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Africa During the Scramble: The Settler's Republic

An absolutely fascinating article. I’ve always been curious about the circumstances of Liberia being formed but hadn’t ever read so thorough an account of it.

Thanks. It came out as a stupidly long article (5,200 words) because I wanted to be thorough. I was worried it was a little excessive but glad to see it worked for you.

Mind its also long because I kept including anecdotes that I just thought were interesting (like the british army con) and I probably should have cut to keep it on topic.

Also an aside, but I noticed one or two wee typos (“apron springs” instead of strings, “Operation parties” near the end instead of opposition).

I blame the editor. He should have caught those for me.

Thanks for the proof reading, fixed now.
 
I found this extremely illuminating. I had only the vaguest notion of Liberian history before reading this article. As you say, the regional history could have been different if the indigenous population had conquered the early settlers. Another potential POD would have been a different US politics pushing an ongoing black immigration into the 1920s or 1930s, and another Garvey going there and managing to seize power.
 
Although I suppose in that case either France, the UK or Germany would have formally declared the place a colony at some point.
Germany annexes OTL "Liberia" either at Berlin conference or in 1898 as attempted OTL? With an additional colony, doesn't stage the two Moroccan crises, France and Britain aren't as closely tied diplomatically in 1914....
 
On this article the America Liberians abs Sierra Leone were unique in the fact that unlike the Portuguese slave returnees in Lagos Dahomey and the Gold Coast they didn’t try to integrate with the local cultures
 
On this article the America Liberians abs Sierra Leone were unique in the fact that unlike the Portuguese slave returnees in Lagos Dahomey and the Gold Coast they didn’t try to integrate with the local cultures

Somewhat true. This is why the last article, about the afro-brazilians, was originally part of this one until word count intervened.

I think it's more accurate however to say that the difference is the Liberians were different because they didn't try and integrate into the local economy. The Afro-Brazilians often maintained Portuguese speaking ghettos but they worked for and traded with the local cultures on their terms which the Liberians didn't.
 
An interesting wi is if Garvey succeeded or if the Liberians integrated with hinterland. Liberia is one place that is always a sad history it could have been very different
 
Somewhat true. This is why the last article, about the afro-brazilians, was originally part of this one until word count intervened.

I think it's more accurate however to say that the difference is the Liberians were different because they didn't try and integrate into the local economy. The Afro-Brazilians often maintained Portuguese speaking ghettos but they worked for and traded with the local cultures on their terms which the Liberians didn't.
Yes but by the 40 -50s the Afro Brazilians had mostly integrated into the local culture as a small subgroup with some characteristics like frejon for Easter
 
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