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{{Short description|American diplomat}}
'''Ebenezer D. Bassett''' (1833- 1908) was an [[African American]] appointed [[United States|U.S.]] [[ambassador]] to Haiti in 1869, making him the first black American diplomat.
{{Infobox officeholder
|name = Ebenezer Bassett
|image = File:EbenezerBassett.jpg
|office = [[United States Ambassador to Haiti|United States Minister Resident to Haiti]]
|president = [[Ulysses S. Grant|Ulysses S Grant]]
|term_start = 1869
|term_end = 1877
|predecessor = [[Gideon Hiram Hollister]]
|successor = [[John Mercer Langston]]
|birth_date = {{Birth date|1833|10|16|df=yes}}
|birth_place = [[Derby, Connecticut]], U.S.
|death_date = {{Death date and age|1908|11|13|1833|10|16|df=yes}}
|death_place = [[Brooklyn, New York]], U.S.
|spouse = Eliza Park (m. 1855)
|children = 8
|alma_mater = Connecticut [[Normal School]] (now [[Central Connecticut State University]])
}}


'''Ebenezer Don Carlos Bassett''' (October 16, 1833 – November 13, 1908) was [[United States Ambassador to Haiti]] from 1869 to 1877. He was the first [[African American]] diplomat and the fourth U.S. ambassador to Haiti since the two countries established relations in 1862.<ref name=":0">{{Cite book |last=Pamphile |first=Leon |title=Haitians and African Americans: A Heritage of Tragedy and Hope |publisher=University Press of Florida |year=2001 |isbn=978-0813026909}}</ref> His mother was [[Pequot]].<ref name=free>Freedom's Lawmakers by [[Eric Foner]] Louisiana State University Press (1996) page 13</ref> From 1857 to 1869 he was the principal of the [[Institute for Colored Youth]] in Philadelphia.<ref name=free/>
As the first African American to lead a [[diplomatic mission]], Ebenezer Bassett emerged as his very nation arose from the ashes of the [[American Civil War]]. An educator, abolitionist, and black rights activist, Bassett would fittingly take the helm as the U.S. diplomatic envoy in 1869 to the “Black Republic” of the [[Western Hemisphere]] -- Haiti. Through eight years of bloody civil warfare and coups d'état, Bassett served with distinction, courage, and integrity in one of the most crucial, but difficult postings of his time. Haiti was of strategic importance in the Caribbean basin for its shipping lanes and as a naval [[Coal|coaling station]]. Throughout those tumultuous years, Bassett kept the rocky relations on solid ground.


Ebenezer Bassett was appointed as new leaders emerged among free African Americans after the [[American Civil War]]. An [[educator]], [[Abolitionism in the United States|abolitionist]], and [[civil rights]] [[activist]], Bassett was the U.S. diplomatic envoy in 1869 to [[Haiti]], the "Black Republic" of the [[Western Hemisphere]]. Through eight years of bloody [[civil war]] and ''coups d'état'' there, Bassett served in one of the most crucial, but difficult postings of his time. Haiti was of strategic importance in the [[Caribbean]] basin for its shipping lanes and as a naval [[coal]]ing station.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Logan |first=Rayford W. |title=The Diplomatic Relations of the United States with Haiti, 1776-1891 |date=2011 |publisher=The University of North Carolina Press |isbn=978-0807868249 |edition=2nd}}</ref>
==Early life==
Bassett’s rise from an obscure educator and the grandchild of a slave to become the first black man to head a U.S. mission was implausible given the racial turmoil of the 19th century.


==Early life==
Born in Connecticut on October 16, 1833, Ebenezer D. Bassett was the second child of Eben Tobias and Susan Gregory. Though slavery was still legal in the state at the time of Ebenezer Bassett’s birth, the [[Freedman|free black]] community had a strong tradition of owning their own property, running their own businesses, and playing important leadership roles. Even among this community, the Bassetts would stand out. Both his father Eben Tobias, as well as his grandfather Tobiah, had the distinction of being elected “Black Governor” in Connecticut, an unofficial honorific among the black community.
Born in [[Derby, Connecticut]], Ebenezer D. Bassett was from a community that had a strong tradition of owning their own property, running their own businesses, and playing important leadership roles.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Teal |first=Christopher |url=https://www.worldcat.org/title/213408541 |title=Hero of Hispaniola: America's first Black diplomat, Ebenezer D. Bassett |date=2008 |publisher=Praeger |isbn=978-0-313-35195-2 |location=Westport, Conn |oclc=213408541}}</ref> Among this community, the Bassetts stood out as astute and prominent. Bassett's father Eben Tobias, as well as his grandfather Tobiah, had the distinction of being elected "Black Governor" in Connecticut, an unofficial honorific among the black community.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web |last1=Ivanoff |first1=Carolyn B. |last2=Mycek |first2=Mary J. |last3=O’Keefe |first3=Marian K. |date=2022-02-03 |title=Ebenezer Bassett's Historic Journey |url=https://connecticuthistory.org/ebenezer-bassetts-historic-journey/#:~:text=Tobiah's%20son,%20Eben%20Tobias,%20was,name%20for%20reasons%20of%20kinship. |access-date=2024-11-05 |website=Connecticut History {{!}} a CTHumanities Project |language=en}}</ref>


