The World and Its People

"Liberia"

Introduction
In this chapter, you learned about the geography and culture of West Africa, which includes Nigeria, the Sahel countries, and the coastal countries. Liberia, one of the coastal countries, is the only West African nation that was never a colony. In this activity, you will learn more about the history and settlement of Liberia.

Destination Title: The African-American Mosaic

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Directions
Start at the Library of Congress African-American Mosaic Web site.

• Click on Colonization.
• Read this page. Then click on Liberia and Personal Stories and New Directions to read more about the colony.
• After reading the information on Liberia, answer the following questions.

1			What was the American Colonization Society?
2			When was Liberia founded? How did it become independent?
3			Who was the first president of Liberia?
4			What American school served as the model for the Booker T. Washington Institute in Kakata, Liberia?
5			Reread the first paragraph on the "Colonization" page. Imagine that you are an African American living during the 1800s. Write a letter to be published in a newspaper stating why you think African Americans should or should not go to live in Liberia.