Maryland State Colonization Society facts for kids
The Maryland State Colonization Society was a group in Maryland that was part of a bigger organization called the American Colonization Society. This larger group started in 1816. Its main goal was to help free African Americans move to Africa. Many people in the Southern United States thought this would give them more freedom. The American Colonization Society helped create the country of Liberia in 1821–22. This was meant to be a home for freed slaves.
The Maryland State Colonization Society created its own independent state in West Africa called the Republic of Maryland. This state existed for a short time. In 1857, it became part of Liberia. The society hoped to find a way to end slavery peacefully. They believed that slavery would stop in Maryland if slave owners agreed. However, this goal was never reached. Slavery in Maryland only ended after the American Civil War began.
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Starting the Society
The Maryland Colonization Society began in 1827. Its first president was a very rich landowner named Charles Carroll of Carrollton. He was from Maryland and owned many slaves. Even though he supported ending slavery slowly, he did not free his own slaves. He might have worried they would struggle to survive if freed. Carroll tried to pass a law in Maryland to end slavery gradually, but it did not succeed.
Many rich landowners in Maryland joined the society. This included members of the Steuart family. They owned large properties near the Chesapeake Bay. George H. Steuart, a Major General in the Maryland Militia, was on the society's board. His father, James Steuart, was a vice-president. His brother, Richard Sprigg Steuart, a doctor, was also on the board.
In 1845, Richard Sprigg Steuart wrote a letter that was published in Baltimore. He shared his thoughts on slavery in Maryland. He believed that Black people should look to Africa as their only hope for a good life. He admitted that the issue was very difficult. But he felt that moving to Africa would eventually lead to most African people leaving Maryland. The society's president also said that the goal was to prepare a home in Africa. Free Black people would move there when they saw the benefits or felt pressure to leave the U.S.
The society stated from the beginning that it wanted to be a "remedy for slavery." In 1833, they declared:
- The society believed that colonization helped encourage slave owners to free their slaves.
- This was because it offered freed slaves a happier home than they had in America.
- They hoped that soon, slavery would end in Maryland with the full agreement of slave owners.
The society was also started partly because of fears of slave revolts. For example, Nat Turner led a rebellion in Virginia in 1831. Many white people in the South were constantly worried about slave uprisings. The Maryland State Colonization Society was seen as a peaceful way to end slavery and prevent such events.
Republic of Maryland in Africa
In December 1831, the Maryland state government set aside $10,000 each year for 26 years. This money was to help transport free Black people and former slaves from the United States to Africa. The law allowed up to $20,000 a year, totaling $260,000. This was a lot of money for that time. It was used to start the colonization process in Africa. The government gave the Maryland State Colonization Society the power to carry out these plans.
Most of the money went to developing the colony itself. They wanted to make it appealing to settlers. People were offered free travel, rent, and about 5 acres of land for farming. They also received low-interest loans. These loans would be forgiven if the settlers stayed in Liberia. The rest of the money paid agents who promoted the new colony.
At the same time, new rules were made to force freed slaves to leave Maryland. They could only stay if a court decided they had "extraordinary good conduct." Any slave freed by their owner had to be reported to the authorities. County clerks who failed to do this could be fined. The Maryland State Colonization Society was created to help enforce these new laws.
In 1832, the government added more limits on the freedom of Black people. This was to encourage them to move away. They could not vote, serve on juries, or hold public office. Former slaves who were unemployed and had no clear way to support themselves could be re-enslaved by local sheriffs. Supporters of colonization hoped these rules would make free Black people want to leave Maryland.
John H. B. Latrobe, who was president of the MSCS for 20 years, believed settlers would be motivated to improve their lives. He thought that eventually, every free Black person would be convinced to leave Maryland.
Settling Cape Palmas
The Maryland State Colonization Society was originally a part of the American Colonization Society. The larger group had founded Liberia in 1822. But the Maryland group decided to create its own settlement for its emigrants. The first place they settled was Cape Palmas in 1834. This area was a bit south of the main part of Liberia. Cape Palmas is a small, rocky piece of land connected to the mainland by sand.
Most of the settlers were freed African American slaves and freeborn African Americans. They came mainly from the state of Maryland in the U.S. The colony was named Maryland In Africa on February 12, 1834. It was also known as Maryland in Liberia.
John Brown Russwurm
In 1836, the colony appointed its first Black governor, John Brown Russwurm (1799–1851). He remained governor until he died. Russwurm encouraged more African Americans to move to Maryland-in-Africa. He also supported farming and trade. He had previously worked as a colonial secretary for the American Colonization Society from 1830 to 1834. He also edited the Liberia Herald newspaper. However, he quit that job in 1835 to protest America's colonization policies.
In 1838, several other African American settlements on the west coast of Africa joined together. They formed the Commonwealth of Liberia. This group declared its independence in 1847. However, the colony of Maryland in Liberia stayed independent. The Maryland State Colonization Society wanted to keep its control over trade in that area. On February 2, 1841, Maryland-in-Africa became a state. In 1847, the Maryland State Colonization Society published the Constitution and Laws of Maryland in Liberia. These laws were based on the United States Constitution.
Independence and Joining Liberia
On May 29, 1854, the State of Maryland declared its independence. It called itself the Republic of Maryland, or Maryland in Liberia. Its capital city was Harper, Liberia. It controlled the land along the coast between the Grand Cess and San Pedro Rivers. But this new republic lasted only three years as an independent state.
Soon after, local tribes like the Grebo and the Kru attacked the State of Maryland. They were upset because the new state had disrupted their slave trade. Maryland could not defend itself alone. So, it asked Liberia, its stronger neighbor, for help. President Roberts of Liberia sent military aid. An alliance of Marylanders and Liberian soldiers successfully pushed back the local tribes.
However, it was now clear that the Republic of Maryland could not survive on its own. On March 18, 1857, Maryland joined Liberia. From then on, it was known as Maryland County.
Leading up to the Civil War
By the 1850s, fewer people in Maryland believed that colonization was the answer to slavery. At this time, about one out of every six families in Maryland owned slaves. But support for slavery varied across the state. It depended on how important slavery was to the local economy. Marylanders might agree that slavery should be ended. But putting that idea into practice was very hard. The total number of slaves remained high. Slavery was too deeply rooted in Maryland society to be ended voluntarily. It would only come to an end with war and fighting.
| Census Year |
1790 | 1800 | 1810 | 1820 | 1830 | 1840 | 1850 | 1860 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| All States | 694,207 | 887,612 | 1,130,781 | 1,529,012 | 1,987,428 | 2,482,798 | 3,200,600 | 3,950,546 |
| Maryland | 103,036 | 105,635 | 111,502 | 107,398 | 102,994 | 89,737 | 90,368 | 87,189 |
Lasting Impact and End
The Maryland State Colonization Society did not achieve its goal of ending slavery in Maryland. However, it left a lasting mark in Africa. It helped create the modern country of Liberia. Interestingly, even though Liberia was settled by freed slaves, it continued to be involved in the slave trade well into the 20th century. As late as the early 1930s, powerful people in Liberia continued to sell people from the country's interior. These people were sold to Spanish plantations on the island of Bioko. There, they lived in conditions similar to slavery. So, the former slaves themselves became involved in trading people.
The American Colonization Society, which the MSCS was a part of, officially closed down in 1964.
See also
- Cape Palmas
- History of Liberia
- History of slavery in Maryland
- List of colonial heads of Maryland-in-Africa
- Slavery in the colonial United States
- Slavery in the United States
