The Condition, Elevation, Emigration, and Destiny of the Colored People of the United States

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The Condition, Elevation,
Emigration, and Destiny of the
Colored People of the United
States

The Project Gutenberg EBook of The Condition, Elevation, Emigration,
and
Destiny of the Colored People of the United States, by Martin R.
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Title: The Condition, Elevation, Emigration, and Destiny of the
Colored People of the United States
Author: Martin R. Delany
Release Date: November 26, 2005 [EBook #17154]
Language: English
Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1
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CONDITION, ELEVATION ***

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THE CONDITION, ELEVATION, EMIGRATION, AND DESTINY
OF THE COLORED PEOPLE OF THE UNITED STATES
Published 1852.

CONTENTS
The Condition, Elevation, Emigration, and Destiny of the Colored
People of the United States
Preface. 35
Chapter I.
Condition of Many Classes in Europe Considered 41
Chapter II.
Comparative Condition of the Colored People of the United States 44
Chapter III.
American Colonization 58
Chapter IV.
Our Elevation in the United States 63
Chapter V.

Means of Elevation 67
Chapter VI.
The United States Our Country 74
Chapter VII.
Claims of Colored Men as Citizens of the United States 75
Chapter VIII.
Colored American Warriors 91
Chapter IX.
Capacity of Colored Men and Women as Citizen Members of
Community 106
Chapter X.
Practical Utility of Colored People of the Present Day as Members of
Society--Business Men and Mechanics 113
Chapter XI.
Literary and Professional Colored Men and Women 128
Chapter XII.
Students of Various Professions 148
Chapter XIII.
A Scan at Past Things 151
Chapter XIV.

Late Men of Literary, Professional and Artistic Note 155
Chapter XV.
Farmers and Herdsmen 158
Chapter XVI.
National Disfranchisement of Colored People 161
Chapter XVII.
Emigration of the Colored People of the United States 175
Chapter XVIII.
"Republic of Liberia" 177
Chapter XIX.
The Canadas 189
Chapter XX.
Central and South America and the West Indies 193
Chapter XXI.
Nicaragua and New Grenada 202
Chapter XXII.
Things as They Are 204
Chapter XXIII.
A Glance at Ourselves--Conclusion 211

Appendix. A Project for an Expedition of Adventure, to the Eastern
Coast of Africa 221

_Sincerely dedicated to the American People, North and South._
_By Their Most Devout, and Patriotic Fellow Citizen, the Author_

PREFACE
The author of this little volume has no other apology for offering it to
the public, than the hurried manner in which it has been composed.
Being detained in the city of New York on business, he seized the
opportunity of a tedious delay, and wrote the work in the inside of one
month, attending to other business through the day, and lecturing on
physiology sometimes in the evening. The reader will therefore not
entertain an idea of elegance of language and terseness of style, such as
should rule the sentences of every composition, by whomsoever
written.
His sole object has been, to place before the public in general, and the
colored people of the United States in particular, great truths
concerning this class of citizens, which appears to have been heretofore
avoided, as well by friends as enemies to their elevation. By opponents,
to conceal information, that they are well aware would stimulate and
impel them on to bold and adventurous deeds of manly daring; and by
friends, who seem to have acted on the principle of the zealous
orthodox, who would prefer losing the object of his pursuit to changing
his policy.
There are also a great many colored people in the United States, who
have independence of spirit, who desire to, and do, think for themselves;
but for the want of general information, and in consequence of a
prevailing opinion that has obtained, that no thoughts nor opinions
must be expressed, even though it would eventuate in their elevation,
except it emanate from some old, orthodox, stereotyped doctrine

concerning them; therefore, such a work as this, which is but a mere
introduction to what will henceforth emanate from the pen of colored
men and women, appeared to be in most anxious demand, in order to
settle their minds entirely, and concentrate them upon an effective and
specific course of procedure. We have never conformed with that class
of philosophers who would keep the people in ignorance, lest they
might change their opinion from former predilections. This we shall
never do, except pressing necessity demands it, and then only as a
measure to prevent bad consequences, for the time.
The colored people of to-day are not the colored people of