Founding of Liberia

The expedition was also partially funded by the U.S. Congress, which in 1819 had appropriated $100,000 to be used in returning displaced Africans, illegally brought to the United States after the abolishment of the slave trade in 1808, to Africa.

In 1820, freed African Americans set sail from New York to Sierra Leone in an effort largely organized by the American Colonization Society, which aimed to resettle freed African Americans in Africa. This effort drew partial funding from the U.S. Congress, inspired by similar British resettlements of freed people in Sierra Leone after the abolition of the slave trade. Although the American Colonization Society faced criticism, especially from abolitionists, Liberia was eventually established in 1821 as a U.S.-backed colony for African Americans, gaining independence in 1847 and becoming Africa’s first democratic republic.

Liberia declared itself a (free) sovereign nation. Emigrants to Liberia suffered the highest mortality rate of any country since modern record-keeping began. Of the 4,571 emigrants who arrived in Liberia from 1820 to 1842, only 1,819 survived until 1843. The ACS knew of the high death rate, but continued to send more people to the colony.