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New Book Sheds New Light On Lincoln's Racial Views-send Black To Central America - Politics - Nairaland

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New Book Sheds New Light On Lincoln's Racial Views-send Black To Central America by Time2Think(f): 12:11pm On Mar 06, 2011
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/us_lincoln_colonization

By MATTHEW BARAKAT, Associated Press – Fri Mar 4, 4:04 pm ET

McLEAN, Va. – Abraham Lincoln's Gettysburg Address has inspired Americans for generations, but consider his jarring remarks in 1862 to a White House audience of free blacks, urging them to leave the U.S. and settle in Central America.

"For the sake of your race, you should sacrifice something of your present comfort for the purpose of being as grand in that respect as the white people," Lincoln said, promoting his idea of colonization: resettling blacks in foreign countries on the belief that whites and blacks could not coexist in the same nation.

Lincoln went on to say that free blacks who envisioned a permanent life in the United States were being "selfish" and he promoted Central America as an ideal location "especially because of the similarity of climate with your native land — thus being suited to your physical condition."

As the nation celebrates the 150th anniversary of Lincoln's first inauguration Friday, a new book by a researcher at George Mason University in Fairfax makes the case that Lincoln was even more committed to colonizing blacks than previously known. The book, "Colonization After Emancipation," is based in part on newly uncovered documents that authors Philip Magness and Sebastian Page found at the British National Archives outside London and in the U.S. National Archives.

In an interview, Magness said he thinks the documents he uncovered reveal Lincoln's complexity.

"It makes his life more interesting, his racial legacy more controversial," said Magness, who is also an adjuct professor at American University.

Lincoln's views about colonization are well known among historians, even if they don't make it into most schoolbooks. Lincoln even referred to colonization in the preliminary Emancipation Proclamation, his September 1862 warning to the South that he would free all slaves in Southern territory if the rebellion continued. Unlike some others, Lincoln always promoted a voluntary colonization, rather than forcing blacks to leave.

But historians differ on whether Lincoln moved away from colonization after he issued the official Emancipation Proclamation on Jan. 1, 1863, or whether he continued to support it.

Magness and Page's book offers evidence that Lincoln continued to support colonization, engaging in secret diplomacy with the British to establish a colony in British Honduras, now Belize.

Among the records found at the British archives is an 1863 order from Lincoln granting a British agent permission to recruit volunteers for a Belize colony.

"He didn't let colonization die off. He became very active in promoting it in the private sphere, through diplomatic channels," Magness said. He surmises that Lincoln grew weary of the controversy that surrounded colonization efforts, which had become enmeshed in scandal and were criticized by many abolitionists.
As late as 1864, Magness found a notation that Lincoln asked the attorney general whether he could continue to receive counsel from James Mitchell, his colonization commissioner, even after Congress had eliminated funding for Mitchell's office.

Illinois' state historian, Tom Schwartz, who is also a research director at the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library in Springfield, Ill., said that while historians differ, there is ample evidence that Lincoln's views evolved away from colonization in the final two years of the Civil War.

Lincoln gave several speeches referring to the rights blacks had earned as they enlisted in the Union Army, for instance. And presidential secretary John Hay wrote in July 1864 that Lincoln had "sloughed off" colonization.

"Most of the evidence points to the idea that Lincoln is looking at other ways" to resolve the transition from slavery besides colonization at the end of his presidency, Schwartz said.

Lincoln is the not the only president whose views on race relations and slavery were more complex and less idealistic than children's storybook histories suggest. George Washington and Thomas Jefferson were both slaveholders despite misgivings. Washington freed his slaves when he died.

"Washington, because he wanted to keep the union, knew he had to ignore the slavery problem because it would have torn the country apart, said James Rees, director of Washington's Mount Vernon estate.

"It's tempting to wish he had tried. The nation had more chance of dealing with slavery with Washington than with anyone else," Rees said, noting the esteem in which Washington was held in both the North and the South.