Both Bassett's parents ensured that their son would receive the best education possible. In a step rare for any students of the mid-19th century, Bassett attended college in his home state.<ref name=":2">{{Cite journal |last=Wynes |first=Charles E. |date=1984 |title=Ebenezer Don Carlos Bassett, America's First Black Diplomat |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/27772985 |journal=Pennsylvania History: A Journal of Mid-Atlantic Studies |volume=51 |issue=3 |pages=232–240 |jstor=27772985 |issn=0031-4528}}</ref> In 1853 he was the first black student to attend the Connecticut [[Normal School]] (now [[Central Connecticut State University]]).<ref name=":3">{{Cite web |last=Teal |first=Christopher |title=Ebenezer Bassett: The Legacy of America's First African-American Diplomat |url=https://afsa.org/ebenezer-bassett-legacy-americas-first-african-american-diplomat |access-date=2024-11-05 |website=afsa.org}}</ref> He finished his schooling as quickly as the school allowed, one year.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Roy |first=Anthony |date=2024-11-04 |title=Ebenezer D. Bassett {{!}} Central Connecticut State University |url=https://www.ccsu.edu/ebenezer-d-bassett/ebenezer-d-bassett |access-date=2024-11-05 |website=www.ccsu.edu |language=en}}</ref> After graduation Bassett taught school in [[New Haven, Connecticut|New Haven]], where he met and became friends with the abolitionist [[Frederick Douglass]].<ref name=":4">{{Cite journal |last=Byrd |first=Brandon |date=2022 |title=Ebenezer Bassett and Frederick Douglass: An Intellectual History of Black U.S. Diplomacy |url=https://academic.oup.com/dh/article/46/1/35/6395267 |journal=Diplomatic History |volume=46 |issue=1 |pages=35–69|doi=10.1093/dh/dhab073 }}</ref>
Both Ebenezer’s parents were free blacks in Connecticut and ensured that their son would receive the finest education possible. In something almost unheard of in the mid-1800s even for white students, Ebenezer Bassett attended college in his home state. In fact, he became the first black student to integrate the Connecticut Normal School in 1853, almost a century before the [[Brown v. Board of Education|Brown v Board of Education]] case held that segregation in public schools was illegal. He later began teaching in New Haven and became friends with the legendary abolitionist, Frederick Douglass.


==Educator and activist==
==Educator and activist==
[[File:Men of Color Civil War Recruitment Broadside 1863.png|thumb|right|1863 Broadside listing Bassett as a speaker calling men of color to arms.]]
Soon Ebenezer was offered the chance to really make his mark (and a salary of $700) to teach at a progressive new all-black high school in Philadelphia. At the age of just twenty-two, he was bursting with enthusiasm and energy to make a positive difference in the lives of black citizens teaching at the [[Cheyney University of Pennsylvania|Institute for Colored Youth]] (ICY). The ICY, which would later become Cheyney University of Pennsylvania, was one of the early schools dedicated to educating black youth in the country. There he focused on Latin, Greek, mathematics and science, becoming principal after only one year. But Philadelphia, like the rest of the country, was soon dragged into the bloody Civil War.
Soon Bassett was offered the chance to teach at a progressive new all-Black high school in [[Philadelphia]]. At the time, he was teaching at the [[Cheyney University of Pennsylvania|Institute for Colored Youth]] (ICY). It later became Cheyney University of Pennsylvania, the earliest college dedicated to educating Black youth in the country. There he focused on [[Latin]], [[Greeks|Greek]], mathematics and science, becoming principal after one year. Among his students was [[John H. Smythe]], who would also become a diplomat in [[Liberia]].<ref>Simmons, William J., and Henry McNeal Turner. Men of Mark: Eminent, Progressive and Rising. GM Rewell & Company, 1887. p872-877</ref> But Pennsylvania, like the rest of the country, was soon dragged into the [[American Civil War]].


Bassett became one of the city’s leading voices into the cause behind that conflict – the liberation of millions of black slaves. In spite of the controversy, Ebenezer Bassett opened the doors of ICY to become a locale in the city for recruiting black soldiers. He hastened to invite in many of the national [[civil rights]] leaders that now had become his close contacts. Just days after the bloody [[battle of Gettysburg]], Bassett and other black leaders organized a recruiting drive for black soldiers. Bassett had the honor of being the second speaker of the night, presenting a resolution and making his speech immediately preceding the great [[Frederick Douglass]]. He was now 30 years old.
Ebenezer Bassett also became one of Philadelphia's leading voices for abolition of slavery and emancipation of the nearly four million enslaved Blacks.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Ebenezer D. Bassett (U.S. National Park Service) |url=https://www.nps.gov/people/ebenezer-d-bassett.htm |access-date=2024-11-05 |website=www.nps.gov |language=en}}</ref> Bassett used ICY as a base to recruit Blacks to serve in the Union Army.<ref name=":4" /> He hastened to invite many of the national [[civil rights]] leaders who had become colleagues. Just days after the [[Battle of Gettysburg]], Bassett and other Black leaders organized a recruiting drive for Black soldiers. Bassett had the honor of being the second speaker of the night, making his speech immediately preceding [[Frederick Douglass]].<ref name=":3" />


"Men of Color, to Arms! Now or Never! This is our golden moment. The Government of the United States calls for every able-bodied colored man to enter the army for the three years' service, and join in fighting the battles of liberty and the Union. A new era is open to us. For generations we have suffered under the horrors of slavery, outrage, and wrong; our manhood has been denied, our citizenship blotted out, our souls seared and burned, our spirits cowed and crushed, and the hopes of the future of our race involved in doubts and darkness. But how the whole aspect of our relations to the white race is changed! Now, therefore, is our most precious moment. Let us rush to arms! Fail now, and our race is doomed on this soil of our birth."
{{quote|Men of Color, to Arms! Now or Never! This is our golden moment. The Government of the United States calls for every able-bodied colored man to enter the army for the three years' service, and join in fighting the battles of liberty and [[Union (American Civil War)|the Union]]. A new era is open to us.
For generations we have suffered under the horrors of slavery, outrage, and wrong; our manhood has been denied, our citizenship blotted out, our souls seared and burned, our spirits cowed and crushed, and the hopes of the future of our race involved in doubts and darkness. But how the whole aspect of our relations to the white race is changed! Now, therefore, is our most precious moment. Let us rush to arms! Fail now, and our race is doomed on this soil of our birth.}}


