...

, where many households held enslaved African Americans. Thousands of others worked on plantations outside the city. The Presbytery of

New Brunswick, New Jersey New Brunswick is a city (New Jersey), city in and the county seat of Middlesex County, New Jersey, Middlesex County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey.minister in 1794. He returned to Princeton in 1793 to study theology, and served as a tutor. He was appointed as a trustee of the university in 1806 and served until his resignation in 1817, when he departed for Georgia. In 1795, Finley was ordained as the pastor of the

church at Basking Ridge, where he served for 19 years. He was a popular preacher and noted educator, developing the concept of the modern

Sunday School ] A Sunday school, sometimes known as a Sabbath school, is an educational institution, usually Christianity, Christian in character and intended for children or neophytes. Sunday school classes usually precede a Sunday church service and are u ...

curriculum.

Basking Ridge, New Jersey

Finley taught at the Princeton University Grammar School;Laurie, Maxine N.; and Mappen, Marc; ''Encyclopedia of New Jersey'': Rutgers University Press; 2004/2005. P. 273. and at the

Classical School ( Brick Academy), a boys' seminary. He worked there from 1795 until his acceptance of the

(UGA) presidency in July 1817. In 1795, Dr. Robert Finley, re-established the private academy, known as the Basking Ridge Classical School, conducting classes first at the Presbyterian parsonage and then in a new frame school building erected near the church. In 1809, with enrollment expanding, Finley organized financing and construction of a new two-story brick building, prominently located in the center of the village of Basking Ridge ( Brick Academy). Boys were drawn both from the local area and from more distant places, such as Virginia and New York City, to attend this private preparatory academy. Most were given a classical education in preparation to enter the College of New Jersey (later expanded and renamed as Princeton University). Students boarded with Dr. Finley and other local residents. Two buildings still standing near the Brick Academy were later used as dormitories.

American Colonization Society

Dr. Finley and Samuel John Mills helped organize the National Colonization Society of America and the

Washington, D.C. Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly known as Washington or D.C., is the capital city and federal district of the United States. The city is on the Potomac River, across from Virginia, and shares land borders with ...

in 1816 and 1817. They solicited contributions from many contemporaries, including former students such as Charles Muir Campbell. The

(ACS) proposed to relocate free American blacks to a colony in West Africa. The Society gained support from both some

abolitionists Abolitionism, or the abolitionist movement, is the political movement to end slavery and liberate enslaved individuals around the world. The first country to fully outlaw slavery was France in 1315, but it was later used in its colonies. T ...

and slaveholders, for differing reasons. Free blacks faced discrimination in both the free states of the North, where slavery was abolished after the Revolution (in a gradual process in some places) and in the slave societies of the South. In the latter areas, free blacks were feared as being influential in disrupting slaves and leading slave rebellions. Some abolitionists believed that black people would face better chances for freedom and prosperity 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 ...

than in the

United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

. Also, if there were a colony available to them where they could be resettled, abolitionists hoped to gain more manumissions of slaves and eventually end the institution. Between January 7, 1822, and the American Civil War, more than 15,000 freed and free-born American black people, and 3,198

Afro-Caribbeans Afro-Caribbean or African Caribbean people are Caribbean people who trace their full or partial ancestry to Sub-Saharan Africa. The majority of the modern Afro-Caribbean people descend from the Africans (primarily from West and Central Africa) ...

, relocated to the settlement. Pioneers suffered extremely high mortality rates in the early years from new tropical diseases and lack of sanitation and infrastructure. Finley's brother, Josiah Finley, was governor of Mississippi-in-Africa (an ACS colony on the Pepper Coast) from June 1837 to 10 September 1838, when he was murdered by local fishermen.Sullivan, Jo. M. "Mississippi in Africa: Settlers Among the Kru," ''Liberian Studies Journal'' Vol. VIII, No. 2 (1978–1979). African Americans gradually moved into positions in the government of the colony. The Republic of Liberia declared its independence on July 26, 1847. The U.S. did not recognize Liberia's independence until February 5, 1862, during 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 ...

, because of previous opposition by Southern Congressmen. After the South seceded, remaining legislators voted to recognize the republic. Finley did not live to see any of these developments. Soon after the ACS was founded, Finley was selected as the next president of the

. In 1817, he fell ill during the journey south to

Athens, Georgia Athens is a consolidated city-county in the U.S. state of Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia. Downtown Athens lies about northeast of downtown Atlanta. The University of Georgia, the state's flagship public university and an Research I university, ...

. He died three months after arriving. Finley is buried in Jackson Street Cemetery on the north campus of the university.

Archival collections

The Presbyterian Historical Society in

Philadelphia Philadelphia ( ), colloquially referred to as Philly, is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania, most populous city in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania and the List of United States cities by population, sixth-most populous city in the Unit ...

Pennsylvania Pennsylvania, officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a U.S. state, state spanning the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern United States, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes region, Great Lakes regions o ...

, has sermons and a Latin manuscript from Robert Finley in its collections.

Early life

Career

Basking Ridge, New Jersey

American Colonization Society

Archival collections

References

Further reading