AHC: Black Reservations
- Thread starter Hawkeye
- Start date
I think it's certainly possible.
During the Civil War, there were numerous instances of slaves being seized by Union generals from southern slaveholders. For the most part, these were grouped into Freedmen's colonies following emancipation, when their definition was thus legally changed from one of "contraband". I can totally see stuff like the Freedmen's Colony of Roanoke surviving into the modern day, as an example of a possible "homeland" for freed blacks.
During the Civil War, there were numerous instances of slaves being seized by Union generals from southern slaveholders. For the most part, these were grouped into Freedmen's colonies following emancipation, when their definition was thus legally changed from one of "contraband". I can totally see stuff like the Freedmen's Colony of Roanoke surviving into the modern day, as an example of a possible "homeland" for freed blacks.
birdboy2000
Banned
Get some maroon communities to escape the American interior during the colonial era, and have the US later conquer them? It'd make sense to administer them the same way they administered the other conquered peoples, whether they're African American or Native American.
Yeah, I could see some Bantustan-type things set up in a worse universe. The problems I see are: where to put millions of people, and do the black colonies get "tribal sovereignty" as the Natives eventually did.
But yeah, I think its possible. As for how; I can only see it happening if there was a large, armed, black uprising against the United States (has to be post-Civil War). The terrified reaction might be to set up the Bantustans.
The major deal with this though is that Liberia is still around, and deportation might be a rival option unless expense gets in the way.
But yeah, I think its possible. As for how; I can only see it happening if there was a large, armed, black uprising against the United States (has to be post-Civil War). The terrified reaction might be to set up the Bantustans.
The major deal with this though is that Liberia is still around, and deportation might be a rival option unless expense gets in the way.
If we combine this with the 'state suicide' theory regarding the southern states and secession, as part of punishing the south, the Radical Republicans could have driven out the white populations of Louisiana and some areas of the former surrounding states and turn the region into a 'black state' called New Louisiana.
Between the growing violence towards blacks in the rest of the south, and the desire for a fresh start the majority of America's former slave population moves there.
Between the growing violence towards blacks in the rest of the south, and the desire for a fresh start the majority of America's former slave population moves there.
That's more of a black state than a Native American-style reservation for blacks.
First, what distinct minority other than Indians and blacks was there?
Second, the Indian reservation system was rooted in the special political status of Indians as members of distinct quasi-nations outside the polity of the United States; vide the reference in the Constitution to "Indians not taxed.
Third, as regards blacks. Before the ACW, blacks were usually owned by whites who would object to their property being taken away. "Free colored" people were not equal citizens, but they owned property and lived in the general community.
Actually, I suppose it's possible that the "free colored" might have been confined to some kind of "reservations"; they were highly suspect in the Deep South and disliked in the North. (The Border States don't seem to have cared.)
After the Civil War, blacks were still the main labor force in the Deep South, and white planters and such wanted them around to use. During "Conservative" Reconstruction in 1865-1866, and after Reconstruction, whites tried to prevent blacks from migrating elsewhere.
In any case what territory would be so allocated? Nearly all of the South was owned by white men.
We worked through some of the issues around the establishment of a post-ACW black homeland in my posts below.
There was money appropriated for colonization. Lincoln was all for it even after the issuance of the emancipation proclamation. The idea, or threat, of black reservations is not so far fetched, especially if Lincoln had survived.
Lincoln Survives Assassination
WI More Active and Effective Reconstruction
There was money appropriated for colonization. Lincoln was all for it even after the issuance of the emancipation proclamation. The idea, or threat, of black reservations is not so far fetched, especially if Lincoln had survived.
Lincoln Survives Assassination
WI More Active and Effective Reconstruction
Neirdak
Banned
This link can perhaps help. It's about the African-american migrations to the Great Plains and the foundations of "black towns" by voluntary migrants.
http://plainshumanities.unl.edu/encyclopedia/doc/egp.afam.006
As a POD, there were two very important race riots during the Reconstruction Period (1865 - 1877) : 1866 riots in Memphis (May 1 to 3) and New Orleans (July 30). What if those riots were more violent or expanded to other cities due to inept generals/governors, wrong policies of the Freedmen's Bureau or President Johnson's vision?
In OTL, the outcome of the riots was to increase support for Radical Reconstruction. The Radical Republicans swept the congressional elections of 1866, obtaining a veto-proof majority in Washington. Subsequently, they passed key pieces of legislation, such as the Reconstruction Acts, Force Acts, and the Fourteenth Amendment of the United States Constitution which guaranteed citizenship, equal protection of the laws, and due process to former slaves. The change in political climate, catalyzed by response to the race riots, ultimately enabled former slaves to obtain the full rights of citizenship.
You could create two Homestead Acts in 1866 : the "Southern Homestead Act of 1866" and a "Kansas and Oklahoma territories Homestead Act". Those acts would open acres of public land for sale in the Southern states of Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi and in the territories of Kansas and Oklahoma. The bills specify, only free Blacks and loyal Whites would be allowed access to these lands.
The "Kansas and Oklahoma territories Homestead Act" would grant a "free land" to African Americans in order to create agricultural colonies and settlements. The primary beneficiaries for the first 5 years would be freedmen who were in desperate need of land to till. They would be followed by loyal Whites and later Chinese (after the surge of anti-Chinese riots).
Those settlements would be under the protection of the federal government, which means federally administrated, in order to protect African-american settlers. Those settlements will probably expand with new migrants trying to escape to Jim Crow laws. I imagine them as federal territories, counties and towns, similar to Washington DC, under the exclusive jurisdiction of the Congress and not a part of any U.S. state, even after the creation of Oklahoma and Kansas states (perhaps colloquially rebaptised with new names).
http://plainshumanities.unl.edu/encyclopedia/doc/egp.afam.006
As a POD, there were two very important race riots during the Reconstruction Period (1865 - 1877) : 1866 riots in Memphis (May 1 to 3) and New Orleans (July 30). What if those riots were more violent or expanded to other cities due to inept generals/governors, wrong policies of the Freedmen's Bureau or President Johnson's vision?
In OTL, the outcome of the riots was to increase support for Radical Reconstruction. The Radical Republicans swept the congressional elections of 1866, obtaining a veto-proof majority in Washington. Subsequently, they passed key pieces of legislation, such as the Reconstruction Acts, Force Acts, and the Fourteenth Amendment of the United States Constitution which guaranteed citizenship, equal protection of the laws, and due process to former slaves. The change in political climate, catalyzed by response to the race riots, ultimately enabled former slaves to obtain the full rights of citizenship.
You could create two Homestead Acts in 1866 : the "Southern Homestead Act of 1866" and a "Kansas and Oklahoma territories Homestead Act". Those acts would open acres of public land for sale in the Southern states of Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi and in the territories of Kansas and Oklahoma. The bills specify, only free Blacks and loyal Whites would be allowed access to these lands.
The "Kansas and Oklahoma territories Homestead Act" would grant a "free land" to African Americans in order to create agricultural colonies and settlements. The primary beneficiaries for the first 5 years would be freedmen who were in desperate need of land to till. They would be followed by loyal Whites and later Chinese (after the surge of anti-Chinese riots).
Those settlements would be under the protection of the federal government, which means federally administrated, in order to protect African-american settlers. Those settlements will probably expand with new migrants trying to escape to Jim Crow laws. I imagine them as federal territories, counties and towns, similar to Washington DC, under the exclusive jurisdiction of the Congress and not a part of any U.S. state, even after the creation of Oklahoma and Kansas states (perhaps colloquially rebaptised with new names).
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