Bassett was highly respected within the academic communities of the North. He attended educational meetings and advised abolitionists on matters of education. In New Haven Connecticut August 1865, a meeting was held by The American Institute to address the issue of freedman and education. Speeches were made by prominent members of the community. [[Benjamin B. Smith]] Bishop of Kentucky, [[John Celivergos Zachos]] educational theorist, [[Lyman Abbott]] Author, [[Thomas Anthony Thacher]] Yale College administrator, Rev. M.E. Strieby D.D. secretary American Missionary Association of New York. Ebenezer Basset attended the meeting and urged the need for more African American educators in the freed states, he felt freedman would have more confidence in their teachers.<ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=c3vSAAAAMAAJ&dq=ebenezer+bassett+zachos&pg=PA124 "Charles Northend"] ''The Annals of the American Institute of Instruction Being a Record of Its Doings for 54 Years, from 1830 Till 1883'' Press of The Case Lockwood & Brainard Co. Hartford Connecticut 1884 p. 123-124</ref><ref>{{cite news |author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.--> |title=Second Session of American Institute |url=https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn84028645/1865-08-10/ed-1/seq-3/#date1=1865&index=0&rows=20&words=Zachos&searchType=basic&sequence=0&state=&date2=1865&proxtext=zachos&y=10&x=13&dateFilterType=yearRange&page=1 |work=Daily Ohio statesman Volume 13 Number 36 August 10, 1865 Page 3 |agency=Library of Congress |date=August 10, 1865|access-date=November 23, 2020}}
His remaining years as an educator and black activist would cement his position in the abolitionist community. It was of little surprise that when war hero, [[Ulysses S. Grant|Ulysses S Grant]], came into [[White House|the White House]], he looked for black leaders like Bassett to fill important political positions. Douglass repaid Bassett’s courage and dedication to [[Desegregation|racial equality]] by recommending Bassett to his political allies in the White House.
</ref>

His remaining years as an educator and activist would cement his position in the abolitionist community. The position of Haitian minister was first offered to [[John Mercer Langston]], another prominent African American, by [[Andrew Johnson]] but Langston declined and Johnson chose [[Gideon Hiram Hollister|Gideon H. Hollister]] instead.<ref name=":4" /> When [[Ulysses S. Grant|Ulysses S Grant]] was elected to the presidency, he looked for Black leaders such as Bassett to fill important political positions. Douglass recommended Bassett to political allies in the [[White House]].<ref name=":4" />


==Diplomatic career==
==Diplomatic career==
[[File:Distinguished colored men LCCN00651115.jpg|thumb|357x357px|Lithograph of "distinguished colored men" circa 1883. Bassett is shown directly below Frederick Douglass.]]
In nominating Bassett to become Minister Resident to Haiti (the title Ambassador would not be used by the U.S. until 1893), he became one of the highest ranking black members of the U.S. government. His accreditation to the “Black Republic” was no accident either. Though Haiti had gained its independence from France in 1804, it was not officially recognized by the United States until 1862. Southern resistance to the former slave colony becoming a “nation” had kept rightful recognition at bay. But with the Union victory, it was time to move from simple recognition to raising bilateral relations with the symbolic appointment of Bassett.
In nominating Bassett to become Minister Resident to Haiti (the title Ambassador would not be used by the U.S. until 1893), Grant appointed him as one of the highest-ranking blacks in the U.S. government.<ref name=":5">{{Cite web |last=Teal |first=Christopher |date=2008-07-02 |title=Ebenezer D. Bassett (1833-1908) • |url=https://www.blackpast.org/african-american-history/people-african-american-history/bassett-ebenezer-d-1833-1908/ |access-date=2024-11-05 |website=BlackPast.org |language=en-US}}</ref> Bassett's accreditation to the "Black Republic" was no accident either. Though Haiti had gained its independence from France in 1804, it was not officially recognized by the United States until 1862. Southern resistance to a former colony governed by ex-slaves becoming a "nation" had prevented the United States from recognizing the country.<ref name=":0" /> With the Union victory in the Civil War, the US government wanted to improve bilateral relations, and believed the appointment of Bassett was a significant step, not only for his skills (he was fluent in French in a time when diplomats were not required to learn the language of the state they served) but for the symbolism of his appointment.<ref name=":4" /><ref name=":2" />


Upon arrival in [[Port-au-Prince|Port au Prince]], however, Bassett found that his new home was also torn by civil war. Having no experience internationally, the thirty-six year old Minister Resident ironically found himself as one of the most powerful figures in the country. Though he soon realized that much of the work diplomacy involved intangibles, he came to understand that his duties were “not so onerous as delicate. Common sense and some little knowledge of law…will carry me through,” he optimistically wrote to his friend Frederick Douglass, soon after his arrival.
Upon arrival in [[Port-au-Prince]], however, Bassett found that Haiti was torn by civil war. Although with no international experience, as a representative of the US, the Minister Resident was one of the most powerful figures in the country. Bassett soon realized that much of diplomacy involved intangibles. Soon after his arrival, he wrote to Frederick Douglass that his duties were "not so onerous as delicate. Common sense and some little knowledge of law…will carry me through."<ref>{{Cite web |title=Diplomatic Career |url=https://www.diplomatofconsequence.com/diplomatic-career |access-date=2024-11-05 |website=A Diplomat of Consequence |language=en-US}}</ref>


Bassett oversaw cases of citizen commercial claims, [[diplomatic immunity]] for consular and commercial agents, and aid to citizens affected by [[hurricanes]], fires and numerous [[tropical disease]]s.
Nevertheless it would certainly require more than common sense to navigate the treacherous waters of the Haitian war. These were times before cables could instantly transmitted messages to every corner of the globe. More often messages passed between Washington and embassies the old fashioned way: handwritten letters. At a time when it took days for diplomatic instructions and despatches to reach their intended audience, two things were of utmost importance - accuracy in reporting and good handwriting. Bassett possessed both of these attributes, and his memos back to Washington displayed a quick grasp of the unfolding political situation on the island. Given the amount of time it required for Washington to receive this reporting, however, Bassett knew he would be forced to act first and ask for forgiveness later.

