On February 6, 1820, 88 free Black men and women set sail for Sierra Leone aboard the Mayflower of Liberia, marking the first organized Black migration to Africa. Funded by Congress and led by the American Colonization Society, the voyage was driven by the belief that African Americans could not fully integrate into American society.
In 1821, a U.S. Navy mission sought land for a permanent settlement, leading to the establishment of Liberia in 1824. Over the next 40 years, up to 20,000 freed Blacks and rescued Africans arrived, facing hardships and conflicts with local communities.
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