Caminhos da diáspora negra no Atlântico: circulação de negros(as) escravizados(as), livres e libertos(as) entre Estados Unidos, Libéria e Canadá (1847-1861)

Abstract

In 1847, Liberia declared independence from its metropolis, the United States of America. Internally, the United States promoted laws that restricted the freedom of free blacks, facilitating the search for fugitives and their enslavement. The increase in publications about the validity of the emigration of the black population intensified, to cross the Atlantic or to search for another place in the world where they could be free. In the following decade, emigration was among the choices of countless blacks, destined for Liberia or Canada. On the other hand, resistance to leaving the country also appeared in the speeches of several blacks positioned in public spaces. Thus, our objective is to understand the circulation of the black population between 1847 and 1861, focusing on its leading role in building a future for the black race, given the context of a nation that projected itself onto the world, with imperialist interests. This thesis reflects on how various sectors of society discussed the issue of black emigration, the interests involved and their spaces of circulation. Consequently, it involves a series of connections constructed (physically, intellectually and emotionally) for the movement and reception of black people in displacement. Our sources include narratives of enslaved people, reports, newspapers, pamphlets, booklets, sermons and other publications from the press (from the United States, Liberia and Canada) between 1847 and 1861. Understanding these movements allows us to access a part of history that highlights black organizational forms in the 19th century, the engagement in their own press (including with female participation), the search for and investment in stable social settlements, the struggles for rights and the various strategies for seeking and practicing solidarity amid the violence of slavery and racism.