During his tenure the American Minister Resident also dealt with cases of citizen commercial claims, [[diplomatic immunity]] for his consular and commercial agents, hurricanes, fires and numerous [[tropical disease]]s.


===Canal crisis===
===Canal crisis===
{{main|Boisrond-Canal affair}}
The case that posed the greatest challenge to him, however, was [[Right of asylum|political refugee]] General Pierre Boisrond Canal. The general was among the band of young leaders that had successfully ousted the former President Sylvan Salnave from power in 1869. By the time of the subsequent Domingue regime in the mid 1870s Canal had retired to his home outside the capital. The new Haitian President, Michel Domingue, however, brutally hunted down any perceived threat, including Canal.
The case that posed the greatest challenge to him, however, was [[Right of asylum|political refugee]] General [[Pierre Théoma Boisrond-Canal]].<ref name=":5" /> The general was among the band of young leaders who in 1869 successfully ousted the former President [[Sylvain Salnave]] from power. By the time of the subsequent regime of [[Michel Domingue]] in the mid-1870s, Canal had retired to his home outside the capital. The new Haitian President, however, suspicious of rivals, hunted down perceived threats, including Canal.


Canal and two young relatives arrived at Bassett's home, seeking protection and refuge. The diplomat agreed to protect them under his diplomatic immunity.<ref name=":5" />
The knock that came to Bassett’s door at 3:00 am in May 1875 shattered the illusion of any settlement in the latest uprising. As the proud Canal and his two young relatives staggered into his home and humbled themselves by asking for protection, Bassett’s best instincts took over. Looking at the weary, terrified men and knowing that Domingue’s army was probably just steps behind them, he shut the door and guaranteed to provide the three with the delicate veil of protection that diplomatic immunity offered.


As a refugee, Canal had been essentially held captive by the government threat for more than five months. After Canal's departure, Bassett telegrammed the Department of State informing them that the crisis had finally passed: "Refugees amicably embarked and soldiers withdrawn from around my premises yesterday."<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://history.state.gov/historicaldocuments/frus1875v02/d31|title=Papers Relating to the Foreign Relations of the United States, Transmitted to Congress, With the Annual Message of the President, December 6, 1875, Volume II - Office of the Historian|website=history.state.gov|access-date=2020-01-28}}</ref>
After seeing that his new “guests” were given food, water, medical care, and clothing, Bassett must have sat with his head in his hands thinking of how he would explain this to a displeased Secretary of State [[Hamilton Fish]] in Washington. “It may be that the instinct for humanity got the better of me,” he wrote. “The men before me were not my personal friends. They had never visited my house before, nor I theirs. I had no merely personal interest in them,” he noted in his letter days later to Secretary Fish.


Though he undoubtedly paid a price by having irritated the powers that ran the [[United States Department of State|State Department]],<ref name=":1" /> he nonetheless stood up to both the Secretary of State and the brutal Domingue dictatorship. By demanding humane treatment for an honorable Haitian citizen, Ebenezer Bassett served not only the best interests of the United States, but also of the people of Haiti.<ref name=":0" />
The crisis dragged on for several days before the American was able to pen his first memo back to Washington. Reflecting on all that was still unfolding, Bassett hand-wrote a twenty-one page despatch to the Secretary of State. The envoy remained optimistic for an eventual cooling of passions, however. He had dealt with numerous cases of refugees in the past, some taking weeks to resolve. But the consummate diplomat had always been successful. Still, things seemed different this time around. “I must confess,” he wrote to Fish, “that the presence of a thousand armed men around my country residence…with discontent stamped on their faces and Henry rifles in their hands does not quite give the best possible ground to my hope.”


Upon the end of the Grant Administration in 1877, Bassett submitted his resignation as was customary with a change of hands in government. In spite of any lingering resentment that may have existed in Washington because of his defiant stance, it was impossible for the Department not to recognize Bassett's work.
Not once asking about his well-being or to offer any words of support, Fish responded by berating his Minister. He noted that the Haitian Ambassador in Washington, [[Stephen Preston]] had been complaining about the refugees.


Acting Secretary of State [[Frederick W. Seward|F.W. Seward]] wrote to Bassett, thanking him for his years of service:
Fish wanted simply to be rid of this problem as quickly as possible. However he did not force his envoy to just hand over the refugees; to do so would be a capitulation to the Haitian demand and American prestige required more. Despite incurring the wrath of his superiors in Washington, Bassett put all of his credibility on the line:


<blockquote>I cannot allow this opportunity to pass without expressing to you the appreciation of the Department for the very satisfactory manner in which you have discharged your duties of the mission at [[Port-au-Prince]] during your term of office. This commendation of your services is the more especially merited because at various times your duties have been of such a delicate nature as to have required the exercise of much tact and discretion.<ref name=":3" /></blockquote>
“I am not unaware that the ground taken in my several despatches…may not be in accord with the requirements of public law… but circumstances seemed to crowd in upon me without warning, and in such a way as to leave me almost no choice. Men maddened by passion, inflamed, as I am credibly informed, by rum, and elated by consciousness of armed power, were pursuing their fellow countrymen with red-handed violence. To have closed my door upon the men pursued would have been for me to deny them their last chance of escape from being brutally put to death before my eyes.”

It was not simply a matter of humanity that led Bassett to throw the protective cloak over his asylees. He was also keenly aware that he could not give one inch in this staring match. To give in would invite a rampaging mob to overrun his home and all the consulates under the American flag.

As a result of the standoff, Bassett’s home remained surrounded by over one thousand soldiers. The nightly rhythm of loud taunts and screams, beating of metal objects, and general nuisance kept the family huddled inside trying to gain a few hours of restless sleep. Bassett first raised the idea of sending a U.S. warship to Haiti in his May 8th despatch, first reporting the incident. He argued at the time that such a show of force would exert “a wholesome influence” and strengthen “our own moral force” in resolving the matter. As the conflict dragged on for weeks, with both Bassett and Domingue digging in their heels, Washington only sat paralyzed. The diplomat continued to plea for a warship through the summer. But Fish’s pique at his Minister and his continued dithering discussions with Ambassador Preston, who lobbied hard against sending a ship, left the situation in a quagmire.

