Quick. Two countries in the world have capitals named after US presidents. Which are they?
Well, the first is the United States of America. Its capital, Washington DC, is named after George Washington, the first president. But the second one is much harder. Unless, of course, you've read the title of this blog post. It's Liberia, an obscure African country. Its capital is Monrovia, named after President James Monroe. But why, you may be asking? It's a long story. And a fascinating one.
The Society
In 1816, minister Robert Finley founded the American Society for Colonizing the Free People of Color of the United States, more commonly known as the American Colonization Society. Finley was opposed to slavery, and thought that slaves should be freed. However, he didn't think former slaves would be well-equipped to assimilate into America's racist culture. He thought they should go back to Africa.
He thought they should go back to Africa.
The Society drew many rich and powerful patrons, including Henry Clay (Speaker of the House and three-time presidential nominee) and Bushrod Washington (Supreme Court Justice and President Washington's nephew). But its most notable supporters were the three presidents that make up what's often called the Virginia dynasty: Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, and James Monroe.
The Contradiction
Quick tangent: Thomas Jefferson is well-known for his inconsistent positions on slavery. He wrote in the Declaration of Independence that "all men are created equal," yet owned over three hundred slaves. In his book Notes on the State of Virginia, he mentioned that black people were inherently inferior to white people. That said, he clearly thought slavery as a problem. On multiple occasions he tried to enact laws that halted slavery, but they never gained much traction.
He wrote in the Declaration of Independence that "all men are created equal," yet owned over three hundred slaves.
Ultimately, his plan was to abolish slavery slowly and gradually. On January 1, 1808, he stopped the slave trade, making it impossible for slaves to come to the United States. He thought that this would cause slavery to die out. However, whenever a slave had a baby, that baby would be born a slave. Also, people smuggled slaves plenty. In any case, Jefferson's relationship with slavery was fraught with paradoxes. So when the Society started with its plan to free the slaves and evacuate them to Africa, he signed on, as did his proteges Madison and Monroe.
The Opposition
Lots of people disliked the American Colonization Society. Most slavers. Most abolitionists. But its most notable opposition came from the African-American population. "Shame upon the guilty wretches that dare propose, and all that countenance such a proposition," said abolitionist and escaped slave Frederick Douglass. "We live here–have lived here–have a right to live here, and mean to live here." Most slaves weren't Africans. They were African-Americans, and America was their home.
"Shame upon the guilty wretches that dare propose, and all the countenance such a proposition." –Frederick Douglass
But what black people wanted wasn't really a priority for the all-white Society. Forget that the whole point of abolition was to make slaves' lives better. They would push ahead with their plans whether the slaves liked it or not. Of course, they claimed that it was all voluntary, that the slaves were jumping at the chance to move to a completely different continent. But that was a fiction.
The Colonization
Anyway, in order for the Society to move ahead with their goals, they needed land. They sailed over to Africa and began to negotiate with local native tribes. First, they sailed to Sierra Leone, but many on the voyage died and they were not able to seize territory. In 1821, another ship headed to Cape Mesurado, part of what is now Liberia. The captain, named Robert Stockton, was vicious. He allegedly held tribal leader Zolu Duma at gunpoint, forcing him to sell the land. They were ultimately able to establish a colony in Liberia, bringing over 4500 freed slaves to the region. Over half of them died of disease, but they were still able to establish a stable population.
Despite the vast majority of the population being black, white Society members were in charge.
The main city of the colony, however, needed a name. Despite the vast majority of the population being black, white Society members were in charge. They decided to name the main city after the president who had provided most of the funding–President James Monroe. And that's why the capital is called Monrovia.
The Legacy
In 1847, Liberia declared independence, becoming the first African country to do so. Their constitution was much like the American one, establishing a President, House of Representatives, Senate, and Supreme Court. Liberia's first president was Joseph Jenkins Roberts, a former slave born in Virginia.
Some people in America still held out hope that the slave evacuation method would work. Most notably, President Abraham Lincoln.
Some people in America still held out hope that the slave evacuation method would work. Most notably, President Abraham Lincoln. However, in the middle of the Civil War, Lincoln asked black troops to fight for the North. Some historians think that made him think it was immoral to force them to Africa after fighting for the country. Additionally, the aforementioned Frederick Douglass met with Lincoln, so it's possible Douglass persuaded him. In any case, by 1865, Lincoln gave a strong speech in favor of abolishing slavery, but letting the slaves stay in the United States. (It may have been the impetus for John Wilkes Booth's assassination.) And "colonization" was never again seriously on the table.
Conclusion
I don't usually tell stories from history that you can find for free on the Internet, but I'd never heard anything about this before. When I discovered it, it was fascinating and surprising, and that some people on my blog might find it interesting too.
–beautifulthorns