American Colonization Society: The History Of Liberia

The history of Liberia begins with the founding of the American Colonization Society (ACS) in 1816. The ACS which was made up of mostly Quakers and slaveholders living in Washington D.C. both of who felt that slaves should be sent back to Africa. The Quakers because they felt that slavery was wrong, and they felt that the slaves had a chance for a better life living in Africa rather than remaining in America, plus they believed that the repatriation of slaves back to Africa would help spread Christianity. The slaveholders only wished to send the slaves back to Africa as a way to avoid a slave rebellion. Even though many abolitionists disapproved of the undertaking. The ACS sent two representatives in 1818 to West Africa to scout the area for

land on which to establish the new colony. The local tribe leaders were unwilling to sell them any land. In 1820 a group of 88 free African-American settlers along with three members of ACS sailed for Sierra Leone. Before departing a constitution was signed stating that the settlement must be _______by a member of the ACS under the laws of the United States government. Many members of the group died from malaria before reaching their destination. In 1821, Lieutenant Robert Stockton of the U.S Navy acquired a parcel of land from a local tribe leader. The survivors who had been living on the island of Scherbo of the West coast of Africa relocated to the newly acquired territory. Soon after a large number of African Americans joined them. Due to the continual attacks on the colony by the indigenous tribes. The settlers built fortifications for their protection. Also in 1824 the colony was given the name Liberia and Monrovia was named its capital.