History of Liberia

The country of Liberia, the brainchild of the American Colonization Society, was founded in the early 19th century. Members of the ACS (as the society was called) believed that Black people would have better opportunities for both freedom and prosperity in Africa than they would in the United States. Between the years of 1822 and 1861 (at the outbreak of the American Civil War), more than 15,000 free-born and freed Black individuals relocated to Liberia.

These Liberian settlers, who faced social and legal oppression in the United States, were joined by more than 3,000 Afro-Caribbeans. While the Liberian settlers carried their culture with them, they modeled their constitution and even their flag after those in the United States. Their capital was named for U.S. President James Madison, who supported the relocation effort. Liberia was the first African republic to declare its independence from European control. It was also one of only two African countries to maintain independence during what has been called the "Scramble for Africa" (when virtually all but two African countries came under European control).

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