1819

200 years ago, in 1819, James Monroe was President and should be more known for trying to repatriate Africans than for his Monroe Doctrine.  The American Colonization Society organized an effort beginning in 1816. A few freemen wanted to go back to Africa, and Monroe assisted Liberia colony’s beginning after supporting a law in Congress for its establishment.  Many Virginia slaveowners were torn between their tobacco raising and the injustice of slavery for this labor-intensive crop.  But the truth was that many slaves in America lived better than their free African ancestors.  When they returned to West Africa, they immediately set themselves up as a ruling caste over the local Africans. (a source of civil war ever since)  And they were now Christians, not pagans. The economy was poor as well—rice, sorghum, and millet. Most slaves in USA realized the scheme wasn’t good, that they lived even better here than as free there.  So when James Madison tried to manumit 16 able-bodied young slaves, they refused consent (a consent to sale was conditional in many slaves service).  He had to sell them to a relative for $6000. 

            1819 saw the first really bad recession in America, up to now an agricultural country which raised its own standard of living from the soil.  But farmer-inventors made new farm tools to replace the old wooden, hand carved tools.  The iron plow, the horse rake, cotton gin, speed drill, grain harvester, and threshing machine made US farm products cheap and plentiful for Europe, but recession-prone.  During the bounty, slave prices went from $50 to $1000. Thus slavery became more valuable in America and freedmen less common while Liberia languished.

            The Americo-Liberian settlers did not relate well to the indigenous peoples who attacked their settlements.  So what happened was a replay of Indian policy in the new world—bush people were shut out of government and citizenship, were set up with schools and missions and demands for assimilation until 1904.  Nonetheless, Americans held hope for the little country with a Republican system like USA.  Abe Lincoln was a big supporter of Liberian Independence in 1847.  Rubber extraction was developed, but competition with European colonialism drug the economy down.  Then USA built much infrastructure during WW II and has continued aid and expertise. 

            Lessons in this? First, freedom must be accompanied hand in hand with a system for an effective economy. Second, when two very different cultures meet, it usually ends with a winner and subjugation, just as when Bantu people 2000 years ago genocided most of the other races of Africa via agriculture.  Third, government can’t fix everything.  Morals and gracious faith, strong families, work ethic, innovative, law-abiding people are indispensible.  Next time, America goes to war in some place like the Middle East or Latin America, it needs to ask hard questions about the underlying culture and how that will win or lose the peace. Finally, if you let your culture be overwhelmed by people without appreciation, you lose your culture.  Take note,open borders lovers.