The Library of Virginia has records related to efforts by the state
government to send free Blacks to Liberia. They are available online at our
Virginia Untold site -
https://www.virginiamemory.com/collections/aan/search-the-narrative. There
are a couple of reasons why the Virginia government pursued colonization.
One had to do with fears of free Blacks participating in/encouraging
revolts by enslaved people. The General Assembly passed the first of a
series of colonization acts in 1833, two years after Nat Turner's War.
Another reason had to do with the growing frustration among white people in
Virginia with free Blacks NOT leaving the Commonwealth.
Example - In his report to the General Assembly filed in 1852, the Supt. of
the State Penitentiary wrote the following: *"The free negroes in the slave
states have necessarily been consigned to a peculiar condition in the
social body, and one which, if we consult abstract theory, it would seem
was well calculated to excite a spirit of emigration. Yet, we find they
cling to the country of their birth with a pertinacity upon which the
promptings of a higher and more noble destiny in their father land can make
but little impression. Nor, indeed, do we see much inclination to emigrate
to the neighboring free states. There is a proneness among them to linger
upon the skirts of slavery, and to relinquish its presence only by force of
law."*
In regards to your question, "Do you think the free blacks wanted to leave
or were forced to leave?" Based on the statement above and the numerous
petitions filed in the General Assembly by free Blacks to remain in
Virginia, they did not want to leave. The number of petitions to remain
proved so numerous that the General Assembly to address. In 1837, the
General Assembly permitted formerly enslaved individuals to petition the
local courts directly for permission to remain in the Commonwealth. You can
search Virginia Untold for petitions to remain. In them, you will read why
free Blacks wanted to stay in Virginia rather than leave the Commonwealth.
A) They considered Virginia to be their home. B) They had family in
Virginia they did not want to leave. C) Free states might as well have been
a foreign country where they knew no one.
The desire to remain in Virginia was so strong that many chose to
re-enslave themselves after the General Assembly passed an act in 1856
permitting them to do so. These petitions are also found on Virginia Untold.
The Library of Virginia is making a concerted effort to generate greater
awareness about the lives/experiences of free Blacks and enslaved people
through the Virginia Untold digital project. We regularly post updates
about the project on our Uncommonwealth blog site -
https://uncommonwealth.virginiamemory.com/.
*Greg Crawford*
*Local Records Program Manager*
*Library of Virginia*
*800 East Broad Street*
*Richmond, VA 23219-8000*
*Email:* [log in to unmask]
Library of Virginia <http://www.lva.virginia.gov/>
Virginia Memory <http://www.virginiamemory.com/>
The Uncommonwealth <https://uncommonwealth.virginiamemory.com/>
*"Opportunity is missed by most people because it is dressed in overalls
and looks like work." - Thomas Edison*
On Tue, May 31, 2022 at 8:33 AM Mari Julienne <
[log in to unmask]> wrote:
> The 11 March 1850 act is in the Virginia *Acts of Assembly* for the
> 1849-1850 session (p. 7) and is online at HathiTrust:
>
> https://hdl.handle.net/2027/njp.32101073363291?urlappend=%3Bseq=13%3Bownerid=27021597768417596-17
>
>
> On Tue, May 31, 2022 at 8:08 AM Tarter, Brent <
> [log in to unmask]>
> wrote:
>
> > And check the statute books, too, because I know that on one or more
> > occasions the state created methods to raise money to support the
> > emigration of free Black people from Virginia. There was a law early in
> the
> > 1830s for that purpose, but I don't recall whether it was still in effect
> > or whether the General Assembly passed another one close to the date of
> the
> > entry. The document suggests some public funding for the purpose.
> >
> > Brent Tarter
> > [log in to unmask]
> >
> >
> > On Fri, May 27, 2022 at 3:34 PM Valos, Troy <[log in to unmask]>
> > wrote:
> >
> > > These free blacks may be moving to the cities and towns. We have been
> > > indexing Norfolk City Order books from the early 1800s for mentions
> about
> > > FB and enslaved African Americans. We have been finding a lot of
> > instances
> > > where free blacks are moving into Norfolk City from other counties in
> the
> > > region: Mathews, York, Northampton, Surry, Princess Anne, etc.
> > >
> > > If they are moving, then they might be moving to a nearby town or city.
