The Emigration Debate in the Southern Colored Conventions, 1865-1885
Beginning in the 1830s colored conventions took place throughout the northern United States, however it was not until after the Civil War that large numbers of black southerners for the first time were able to participate publicly in political organizing and civic debate. While blacks from both regions of the country expressed a commitment to education, labor rights, and political engagement, the resolutions adopted by black southerners contrast significantly with those of their northern counterparts in regard to their stance on emigration.