In spite of the displeasure it caused in both capitals, Bassett’s heroic stance won him supporters among the [[Haiti|Haitian people]]. The whole affair energized popular opinion in favor of the United States and made Canal into a [[I\'m a Cult Hero|cult hero]]. “The prevailing sentiment is unmistakably in favor of [Canal], and in our favor, because we have firmly protected him against violence,” Bassett wrote. No doubt part of that support for both Canal and Bassett was because of the brutality with which the regime continued to act against any and all presumed opponents. Political arrests and killings continued, and Bassett concluded, “the awful fact stares me in the face that we are all under a reign of terror.”

By summer’s end, it looked like Secretary Fish had finally had enough. Perhaps a more visible threat, he concluded, would cause the Domingue regime of crack. “It has been determined to apply to the [[United States Department of the Navy|Navy Department]] to order a [[man of war]] to Port au Prince with a view to your protection from insult,” Fish wrote to Bassett. “That the embarrassing question adverted to may be satisfactorily adjusted before she arrives, is much to be desired.”

In fact, just as the ship was preparing to leave, Haitian Ambassador Preston rushed in to tell Fish that Domingue was ready to capitulate. Bassett could escort Canal safely out, if only the warship would turn back and not enter Haitian waters. Fish agreed and instructed Bassett that a deal had been set. Though Ebenezer had made that same request repeatedly for months, he took it as a welcome relief when he finally received the news.

Finally, just after midnight on October 5, 1875, Canal embraced Bassett and boarded an American-flagged ship, which set sail for Jamaica and his safety.

It had been over five months that Canal had been held captive as a refugee inside the Bassett home. The next day the American diplomat telegrammed the Department informing them that the crisis had finally passed: “Refugees amicable embarked and soldiers withdrawn from around my premises yesterday.”


==Later life==
==Later life==
When he returned to the United States, he spent an additional ten years as the Consul General for Haiti in New York City. He later returned to Haiti as secretary to Frederick Douglass who had been appointed as Minister Resident. Bassett himself requested this position and historians have tied his willingness to accept this demotion to Bassett's financial troubles.<ref name=":4" /> Bassett worked to temper Douglass' zeal for [[Pan-Americanism]] and [[Manifest destiny|American expansionism]] during his tenure from 1889 to 1891.<ref name=":4" />
Though he undoubtedly paid a price by having irritated the powers that ran the State Department, he nonetheless stood up to both the Secretary of State and the brutal Domingue dictatorship. By demanding humane treatment for an honorable Haitian citizen, Ebenezer Bassett served not only the best interests of the United States, but also of the people of Haiti.

Upon the end of the Grant Administration in 1877, Bassett submitted his resignation as was customary with a change of hands in government. In spite of any lingering resentment that may have existed in Washington because of his defiant stance, it was impossible for the Department not to recognize Bassett’s work.

Acting Secretary of State F.W. Seward wrote to Bassett, thanking him for his years of service:
“I cannot allow this opportunity to pass without expressing to you the appreciation of the Department for the very satisfactory manner in which you have discharged your duties of the mission at Port au Prince during your term of office. This commendation of your services is the more especially merited because at various times your duties have been of such a delicate nature as to have required the exercise of much tact and discretion.”

When he returned to the United States, he spent an additional ten years as the Consul General for Haiti in New York City. Prior to this death in 1908, he returned to live in Philadelphia, where his daughter Charlotte taught at the ICY. Unfortunately, unlike his peers who broke the color barrier in other professional fields, Ebenezer Bassett was soon forgotten with the passing of time.


Prior to his death in [[Brooklyn, New York]], he lived in Philadelphia, where his daughter Charlotte taught at the Institute for Colored Youth. He is buried, with family members, at the [[Grove Street Cemetery]] in [[New Haven, Connecticut]].
Ebenezer D. Bassett was a [[role model]] not simply for his symbolic importance as the first African American diplomat. His concern for [[human rights]], his heroism, and courage in the face of threats from Haitians as well as his own capital place him in the annals of great American diplomats. Most importantly, Bassett’s work as a politically-appointed diplomat forever altered U.S. foreign policy. For the first time, a nation founded on the principle that “all men are created equal” would have as its representative abroad someone who had previously been less than equal under the law. This movement toward equality and democratization of foreign policy would neither be quick, nor perfect. However it proved to be a force impossible to turn back, and carried implications for both domestic and international relations in the years ahead, including the wider acceptance of blacks in U.S. foreign policy.


Unfortunately, unlike his peers who broke the color barrier in other professional fields, Ebenezer Bassett was soon forgotten with the passing of time.<ref name=":3" />
For further reading, the biography of Bassett, entitled Hero of Hispaniola can be found at: http://www.greenwood.com/catalog/C35195.aspx
Ebenezer D. Bassett was a role model not simply for his symbolic importance as the first African American diplomat. His concern for human rights, his heroism, and courage in the face of threats from Haitians as well as his own capital place him in the annals of great American diplomats. Most importantly, Bassett’s work as a politically appointed diplomat forever altered U.S. foreign policy. For the first time, a nation founded on the principle that “all men are created equal” would have as its representative abroad someone who had previously been less than equal under the law. This movement toward equality and democratization of foreign policy would neither be quick, nor perfect. However it proved to be a force impossible to turn back, and carried implications for both domestic and international relations in the years ahead, including the wider acceptance of blacks in U.S. foreign policy.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Teal |first=Christopher |title=Hero of Hispaniola: America's First Black Diplomat, Ebenezer D. Bassett |date=July 30, 2008 |publisher=Praeger |isbn=978-0313351952}}</ref>