Magness said views on Lincoln can be strongly held and often divergent. He noted that people have sought to use Lincoln's legacy to support all manner of political policy agendas since the day he was assassinated. And nobody can claim definitive knowledge of Lincoln's own views, especially on a topic as complex as race relations.
"He never had a chance to complete his vision. Lincoln's racial views were evolving at the time of his death," Magness said.
Re: New Book Sheds New Light On Lincoln's Racial Views-send Black To Central America by Nobody: 2:04pm On Mar 06, 2011
Not really surprising, imo.
Re: New Book Sheds New Light On Lincoln's Racial Views-send Black To Central America by ekubear1: 5:51am On Mar 07, 2011
He tried his best. Cannot judge him by 2010 standards. Still a great man. Sometimes results are all that matter, not the reasons.
Re: New Book Sheds New Light On Lincoln's Racial Views-send Black To Central America by Kilode1: 5:58am On Mar 07, 2011
^^ what's up uncle Ruckus?  tongue.  j/k

I wish my people had a Lincoln or Washington to fight for them in the 60s. Treat others right if you can. But treat your people waaaay better!
Re: New Book Sheds New Light On Lincoln's Racial Views-send Black To Central America by MaziUche0(m): 6:01am On Mar 07, 2011
His Emancipation Proclomation only freed the slaves in the rebelling Confederate states. It did not free the slaves found on the border states that were part of the Union.

Many people have view of Lincoln as if he was some savior.
Re: New Book Sheds New Light On Lincoln's Racial Views-send Black To Central America by ekubear1: 6:02am On Mar 07, 2011
lol. Maybe I should start watchin The Boondocks. This Uncle Ruckus guy is hilarious:
http://allhiphop.com/stories/features/archive/2010/06/29/22281889.aspx
Re: New Book Sheds New Light On Lincoln's Racial Views-send Black To Central America by Kilode1: 6:21am On Mar 07, 2011
^^ You mean you've not see Boondocks before? shocked shocked

eku_bear you are white, confess tongue I must confess, I didn't see it until the 3rd season myself.

McGruder needs to bring that show back!
Re: New Book Sheds New Light On Lincoln's Racial Views-send Black To Central America by ekubear1: 6:25am On Mar 07, 2011
^-- I don't have a TV. Makes me pretty unproductive, so try to avoid owning one.

I watch sports (either online or at a bar/restaurant), but aside from that, pretty much minimal tv.
Re: New Book Sheds New Light On Lincoln's Racial Views-send Black To Central America by ekubear1: 7:14am On Mar 07, 2011
^--
“If you black of skin and full sin come forward so that I may lay my hands on you."

"Black be gone!"

"Praise white Jesus!”
grin grin grin grin grin

Hilarious.

Uncle Ruckus must have come after Dave Chappelle's black Klansman character?


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BHFUH_frhBw
Re: New Book Sheds New Light On Lincoln's Racial Views-send Black To Central America by bkbabe97y(m): 7:41am On Mar 07, 2011
eku_bear:

^--
“If you black of skin and full sin come forward so that I may lay my hands on you."

"Black be gone!"

"Praise white Jesus!”
grin grin grin grin grin

Hilarious.

Uncle Ruckus must have come after Dave Chappelle's black Klansman character?


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BHFUH_frhBw


Hhahahahahahaha. Me and my gal just spent all nite watching the boondocks on dvd! lol
Re: New Book Sheds New Light On Lincoln's Racial Views-send Black To Central America by bkbabe97y(m): 7:44am On Mar 07, 2011
eku_bear:

^--
“If you black of skin and full sin come forward so that I may lay my hands on you."

"Black be gone!"

"Praise white Jesus!”
grin grin grin grin grin

Hilarious.

Uncle Ruckus must have come after Dave Chappelle's black Klansman character?


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BHFUH_frhBw

Check out the link below. . .


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oXafV35nFso
Re: New Book Sheds New Light On Lincoln's Racial Views-send Black To Central America by ekubear1: 7:58am On Mar 07, 2011
bk.babe97y:

Check out the link below. . .


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oXafV35nFso

rofl @ "nigga synthesis" grin grin grin

That Uncle Ruckus!
Re: New Book Sheds New Light On Lincoln's Racial Views-send Black To Central America by bkbabe97y(m): 8:06am On Mar 07, 2011
Lol. I was talking to my homegal in ATL last nite and she was giving me crazy gists about what occurs in her establishment (she owns a club out there) and at a point in the convo I was like " We pretty ignorant aint we?". There was a short pause and she was like "Yeah".

I know Ignorance cuts across all races; black, white, hispanic, african, arab wuteva (at that moment I was more concerned about blacks) I guess it just sucks when you realize there as astonishing amount of ignorants on earth.
Re: New Book Sheds New Light On Lincoln's Racial Views-send Black To Central America by birdman(m): 8:12am On Mar 07, 2011
there are torrents for all boondocks seasons out there,

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