Collections

Four page letter addressed to Benjamin Coates in Philadelphia, PA. In the letter, King introduces himself and explains how he heard of Coates while studying at college in Liberia. Knowing Coates' sentiment toward the African race and his support of colonization of Liberia, King asks Coates for funding to build a sugar mill in Harrisburg along the St. Paul's River near the capital of Monrovia in Liberia.

Collection of 33 captioned photographs and four postcards of the Booker T. Washington Institute in Kakata, Liberia. Many of the photographs feature three African American teachers at the school: Lawrence E. James, the so called US Adviser to the school, Sarah Dennis, a Fulbright scholar and Secretarial Science teacher, and Jerry Chambers, Bookkeeping and Accounting instructor. The school was the first agricultural and vocational school in Liberia. Many of the images show both teachers and students engaged in class activities. There are also pictures of the local Zor Zor Teachers College, an image of the President of Liberia, and images of church dedications. It appears that the album may have belonged to Lawrence James as he appears in many of the photographs and one of the photographs is inscribed to him.

Journal of Dr. John Moore McCalla, documenting his trip to Liberia in a sailing vessel along with recaptured Africans, sponsored by the American Colonization Society. Includes a brief biography of McCalla by Helen Goldsborough and copies of the following photographs: Dr. McCalla; the sister ship to "The Star of the Union", on which he sailed; his passport; Kru houses and a Kru village in Liberia; and the American Colonization Society in Washington.

This collection contains materials pertaining to the professional career and personal life of Dr. John Thomas Baldwin Jr. Also included are the professional papers of Dr. Bernice Speese, a William & Mary professor and colleague of Dr. Baldwin.

14 page letter written to his father in Washington, DC from a missionary trip in Garmu, Liberia. In his letter, Martin gives great detail of the weather, jungle conditions, and the farming practices of the natives. He informs his father, also, of traditions and cultural practices of the natives, like their worshiping of the cottonwood tree, referred to as the "tree of worship" and musical practices to welcome the full moon. Martin retells of an arduous journey through the bush that came across a washed out bridge. Their efforts to cross were met with many failed attempts and they were successful only with the help of another tribe from the area. Martin concludes his letter by commenting on the current state of missionary work in the area, calling most of it a failed endeavor. He accurately foreshadows the decolonization of Africa saying, "No doubt you would be satisfied to know that some day in the near future the black man means to drive every white man off the face of Africa. Today this is slow but sure unification of the black man is going on..."

This collection consists of a partially printed illustrated certificate measuring 14" x 17." The broadside includes an engraved vignette of a sailing ship with African and white men shaking hands. The certificate is made out to the Reverend J. W. McLeod and signed by abolitionists Anson Green Phelps (President of the NY State Colonization Society) and John Brooke Pinney (Secretary). Pinney was Colonial Agent for the Colonization Society and later served as Governor of Liberia. The certificate is dated November 24, 1855.