African-American Majority States of the Great Plains

[Malta]

Ive been reading “Lincoln’s Loyalists: Union Soldiers from the Confederacy” by Richard Current and passage came up. When talking about Unionists in North Carolina, most of whom were poor white farmers, they had a general support of freedom for the slaves but expressed a very descisive interest in seeing said slaves removed from the state after they were freed.

Now this had me thinking, of the Homestead act which was open to African Americans but discrimination and the like prevented many from taking up on it. There were black settlements settled in western territories but they were fairly few. Also, about the general support of a “Back to Africa” movement among abolitionists.

What if instead a specific homestead act was opened to recently freed slaves to re-settle many in the Western Territories, say running from Montana to Colorado. I could see Republicans, maybe even Grant, getting behind it for seeding Republican Support in new states that would be admitted to the Union. Put loyal citizens on the ground to reap the bounty of the West. Say, within a decade from 1865 100,000 are resettled followed by several hundred thousand more. It may not even have to be that much, if African settlement can claim the choicest of fertile territory in these states than lack of immigration these arid states initially received could solidify the demographics.

 

[Sceonn]

That's very interesting. I also thought about this, but I couldn't come up with a reason to both get a seed African American population and make the area unattractive enough for White settlers to make the idea viable.

 

[Wolttaire]

Extend slavery slavery was about to become a human he thing on the Great Plains

 

[Trust me I'm an Engineer]

That's very interesting. I also thought about this, but I couldn't come up with a reason to both get a seed African American population and make the area unattractive enough for White settlers to make the idea viable.

Couldn't just the idea of an African American majority state make it unattractive to a lot of White settlers? or were the Americans from the northern states not racist enough to stop them from settling as well?

 

[Malta]

Couldn't just the idea of an African American majority state make it unattractive to a lot of White settlers? or were the Americans from the northern states not racist enough to stop them from settling as well?

Geography of the Montana-Wyoming area would really limit immigration into the states. With a few fertile valley areas and a majority arid region the allotments of the original Homestead Act didn’t make settlement viable in the arid regions. At least until subsequent advances in technology and irrigation laws by the US allow. Even then, by 1870 the population of both states were a little over 20,000 and wouldn’t hit 100K until later.

That’s why I am thinking an alliance of Back to Africa style Republicans, Black Republicans and White Southern Republicans and some Democrats push forward an Emancipation Resettlement Act of some sort. Opening larger assortments of land specifically in the Montana and Wyoming territories for Black settlement and at rates different than the Homestead Act.

In a way though the act would be in part motivated by segregationist thinking which is terrible.

 

[RightHoJeeves]

What if instead a specific homestead act was opened to recently freed slaves to re-settle many in the Western Territories, say running from Montana to Colorado. I could see Republicans, maybe even Grant, getting behind it for seeding Republican Support in new states that would be admitted to the Union. Put loyal citizens on the ground to reap the bounty of the West. Say, within a decade from 1865 100,000 are resettled followed by several hundred thousand more. It may not even have to be that much, if African settlement can claim the choicest of fertile territory in these states than lack of immigration these arid states initially received could solidify the demographics.

There are only 579,000 people in Wyoming today even with all the modern conveniences that make living there tolerable. I can't imagine that many people being able to scratch out a living in such harsh country in the 1870s where there's limited arable land for farming. Ranching is an option but all that would do is just hasten the crash of the cattle industry due to overgrazing.

 

[Malta]

There are only 579,000 people in Wyoming today even with all the modern conveniences that make living there tolerable. I can't imagine that many people being able to scratch out a living in such harsh country in the 1870s where there's limited arable land for farming. Ranching is an option but all that would do is just hasten the crash of the cattle industry due to overgrazing.

My estimate of moving 500K people out in a few decades does seem a bit much. Could probably get a 100K and let natural growth go from there.

It doesn’t have to be the case of moving the entire population of African Americans out of the South. Just enough to get majorities in what could be states. It also wouldn’t be adding onto the current OTL population more so as changing out the demographics.

I’d imagine their settlement could potentially prevent the states as we know them as being vastly different.

Idaho next door is also something of a viable option as well.

 

[RightHoJeeves]

My estimate of moving 500K people out in a few decades does seem a bit much. Could probably get a 100K and let natural growth go from there.

It doesn’t have to be the case of moving the entire population of African Americans out of the South. Just enough to get majorities in what could be states. It also wouldn’t be adding onto the current OTL population more so as changing out the demographics.

I’d imagine their settlement could potentially prevent the states as we know them as being vastly different.

Idaho next door is also something of a viable option as well.

It is an interesting POD. However I think a more plausible scenario is the creation of some vibrant African-American farming communities and majority regions/counties in a few far western states. There's no guarantee that they survive the various disruptive forces of the 20th century but they would leave a distinctive cultural and political legacy.

 

[Malta]

It is an interesting POD. However I think a more plausible scenario is the creation of some vibrant African-American farming communities and majority regions/counties in a few far western states. There's no guarantee that they survive the various disruptive forces of the 20th century but they would leave a distinctive cultural and political legacy.

Could be, could be but at the very least I’d want to see what could come of it. I’m thinking at least of a “Emancipation” triangle between North Platte, Nebraska. Fort Collins, Colorado. Cheyenne in Wyoming.