==References==
==References==
{{reflist}}
{{reflist}}
==Further reading==
* Teal, Christopher. "Hero of Hispaniola - America's First Black Diplomat, Ebenezer D. Bassett." Westport, Conn: Praeger Publishers, 2008

* School Records for Ebenezer D. Bassett, Central Connecticut State University Library, Special Collections.
* School Records for Ebenezer D. Bassett, Central Connecticut State University Library, Special Collections.
* “Addresses of the Hon. W. D. Kelley, Miss Anna E. Dickinson, and Mr. Frederick Douglass, at a mass meeting, held at National Hall, Philadelphia, July 6, 1863, for the promotion of colored enlistments.” Philadelphia, PA, 1863, African American Pamphlet Collection (Library of Congress).
* "Addresses of the Hon. W. D. Kelley, Miss Anna E. Dickinson, and Mr. Frederick Douglass, at a mass meeting, held at National Hall, Philadelphia, July 6, 1863, for the promotion of colored enlistments." Philadelphia, PA, 1863, African American Pamphlet Collection (Library of Congress).
* Bassett to Douglass, July 3, 1869, Series: General Correspondence 1869,The Frederick Douglass Papers, Library of Congress.
* Bassett to Douglass, July 3, 1869, Series: General Correspondence 1869, The Frederick Douglass Papers, Library of Congress.
* Hayti, Bassett to Fish, May 8, 1875, M 82, roll 7, Department of State Despatches, National Archives.
* Hayti, Bassett to Fish, May 8, 1875, M 82, roll 7, Department of State Despatches, National Archives.
* Hayti, Bassett to Fish, May 19, 1875, M 82, roll 8, Department of State Despatches, National Archives.
* Hayti, Bassett to Fish, May 19, 1875, M 82, roll 8, Department of State Despatches, National Archives.
Line 85: Line 89:
* Hayti, Bassett to Fish, October 5, 1875, M 82, roll 8, Department of State Despatches, National Archives.
* Hayti, Bassett to Fish, October 5, 1875, M 82, roll 8, Department of State Despatches, National Archives.
* Hayti, Evarts to Bassett, October 5, 1877, File 77, roll 96, Diplomatic Instruction of the Department of State, National Archives.
* Hayti, Evarts to Bassett, October 5, 1877, File 77, roll 96, Diplomatic Instruction of the Department of State, National Archives.
* Jackson-Coppin, Fanny. Reminiscences of School Life, and Hints on Teaching. Philadelphia, Pa., L. J. Coppin, 1913, Page 172.
* Jackson-Coppin, Fanny. ''Reminiscences of School Life, and Hints on Teaching'', Philadelphia, Pa., L. J. Coppin, 1913, Page 172.
{{US Ambassador to Haiti}}

{{Authority control}}
==Additional Reading==
* Dockett-Mcleod, W., ''Ebenezer Don Carlos Bassett: A Biographical Sketch of America's First African-American Diplomat''. 1994.
* Teal, Christopher. "Hero of Hispaniola - America's First Black Diplomat, Ebenezer D. Bassett." Westport, Conn: Praeger Publishers, 2008.


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Latest revision as of 02:14, 12 December 2024

Ebenezer Bassett
United States Minister Resident to Haiti
In office
1869–1877
PresidentUlysses S Grant
Preceded byGideon Hiram Hollister
Succeeded byJohn Mercer Langston
Personal details
Born(1833-10-16)16 October 1833
Derby, Connecticut, U.S.
Died13 November 1908(1908-11-13) (aged 75)
Brooklyn, New York, U.S.
SpouseEliza Park (m. 1855)
Children8
Alma materConnecticut Normal School (now Central Connecticut State University)

Ebenezer Don Carlos Bassett (October 16, 1833 – November 13, 1908) was United States Ambassador to Haiti from 1869 to 1877. He was the first African American diplomat and the fourth U.S. ambassador to Haiti since the two countries established relations in 1862.[1] His mother was Pequot.[2] From 1857 to 1869 he was the principal of the Institute for Colored Youth in Philadelphia.[2]

Ebenezer Bassett was appointed as new leaders emerged among free African Americans after the American Civil War. An educator, abolitionist, and civil rights activist, Bassett was the U.S. diplomatic envoy in 1869 to Haiti, the "Black Republic" of the Western Hemisphere. Through eight years of bloody civil war and coups d'état there, Bassett served in one of the most crucial, but difficult postings of his time. Haiti was of strategic importance in the Caribbean basin for its shipping lanes and as a naval coaling station.[3]

Early life

[edit]

Born in Derby, Connecticut, Ebenezer D. Bassett was from a community that had a strong tradition of owning their own property, running their own businesses, and playing important leadership roles.[4] Among this community, the Bassetts stood out as astute and prominent. Bassett's father Eben Tobias, as well as his grandfather Tobiah, had the distinction of being elected "Black Governor" in Connecticut, an unofficial honorific among the black community.[5]

Both Bassett's parents ensured that their son would receive the best education possible. In a step rare for any students of the mid-19th century, Bassett attended college in his home state.[6] In 1853 he was the first black student to attend the Connecticut Normal School (now Central Connecticut State University).[7] He finished his schooling as quickly as the school allowed, one year.[8] After graduation Bassett taught school in New Haven, where he met and became friends with the abolitionist Frederick Douglass.[9]

Educator and activist

[edit]
1863 Broadside listing Bassett as a speaker calling men of color to arms.

Soon Bassett was offered the chance to teach at a progressive new all-Black high school in Philadelphia. At the time, he was teaching at the Institute for Colored Youth (ICY). It later became Cheyney University of Pennsylvania, the earliest college dedicated to educating Black youth in the country. There he focused on Latin, Greek, mathematics and science, becoming principal after one year. Among his students was John H. Smythe, who would also become a diplomat in Liberia.[10] But Pennsylvania, like the rest of the country, was soon dragged into the American Civil War.

