Was this the individual from Petersburg, VA.? I have seen the Historical marker on Sycamore and Wythe streets I believe. Henry N Hassell 17251 Ingram Lane Amelia, VA 23002 USA 804-561-3060 K4LMY -----Original Message----- From: Bob Wilson [mailto:rhjwwjd@btc-bci.com] Sent: Sunday, July 06, 2003 9:24 AM To: CARIBBEAN-L@rootsweb.com Subject: Fw: reverse immigration Subject: re: reverse immigration I would like to know how to get information from Liberia. My direct ancestor from St. Croix, Rev. John SEYS, then living in the USA, was appointed as Minister Resident/Consul General to Liberia in 1866. He maped the area of Careysburg. The map is now in the possession of The American Colonization Society. There is supposedly a monument honoring him in Liberia. He was a bishop in Liberia, also. There is a book, "VIRGINIA'S NINTH PRESIDENT: JOSEPH JENKINS ROBERTS" edited by C.W. Tazewell. It is about Mr. ROBERTS (1809-1876), a black man from Virginia, who became the first president of Liberia. Hester ==== CARIBBEAN Mailing List ==== The CARIBBEAN-L FAQ can be found at http://www.rootsweb.com/~caribgw/mailinglistfaq.htm.

On 7/6/03 2:24 PM, "Henry N Hassell" <hhassell@tds.net> wrote: > Was this the individual from Petersburg, VA.? I have seen the Historical > marker on Sycamore and Wythe streets I believe. Henry -- I assume you're referring to JJ Roberts -- the other Virginian Republican president <grin> Here is some of the notes I have on him: As a boy in Petersburg, VA., J. J. Roberts received ³the elements of a plain English education.² He is reported to have been ³thoughtful² and ³very industrious.² As a young man J.J. navigated a small vessel up and down the Appomattox and James rivers; beginning as a cabin-boy on the Appomattox river. These ³Black Jacks² served not only as an information source to the black community along the rivers they navigated, they often helped in smuggling slaves to freedom. On arriving in Liberia with his mother and siblings, J.J. ³engaged in mercantile pursuits, and was very successful.² During this time he made several trips to the US for supplies -- at times chartering ³an entire vessel for his trading purposes.² Report on his credit rating in the US around this time is recorded as ³of the highest character.² When Roberts arrived in Liberia, at the age of 20, the colony already had a Constitution that had been hammered out between the society and the immigrants in 1824. A ³concise body of laws² was later developed and adopted by the immigrants in 1839. J.J. served as the first black governor of the Liberian colony from 1842 to 1848; he was also the last governor of the Commonwealth. During his final tenure as governor, Roberts administered the colony virtually independent of the American Colonization Society; relying totally on the administrative skills and expertise of the immigrants, and ³in 1846 the society dissolved all political connections with the people of Liberia.² Under J.J. Roberts¹ direction the ³people of Liberia² began their drive towards establishing Africa¹s first Republic. On August 24, 1847 he received and hoisted at Mamba Point the first Liberia flag -- fashioned after the flag of the Colonization Society, which itself was copied from the American flag. On the 5th of October the first national elections were held and J.J. Roberts was elected the Republic¹s first president -- serving from 1848 to 1856. He was again elected in 1872 and served an additional four years an the Republic¹s seventh president. During his tenure as president Roberts traveled internationally in securing recognition for Liberia. During his first visit to the US -- arriving in June 1849 -- he met with the President of the US and a number of departments in Washington D.C. According to the account in The National Magazine, Roberts was ³received with marked respect.² This visit resulted from increasing differences between the government of the new Republic and the ³commissioners² of the society. Following this trip to the US, Roberts traveled to Europe. In England he secured funds ($10,000) to purchase territory from Cape Mount to Sierra Leone in order to deny the area to slave traders who were then operating at Gallinas and Sherbro. While in England Roberts also argued the Liberian Government¹s case against the British consul to Liberia (a native of the Goal Coast) who was actively encouraging British traders in their efforts to undermine the government¹s authority. The traders, on the other hand, encouraged rebel leaders Grando and Boyer and ³facilitated the raising of forces, and furnished arms and ammunition² in their war against the immigrants. Following Roberts presentation (with the assistance of the American Minister to the Court of St. James -- a Lawrence) the British Government conceded the Liberian Government jurisdiction ³over all the territory she claimed² and ³promised to remove the consul from his office.² After public office he concentrated on establishing and administering Liberia college. Founder and Administrator of Liberia College (1862-1875); Grand Master of the Grand Lodge pf Masons. -- Great minds discuss ideas; Average minds discuss events; Small minds discuss people.