AHC/WI: Liberia in Namibia
- Thread starter Zuvarq
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Very unlikely. Much farther, and very little around there to make a living out in that era. The whole attempt would cost a lot more, probably meaning much less settlers.
It might not even really last.
On the plus side, I gather that disease would hit a lesser number of settlers.
There are not many places in coastal Namibia where you can have a really working settler colony, the area is remarkably dry and its northern part is especially desertic. If it works, however, I imagine any sort of odd things happening if and when Afrikaner Trekkers and Liberian settlers meet.
You can see a much earlier involvement of the US in southern Africa, with possible global consequences.
what about in southern Angola before the Portuguese take it?
or could the US be able to do it in east Africa? such as Tanzania or Kenya?
East Africa if even further removed, and under Zanzibari/Omanite suzerainty. I really don't see the point, neither political or economical. Southern Angola is relatively easier, though it would interfere with nearby Portuguese activities (and the Portuguese and Brazilians were still into sthe whole slavery thing big time). Portugal may not be happy to see a colony of freed slaved supported by a foreign power near their own slave-trade bases. However I'm not expert about Angola in this timeframe, so I think it's possible.
The OTL location of Liberia and its thereabouts, anyway, made so much more sense on so many levels.
EDIT: as for alt-locations of Liberia further east than OTL, the largely unclaimed area between the mouths of the Niger and Congo rivers seems more likely to me.
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well i figured that East Africa would be way too far from the US for them to be able to control them very well.
Yeah, that's it. Just the cost of shipping would be much higher.
And the Indian Ocean is really Britain's playground anyway. Not that Britain would object strongly to freedmen settler colony in the area, if it is guaranteed to be friendly, but they'd rather prefer the US tread lightly and Oman/Zanzibar won't be thrilled too.
The venture would likely go bankrupt very quickly if ever attempted.
OTL's Liberia was basically the closest piece of Africa available for the project, and its being close played a part in the choice.
You should need some reason to move further East.
If you want a better climate for settlers, at not just *too* much further a distance than OTL Liberia, somewhere in coastal Mauritania might make sense. I would suggest Senegal, but that's a tad too close to the French area of influence for an independent nation to thrive I'd think.
Part of Liberia's problems to start with was the fact that so many settlers died of tropical diseases within months of arriving at the colony. Get a healthier climate, and you'll possibly get a bigger, more robust population of Americo-Liberians.
Part of Liberia's problems to start with was the fact that so many settlers died of tropical diseases within months of arriving at the colony. Get a healthier climate, and you'll possibly get a bigger, more robust population of Americo-Liberians.
Mauritania is even closer than Liberia, making it seem like a good possibility. What issues are there for Mauritania?
Shortage of water and arable land, combined with unwelcoming warlike local nomads, I think.
The place is largely barren. It's healthier than Liberia, but what little agriculture you can do there requires skills the settlers are unlikely to have. The best real estate in the area is uncomfortably close to the French local settlements, though I think this has not to be necessarily an issue.
Beat me to it, E. Jones.....
Anyhow, one thing you'd have to realize is that most of the region is rather, well....arid. I'm sure there'd be ways to work around this, though, as Jared might be able to tell you.
Hahaha you mean the tropical hellhole that makes other tropical hellholes look like the Italian riviera in comparison. They'd be dead within weeks.
Look at this population density map:
http://www.catsg.org/cheetah/07_map...e/thematic-maps/human_density_africa_2000.png
The bit between the Niger Delta and the Congo is sparse and 'unclaimed' compared to the west african coast for some very good fucking reasons.
The only halfway livable bit is northern Cameroon coast but that is hampered by the ruggedness of the terrain and the lack of reasonable harbours.
Someplace in west africa and getting the portuguese to part with angola are really the only options.
West Africa is undoubtedly better. OTOH, France sort of tried a freedman colony in Libreville (admittedly a very small attempt without much consequence) and sparse trading activity there was present. I think that coastal Camerun, though a poorer choice than OTL's Liberia, might be viable.