Ebenezer Bassett also became one of Philadelphia's leading voices for abolition of slavery and emancipation of the nearly four million enslaved Blacks.[11] Bassett used ICY as a base to recruit Blacks to serve in the Union Army.[9] He hastened to invite many of the national civil rights leaders who had become colleagues. Just days after the Battle of Gettysburg, Bassett and other Black leaders organized a recruiting drive for Black soldiers. Bassett had the honor of being the second speaker of the night, making his speech immediately preceding Frederick Douglass.[7]

Men of Color, to Arms! Now or Never! This is our golden moment. The Government of the United States calls for every able-bodied colored man to enter the army for the three years' service, and join in fighting the battles of liberty and the Union. A new era is open to us. For generations we have suffered under the horrors of slavery, outrage, and wrong; our manhood has been denied, our citizenship blotted out, our souls seared and burned, our spirits cowed and crushed, and the hopes of the future of our race involved in doubts and darkness. But how the whole aspect of our relations to the white race is changed! Now, therefore, is our most precious moment. Let us rush to arms! Fail now, and our race is doomed on this soil of our birth.

Bassett was highly respected within the academic communities of the North. He attended educational meetings and advised abolitionists on matters of education. In New Haven Connecticut August 1865, a meeting was held by The American Institute to address the issue of freedman and education. Speeches were made by prominent members of the community. Benjamin B. Smith Bishop of Kentucky, John Celivergos Zachos educational theorist, Lyman Abbott Author, Thomas Anthony Thacher Yale College administrator, Rev. M.E. Strieby D.D. secretary American Missionary Association of New York. Ebenezer Basset attended the meeting and urged the need for more African American educators in the freed states, he felt freedman would have more confidence in their teachers.[12][13]

His remaining years as an educator and activist would cement his position in the abolitionist community. The position of Haitian minister was first offered to John Mercer Langston, another prominent African American, by Andrew Johnson but Langston declined and Johnson chose Gideon H. Hollister instead.[9] When Ulysses S Grant was elected to the presidency, he looked for Black leaders such as Bassett to fill important political positions. Douglass recommended Bassett to political allies in the White House.[9]

Diplomatic career

[edit]
Lithograph of "distinguished colored men" circa 1883. Bassett is shown directly below Frederick Douglass.

In nominating Bassett to become Minister Resident to Haiti (the title Ambassador would not be used by the U.S. until 1893), Grant appointed him as one of the highest-ranking blacks in the U.S. government.[14] Bassett's accreditation to the "Black Republic" was no accident either. Though Haiti had gained its independence from France in 1804, it was not officially recognized by the United States until 1862. Southern resistance to a former colony governed by ex-slaves becoming a "nation" had prevented the United States from recognizing the country.[1] With the Union victory in the Civil War, the US government wanted to improve bilateral relations, and believed the appointment of Bassett was a significant step, not only for his skills (he was fluent in French in a time when diplomats were not required to learn the language of the state they served) but for the symbolism of his appointment.[9][6]

Upon arrival in Port-au-Prince, however, Bassett found that Haiti was torn by civil war. Although with no international experience, as a representative of the US, the Minister Resident was one of the most powerful figures in the country. Bassett soon realized that much of diplomacy involved intangibles. Soon after his arrival, he wrote to Frederick Douglass that his duties were "not so onerous as delicate. Common sense and some little knowledge of law…will carry me through."[15]

Bassett oversaw cases of citizen commercial claims, diplomatic immunity for consular and commercial agents, and aid to citizens affected by hurricanes, fires and numerous tropical diseases.

Canal crisis

[edit]
Main article: Boisrond-Canal affair

The case that posed the greatest challenge to him, however, was political refugee General Pierre Théoma Boisrond-Canal.[14] The general was among the band of young leaders who in 1869 successfully ousted the former President Sylvain Salnave from power. By the time of the subsequent regime of Michel Domingue in the mid-1870s, Canal had retired to his home outside the capital. The new Haitian President, however, suspicious of rivals, hunted down perceived threats, including Canal.

Canal and two young relatives arrived at Bassett's home, seeking protection and refuge. The diplomat agreed to protect them under his diplomatic immunity.[14]

As a refugee, Canal had been essentially held captive by the government threat for more than five months. After Canal's departure, Bassett telegrammed the Department of State informing them that the crisis had finally passed: "Refugees amicably embarked and soldiers withdrawn from around my premises yesterday."[16]

Though he undoubtedly paid a price by having irritated the powers that ran the State Department,[5] he nonetheless stood up to both the Secretary of State and the brutal Domingue dictatorship. By demanding humane treatment for an honorable Haitian citizen, Ebenezer Bassett served not only the best interests of the United States, but also of the people of Haiti.[1]

Upon the end of the Grant Administration in 1877, Bassett submitted his resignation as was customary with a change of hands in government. In spite of any lingering resentment that may have existed in Washington because of his defiant stance, it was impossible for the Department not to recognize Bassett's work.

Acting Secretary of State F.W. Seward wrote to Bassett, thanking him for his years of service:

I cannot allow this opportunity to pass without expressing to you the appreciation of the Department for the very satisfactory manner in which you have discharged your duties of the mission at Port-au-Prince during your term of office. This commendation of your services is the more especially merited because at various times your duties have been of such a delicate nature as to have required the exercise of much tact and discretion.[7]

Later life

[edit]

When he returned to the United States, he spent an additional ten years as the Consul General for Haiti in New York City. He later returned to Haiti as secretary to Frederick Douglass who had been appointed as Minister Resident. Bassett himself requested this position and historians have tied his willingness to accept this demotion to Bassett's financial troubles.[9] Bassett worked to temper Douglass' zeal for Pan-Americanism and American expansionism during his tenure from 1889 to 1891.[9]

Prior to his death in Brooklyn, New York, he lived in Philadelphia, where his daughter Charlotte taught at the Institute for Colored Youth. He is buried, with family members, at the Grove Street Cemetery in New Haven, Connecticut.

