Report of the naval committee to the House of Representatives, August, 1850, in favor of the establishment of a line of mail steamships to the western coast of Africa, and thence via the Mediterranean to London; designed to promote the emigration of free persons of color from the United States to Liberia: also to increase the steam navy, and to extend the commerce of the United States. : With an appendix added by the American Colonization Society.

This work opens with a detailed congressional report from 1850, laying out a proposal to launch a fleet of steamships that would carry mail, support American commerce, and help settle free Black Americans in Liberia. As the committee compares the modest size of the U.S. steam navy with the far larger fleets of Britain, France, and Russia, the document reveals the strategic thinking that linked civilian shipping with military readiness. It also captures the era’s earnest debates over how best to use emerging technology to advance both national security and humanitarian goals.

Listeners will hear the measured arguments of legislators, the statistics that underscored a perceived naval lag, and the broader vision of turning commercial routes into a reserve of war‑ready vessels. The narrative provides a window into mid‑century politics, the early push for steam power, and the complex motives behind America’s nascent involvement in African colonization, all without venturing beyond the initial legislative discussion.