Did you know that in 1822 on the west coast of Africa an American colony was set up

specifically for African Americans? Well this is true, and remains a little known fact that this colony became the independent nation of Liberia in 1847 !he "eneral idea of sendin" #lacks back to Africa is said to ha$e started in 1714 when a %ati$e American belie$ed to be from %ew &ersey proposed sendin" blacks back to Africa 'ubse(uently, )ust after the American *e$olutionary War in 1777, !homas &efferson set forth a plan of "radual emancipation and deportation of sla$es !hou"h his plan was ne$er implemented, the idea of the coloni+ation of #lacks did not die, and in 181, a successful ship owner of African-American and %ati$e American ancestry named .aul /uffe, ad$ocated settlin" freed American sla$es in Africa 0e "ained support from the #ritish "o$ernment, free black leaders in the 1nited 'tates, and members of /on"ress for a plan to take emi"rants to the #ritish colony of 'ierra Leone /uffee intended to make one $oya"e per year, takin" settlers and brin"in" back $aluable car"oes 2n 1813, at his own e4pense, /aptain /uffee took thirty-ei"ht American blacks to 5reetown, 'ierra Leone, but his death in 1817 ended further $entures Within two years of /uffee6s death, the American /oloni+ation 'ociety 7A/'8 was or"ani+ed to establish a colony in Africa for freed sla$es !hey or"ani+ed a"ents to raise funds and to interest free blacks in emi"ratin" to the colony of Liberia, Africa 2t did not take lon" for thousands of dollars to flow into the society, recei$in" donations form sla$eholdin" states such as 9aryland, :ir"inia, and ;entucky 2nitially, only free blacks were transported to Africa, but after 1827 some sla$es were freed specifically for the purpose of emi"ration to Liberia #y 1837, the society had sent more than 1<,=== #lack emi"rants back to Africa 'la$e emi"rants to Liberia faced se$eral problems that deterred African Americans who remained in America from followin" in their footsteps !he "reatest problem was their inability to persuade the 1nited 'tates /on"ress to appropriate funds to send colonists in Liberia Without ade(uate fundin", Liberia became a financial burden to the A/' 2n addition, Liberia faced political threats, chiefly from #ritain, because it was neither a so$erei"n power nor a bona fide colony of any so$erei"n nation #ecause the 1nited 'tates refused to claim so$erei"nty o$er Liberia, in 1843 the A/' ordered the Liberians to proclaim their independence Another ma)or problem emi"rants to Liberia faced was that the nati$e Africans didn6t like the settlement and caused many armed conflicts to ensue #ecause they had no formal forces to protect them form these attacks, they suffered many casualties and setbacks !he ne4t ma)or problem that pla"ued the mo$ement back to Africa was #lack opposition in the 1nited 'tates 9eetin"s were held re"ularly in #altimore, #oston, %ew >ork, and many other cities to oppose this mo$ement ?ne #lack man e4plained their opposition by sayin" @the main moti$e of coloni+ation was to eliminate blacks from the 1nited 'tates, and for that purpose a "o$ernment had been set up in Africa that was not independent, but a poor miserable mockery, a burles(ue on a "o$ernment @ Another black man e4plained their opposition by sayin" @!he ad$anta"es of this AAmericanB continent are superior, because it presents e$ery $ariety of climate, soil, and production of the earth, with e$ery $ariety of mineral production, with all kinds of water pri$ile"es, and ocean coast on all sides, presentin" e$ery commercial ad$anta"e 1pon the American continent we are determined to stay, in spite of e$ery odds a"ainst us @ 5rom 1843 when Liberia proclaimed their independence, to today, Liberia has found little support from the decedents of the freed sla$es that remained in America /onse(uently, they ha$e e4perienced a turbulent and troubled history consistin" of se$eral wars, which they lost not only land, but also much di"nity /urrently, the Liberia "o$ernment is run almost identically to the 1nited 'tates and a #lack man name /harles !aylor is the president of the *epublic of Liberia .resident !aylor was elected in 1CC7, and is facin" seemin"ly insurmountable social and economic woes, as well as ci$il strife in the form of military defiance by a "roup called the Liberians 1nited for *econciliation and Democracy 7L1*D8 @

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