Unfortunately, unlike his peers who broke the color barrier in other professional fields, Ebenezer Bassett was soon forgotten with the passing of time.[7]

Ebenezer D. Bassett was a role model not simply for his symbolic importance as the first African American diplomat. His concern for human rights, his heroism, and courage in the face of threats from Haitians as well as his own capital place him in the annals of great American diplomats. Most importantly, Bassett’s work as a politically appointed diplomat forever altered U.S. foreign policy. For the first time, a nation founded on the principle that “all men are created equal” would have as its representative abroad someone who had previously been less than equal under the law. This movement toward equality and democratization of foreign policy would neither be quick, nor perfect. However it proved to be a force impossible to turn back, and carried implications for both domestic and international relations in the years ahead, including the wider acceptance of blacks in U.S. foreign policy.[17]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b c Pamphile, Leon (2001). Haitians and African Americans: A Heritage of Tragedy and Hope. University Press of Florida. ISBN 978-0813026909.
  2. ^ a b Freedom's Lawmakers by Eric Foner Louisiana State University Press (1996) page 13
  3. ^ Logan, Rayford W. (2011). The Diplomatic Relations of the United States with Haiti, 1776-1891 (2nd ed.). The University of North Carolina Press. ISBN 978-0807868249.
  4. ^ Teal, Christopher (2008). Hero of Hispaniola: America's first Black diplomat, Ebenezer D. Bassett. Westport, Conn: Praeger. ISBN 978-0-313-35195-2. OCLC 213408541.
  5. ^ a b Ivanoff, Carolyn B.; Mycek, Mary J.; O’Keefe, Marian K. (2022-02-03). "Ebenezer Bassett's Historic Journey". Connecticut History | a CTHumanities Project. Retrieved 2024-11-05.
  6. ^ a b Wynes, Charles E. (1984). "Ebenezer Don Carlos Bassett, America's First Black Diplomat". Pennsylvania History: A Journal of Mid-Atlantic Studies. 51 (3): 232–240. ISSN 0031-4528. JSTOR 27772985.
  7. ^ a b c d Teal, Christopher. "Ebenezer Bassett: The Legacy of America's First African-American Diplomat". afsa.org. Retrieved 2024-11-05.
  8. ^ Roy, Anthony (2024-11-04). "Ebenezer D. Bassett | Central Connecticut State University". www.ccsu.edu. Retrieved 2024-11-05.
  9. ^ a b c d e f g Byrd, Brandon (2022). "Ebenezer Bassett and Frederick Douglass: An Intellectual History of Black U.S. Diplomacy". Diplomatic History. 46 (1): 35–69. doi:10.1093/dh/dhab073.
  10. ^ Simmons, William J., and Henry McNeal Turner. Men of Mark: Eminent, Progressive and Rising. GM Rewell & Company, 1887. p872-877
  11. ^ "Ebenezer D. Bassett (U.S. National Park Service)". www.nps.gov. Retrieved 2024-11-05.
  12. ^ "Charles Northend" The Annals of the American Institute of Instruction Being a Record of Its Doings for 54 Years, from 1830 Till 1883 Press of The Case Lockwood & Brainard Co. Hartford Connecticut 1884 p. 123-124
  13. ^ "Second Session of American Institute". Daily Ohio statesman Volume 13 Number 36 August 10, 1865 Page 3. Library of Congress. August 10, 1865. Retrieved November 23, 2020.
  14. ^ a b c Teal, Christopher (2008-07-02). "Ebenezer D. Bassett (1833-1908) •". BlackPast.org. Retrieved 2024-11-05.
  15. ^ "Diplomatic Career". A Diplomat of Consequence. Retrieved 2024-11-05.
  16. ^ "Papers Relating to the Foreign Relations of the United States, Transmitted to Congress, With the Annual Message of the President, December 6, 1875, Volume II - Office of the Historian". history.state.gov. Retrieved 2020-01-28.
  17. ^ Teal, Christopher (July 30, 2008). Hero of Hispaniola: America's First Black Diplomat, Ebenezer D. Bassett. Praeger. ISBN 978-0313351952.

Further reading

[edit]
  • School Records for Ebenezer D. Bassett, Central Connecticut State University Library, Special Collections.
  • "Addresses of the Hon. W. D. Kelley, Miss Anna E. Dickinson, and Mr. Frederick Douglass, at a mass meeting, held at National Hall, Philadelphia, July 6, 1863, for the promotion of colored enlistments." Philadelphia, PA, 1863, African American Pamphlet Collection (Library of Congress).
  • Bassett to Douglass, July 3, 1869, Series: General Correspondence 1869, The Frederick Douglass Papers, Library of Congress.
  • Hayti, Bassett to Fish, May 8, 1875, M 82, roll 7, Department of State Despatches, National Archives.
  • Hayti, Bassett to Fish, May 19, 1875, M 82, roll 8, Department of State Despatches, National Archives.
  • Hayti, Bassett to Fish, May 8, 1875, M 82, roll 8, Department of State Despatches, National Archives.
  • Hayti, Bassett to Fish, June 8, 1875, M 82, roll 8, Department of State Despatches, National Archives.
  • Hayti and Santo Domingo, Fish to Bassett, September 7, 1875, File 77, roll 96, Diplomatic Instruction of the Department of State, National Archives.
  • Hayti, Bassett to Fish, October 12, 1875, M 82, roll 8, Department of State Despatches, National Archives.
  • Hayti, Bassett to Fish, October 5, 1875, M 82, roll 8, Department of State Despatches, National Archives.
  • Hayti, Evarts to Bassett, October 5, 1877, File 77, roll 96, Diplomatic Instruction of the Department of State, National Archives.
  • Jackson-Coppin, Fanny. Reminiscences of School Life, and Hints on Teaching, Philadelphia, Pa., L. J. Coppin, 1913, Page 172.
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