A New Departure

Documents in chapter six address the underpinnings of Delany’s disillusionment with Radical Republicanism in South Carolina; his courting of the state conservatives and independents; his call for a “New Departure” and cooperation with the Democratic Party, an organization that was once opposed to black freedom and political elevation; his insistence that the Democrats had changed and could be trusted to keep their campaign promises; and his decision to switch political allegiance in 1876. Some of the documents explain the circumstances of the decision and the political and economic consequences. They also highlight the Democratic Party’s failure to keep its campaign promises and betrayal of black supporters, most notably, Delany, prompting his decision to reverse course and resurrect his pre-Civil War Black/African Nationality platform. His pleas for assistance from officials of the American Colonization Society to fund emigration underscored the depth of his betrayal and alienation and his desperate economic condition.