Why is Namibia a popular "Alternate Liberia"?

I wouldn't say that this trope is as popular as others, but I do see it pop up every so often. I'm never quite sure of why people use it as an alternate American Liberia other than "it has a somewhat better climate then OTL Liberia". Are there other reasons for why this is the case?

Also, did they actually consider Namibia as a possible location to send freed slaves back then? and if so, why, and why did they not go with it?
 
Why is it said to be better? A lot of reference on this site I have seen refer to it as having the better climate, much less disease, a much smaller native population, and general remoteness. The natives were more familiar with European contact, and were not Islamic or influenced by Islamic tribes, as were some interior Liberian tribes.

As for why not? When the American Colonization Society first sailed from the US heading to the African coast, they did not actually possess any land. They basically forced the cession of land for what became Monrovia upon landing their ships and establishing their colony. So, Liberia was just the "first area" that the ACS came across.

And, remember, the ACS was a private association that was doing this on its own, receiving funding from sponsors. There's no official government sponsorship and no scouting done for good potential lands for colonization as well. It was a very roughshod manner for establishment of a colony.
 
I feel like I've been yelling this since the day I came on this forum.

It's not tropical, lacks malaria/yellow fever And other diseases that decimated black american populations in Tobago/Liberia/Dominican Republic/etc...

It has a traditionally pastoralist based economy that has a real significance to a number of populations of black Americans who worked in the ranges of Florida, Louisiana, Texas and several other states.

There is gold, diamonds, mineral wealth that will fuel an Americo nation

But for me most importantly it has the Oorlams who were Eurafricans (European influenced Africans culturally and/or genetically) as well as Basters a mixed race group that would be critical in establishing a colony able to hold it's own against the Germans.

All it would take are Dutch speaking black americans like Sojourner Truth migrating there as intermediaries with Oorlams, coming together to assimilate the Nama (who OTL absorbed the Oorlam) and then they collectively quelling the Herero and Ovambo to Angola.

It could in fact become the region where mixed race and black elites brought their children for education free of major disease with an educated mixed race.

Educators from New Orleans that studied in Paris or the British fathers who sent their sons to London/Edinburgh from the Caribbean or West Africa that come to Namibia to create a new nation.

Idk seems plausible to me.
 
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Also most American Blacks 1. Weren't interested in leaving at all 2. Those that did were looking for the wetter climates in places of West Africa were there ancestors or parents/grandparenrs arose from.

One man attempted to make Madagascar work but the French took that opprotunity away because they were threatened by the increased American presence on the island before taking over.
 
And, remember, the ACS was a private association that was doing this on its own, receiving funding from sponsors. There's no official government sponsorship and no scouting done for good potential lands for colonization as well. It was a very roughshod manner for establishment of a colony.
So, assuming they had done more research, they could've established Liberia there? It just seems weird how they would make a colony further than the African west coast.
 
It's probably interesting to mention that most of Namibia's coast is known as Skeleton Coast.

Here's a photo of the environment:
swakopmund-namibia-adventure-capital.jpg
 
So, assuming they had done more research, they could've established Liberia there? It just seems weird how they would make a colony further than the African west coast.

Not necessarily, as mentioned before, there were other reasons why it occurred, but the initial scouting wasn't really planned well.

I can point out there was also a small settlement of American missionaries in Libreville OTL as well, which is another potential location, but that'd be an even longer shot. Namibia doesn't look quite as appealing looking at the coast.
 
Not necessarily, as mentioned before, there were other reasons why it occurred, but the initial scouting wasn't really planned well.

I can point out there was also a small settlement of American missionaries in Libreville OTL as well, which is another potential location, but that'd be an even longer shot. Namibia doesn't look quite as appealing looking at the coast.
Really? I didn't know that. I imagine, though, that they were just preaching and not and looking to establish a colony for freed slaves.

How likely would you say that Liberia could've been in Namibia, or even Gabon like you mentioned?
 
Really? I didn't know that. I imagine, though, that they were just preaching and not and looking to establish a colony for freed slaves.

How likely would you say that Liberia could've been in Namibia, or even Gabon like you mentioned?

You are quite correct on your assumption, if I recall correctly.

And it really is a matter of preparation and investment. To even reach Namibia, and bypass the other regions, you'd need preplanned intelligence saying that it's good... And, being on the edge of a great desert may hardly be attractive for immigrants, as there is no potential to their life aside from scraping out a living on the coast. Of course, greater intelligence may show how inhospitable

From, say, an identical situation in comparison in OTL? I'd rate it as very unlikely. If the ACS was larger/better funded/had government sponsorship, you could see scouting, or even claiming a geographically significant area. Southern Angola would be the "best" open area, but actually getting surveyors inland to try and find a location would be quite difficult.

With enough support, most locations in Western Africa mentioned are... possible, at the least. Liberia, Gabon, Namibia... even South Angola, or even the Congo are possible, but the last one would mean going up against the Kingdom of Kongo and Portugal as well.
 
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