Colonization of Antebellum Period Essay

Open, View, and/or
Download this Document

Total Length: 812 words ( 3 double-spaced pages)

Total Sources: 1+

Page 1 of 3

Colonization Movement of the Antebellum Period

The Success of Colonization Movement in the Antebellum Period in Attaining its Goals

The American "colonization" movement was a socio-political process, which advocated for the release of slaves by their masters, and the slaves' consequent shipment back to their places of origin in Africa. Another important element of the process was to "enlighten" the "uncivilized" African continent by sending missionaries along with the slaves, who would spread the Christian gospel. The supporters of the movement believed that the inherent differences between whites and blacks ran so deep that the prospects of their peaceful coexistence were extremely dim. Therefore, to ensure that conflicts would not arise in the future, they believed it was integral to expel all black people from the American land. However, as statistics show, their success was limited. They managed to return around 15 thousand slaves to their countries of origin, in the period of 1822 and 1860. That was a very small percentage of the overall slave population, which in 1860, equaled to approximately 3,953,760 black people (Schmoop Editorial Team, 11).

Motivations behind the Colonization Movement

Motivations behind the Colonization Movement varied, and often times conflicted. For example, many supporters believed in the justice of freeing the slaves, yet could not reconcile it with the idea that these slaves were equal to the whites, resulting in their conviction to remove them from the continent altogether.

Stuck Writing Your "Colonization of Antebellum Period" Essay?

View All Our Example Colonization of Antebellum Period Essay

Have A Custom Example Essay Written

Others were true believers in the notion of emancipation, but acknowledged the difficulty of creating a fully integrated society. Therefore, they preferred to settle for the separation of the two groups. Finally, some saw the movement as a way to further strengthen the culture of slavery by isolating and expelling the blacks who were freed by their owners, in order to avoid a wave of emancipation and uprisings.

It must be noted that neither the believers in the notion of emancipation nor those who thought it was a tactic to further embed slavery into societal fabric contributed much to the movement. This is due to the fact that neither of the two groups had a clear understanding of the end goal of colonization (Schmoop Editorial Team, 10).

Factors that Limited the Movement's Success

The movement had its financial and ideological supporters. Arthur Tappan, a wealthy merchant from the city of New York, was one of them. This renowned abolitionist helped expand the movement, pushing….....

Show More ⇣

     Open the full completed essay and source list


OR

     Order a one-of-a-kind custom essay on this topic


sample essay writing service

Cite This Resource:

Latest APA Format (6th edition)

Copy Reference
"Colonization Of Antebellum Period" (2015, October 14) Retrieved June 4, 2026, from
https://www.aceyourpaper.com/essays/colonization-antebellum-period-2156047

Latest MLA Format (8th edition)

Copy Reference
"Colonization Of Antebellum Period" 14 October 2015. Web.4 June. 2026. <
https://www.aceyourpaper.com/essays/colonization-antebellum-period-2156047>

Latest Chicago Format (16th edition)

Copy Reference
"Colonization Of Antebellum Period", 14 October 2015, Accessed.4 June. 2026,
https://www.aceyourpaper.com/essays/colonization-antebellum-period-2156047
   

Open, View, and/or
Download this Document
order custom essay example