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200 years ago in 1815 (Part 1)


Edward James Roye was born in Newark, Ohio, (1815-1872), he became the fifth President of Liberia in January of 1871.  He arrived in Liberia in 1846, became a leading merchant; in 1849, Speaker of the House of Representatives; then Chief Justice from 1865 to 1868. In 1870 he had gone to England to negotiate a loan, and received $500,000.  The secretive terms created great  resentment in Liberia. He was accused of embezzlement.  When he attempted to extend his term of office by edict, the people rose in insurrection and deposed him from office, recalling Joseph J. Roberts from retirement.  Summoned to trial, Roye escaped but he drowned in an attempt to ride breakers in a native canoe to reach an English ship.  

Kentucky prohibited the introduction of slaves for sale. 

Free Blacks in Virginia were required to pay a poll tax of $2.50

When the British abandoned Fort Blount, on the Apalachicola Bay, Florida, about 300 fugitive slaves from Georgia who farmed in the area, and some 30 Creek Indians, drove the Seminoles from the fort and occupied it.  They used the fort as a haven for runaways, and as a base for expeditions against slave owners. 

In the Battle of New  Orleans, a battalion of about 280 New Orleans Blacks under Major Lacoste and a battalion of about 150 Blacks from Santo Domingo under Major Daquin, helped erect cotton bag breastworks for Jackson, and fought successfully against the British.  A total of over 600 Blacks fought under Jackson at the Battle of New Orleans. 

The General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church stated that it was not strong enough as a body to take action on the slavery issue. 


The first real movement of Blacks from the South to the Northwest Territory commenced.  The general feeling about Blacks in the West was toleration from 1800 to 1826, persecution between 1826 to 1841, and amelioration  1841-1861. 

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