The Brief Career of Rufus W. Bailey, American Colonization Society Agent in Virginia

Eslinger discusses the brief career of an individual American Colonization Society agent, Rev Rufus W. Bailey, who was assigned to work in western Virginia at mid-century. In the organization's early years, African colonization had enjoyed the patronage of Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, and a number of other prominent Virginians. Yet in terms of actual emigration, Bailey proved more effective in promoting the society and its goals than perhaps any other single individual in strategically important state.