> > >
> > > Sincerely,
> > >
> > > Troy
> > >
> > > Troy Valos, MA, MSIS
> > > Special Collections & Supervising Librarian
> > >
> > > Sargeant Memorial Collection
> > >
> > > Norfolk Public Library
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > [Norfolk logo signature7]
> > >
> > > 235 East Plume Street
> > >
> > > Norfolk, VA 23510
> > >
> > > 757-431-7451 office| 757-431-7429 dept.
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > Connect with us:
> > >
> > > www.norfolk.gov<http://www.norfolk.gov/>
> > >
> > >
> > > ________________________________
> > > From: Walter Shepherd <
> [log in to unmask]>
> > > Sent: Friday, May 27, 2022 2:14 PM
> > > To: [log in to unmask] <[log in to unmask]>
> > > Subject: Re: [VA-ROOTS] Exodus of Free Blacks
> > >
> > > *** This is an EXTERNAL email. Please exercise caution. ***
> > > ________________________________
> > >
> > >
> > > Check out this article. Especially page 29, last paragraph:
> > >
> > >
> > >
> >
> https://digitalrepository.unm.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?referer=https://www.google.com/&httpsredir=1&article=1407&context=law_facultyscholarship
> > >
> > > Sent from my iPhone
> > >
> > > > On May 27, 2022, at 1:57 PM, RONALD CORNWELL <[log in to unmask]>
> > wrote:
> > > >
> > > > It sounds like they are removing on their own
> > > >
> > > > Sent from my iPhone
> > > >
> > > >> On May 27, 2022, at 10:05 AM, ANNIE MABRY <
> > > [log in to unmask]> wrote:
> > > >>
> > > >> Karen:
> > > >> Is this information a transcription? And if so, can you refer us to
> > the
> > > original document? There appears to be some missing words.
> > > >>
> > > >> With the current information provided, it’s difficult to interpret.
> > > There are several ‘Laws’ that come to mind regarding the ‘removal of
> free
> > > blacks’ during that era.
> > > >> Thank you for any clarification,
> > > >>
> > > >> Annie S. Mabry
> > > >> (303) 263-6746 - Mobile
> > > >> [log in to unmask]
> > > >>
> > > >>
> > > >>>> On May 27, 2022, at 8:52 AM, Karen Sutton <[log in to unmask]>
> > wrote:
> > > >>>
> > > >>> Greetings all,
> > > >>>
> > > >>> Please take a moment to read this paragraph, and let me know what
> you
> > > >>> think. It is a quotation from a Northumberland County, VA Order
> Book.
> > > >>> Question: Please tell me what this entry says to you? Do you think
> > the
> > > free
> > > >>> blacks wanted to leave or were forced to leave?
> > > >>>
> > > >>> “October 14, 1850”
> > > >>> It appearing to this court by satisfactory evidence that there are
> a
> > > number
> > > >>> of free negroes about to removed from this county out of the
> > > commonwealth
> > > >>> of Va. at their own coast and whence by our making appropriations
> for
> > > the
> > > >>> removal of free persons of color and for other purposes passed the
> > > 11th.
> > > >>> March 1850 which -------- directs that it shall be the duty of the
> > > county
> > > >>> and cooperating courts to charge the legal tax for the seal of the
> > > court
> > > >>> and ---- of every copy of registration by them to every free negro
> > and
> > > to
> > > >>> acco. (accommodate) with the auditor of such tax being to raise a
> > fund
> > > for
> > > >>> the remova1 of free negroes out of this Commonwealth. Therefore the
> > > court
> > > >>> dot direct its clerk: not to charge the tax aforesaid to any free
> > > negro who
> > > >>> obtains his papers for the purpose of removing out of the
> > Commonwealth
> > > at
> > > >>> his or her own costs."
> > > >>>
> > > >>> Thanks.
> > > >>>
> > > >>> --
> > > >>>
> > > >>> Stay Safe and Well!
> > > >>>
> > > >>>
> > > >>> Karen E. Sutton
> > > >>>
> > > >>>
> > > >>> Karen E. Sutton, Ph.D.
> > > >>>
> > > >>> Class of Fall 2021
> > > >>>
> > > >>> Dept of History/Geography, Museum
> > > >>>
> > > >>> Studies and Historic Preservation
> > > >>>
> > > >>> Morgan State University
> > > >>>
> > > >>> 1700 E. Cold Spring Lane
> > > >>>
> > > >>> Baltimore, MD 21251
> > > >>>
> > > >>> [log in to unmask]
> > > >>>
> > > >>> To subscribe, change options, or unsubscribe, please see the
> > > instructions at
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> > > >>>
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> > > Museum and Library Services (IMLS).
> > > >>
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> > > >>
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