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Historical Document American Colonization Society: a Memorial to the United States Congress 1820 |
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Click here for the text of this historical document. With its powerful membership of politicians, philanthropists and other influential public figures, the American Colonization Society was well positioned to gain government funding for its schemes to relocate free blacks to colonies in Africa.
On February 1, 1820, building on public sentiment against free blacks and legislation the previous year against the international slave trade, the ACS issued a Memorial (a petition) to Congress that promoted its aims under the guise of suppressing the illegal slave trade and "turning [the] attention [of Africans] to the ordinary and innocent pursuits of civilized nations."
Related Entries:
• American Colonization Society
• Douglas Egerton on the black support for the ACS
• Albert Raboteau on Allen's reaction to the ACS
• Julie Winch on black support for the ACS and the Bethel meeting
• Douglas Egerton on black response to colonization
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