1 00:00:00,120 --> 00:00:01,920 Speaker 1: This Day in History Class is a production of I 2 00:00:02,040 --> 00:00:07,160 Speaker 1: Heart Radio. Hi everyone, I'm Eves. Welcome to This Day 3 00:00:07,160 --> 00:00:09,800 Speaker 1: in History Class, a show that will convince you that 4 00:00:09,920 --> 00:00:13,039 Speaker 1: history can be fascinating even when you expect it not 5 00:00:13,160 --> 00:00:26,080 Speaker 1: to be. Today is February six. The day was February six, 6 00:00:26,320 --> 00:00:32,080 Speaker 1: eight twenty. The American Colonization Society organized a migration of 7 00:00:32,159 --> 00:00:36,400 Speaker 1: freed enslaved people from the United States to Africa. By 8 00:00:36,400 --> 00:00:38,800 Speaker 1: the end of the eighteenth century and the beginning of 9 00:00:38,800 --> 00:00:42,600 Speaker 1: the nineteenth slavery was being outlawed around the world, though 10 00:00:42,640 --> 00:00:46,960 Speaker 1: it continued in practice in many places. In seventeen eighties, 11 00:00:46,960 --> 00:00:50,320 Speaker 1: seven free black people from Britain set out to establish 12 00:00:50,360 --> 00:00:54,120 Speaker 1: a colony in Sierra Leone. Five years later, more than 13 00:00:54,160 --> 00:00:57,920 Speaker 1: a thousand free black people unhappy with life in Nova Scotia, 14 00:00:58,320 --> 00:01:02,800 Speaker 1: built Freetown in Sierra Leon In eighteen o four, as 15 00:01:02,840 --> 00:01:06,800 Speaker 1: the Haitian Revolution ended, Haiti became the first independent black 16 00:01:06,840 --> 00:01:10,160 Speaker 1: republic in the world. By that same year, all the 17 00:01:10,200 --> 00:01:13,759 Speaker 1: northern states in the US had voted to abolish slavery 18 00:01:13,800 --> 00:01:17,240 Speaker 1: within their borders. That did not mean that all people 19 00:01:17,280 --> 00:01:21,000 Speaker 1: who were enslaved were immediately freed, but many people were 20 00:01:21,000 --> 00:01:24,080 Speaker 1: released after they reached a certain age or worked for 21 00:01:24,120 --> 00:01:27,520 Speaker 1: a certain amount of time. This meant that many Black 22 00:01:27,560 --> 00:01:30,440 Speaker 1: Americans began to live as free people in the first 23 00:01:30,440 --> 00:01:34,679 Speaker 1: part of the nineteenth century. They created communities and institutions, 24 00:01:35,040 --> 00:01:38,760 Speaker 1: and they organized to help free other black people, but 25 00:01:38,800 --> 00:01:42,679 Speaker 1: they still faced racism and discrimination. As the number of 26 00:01:42,720 --> 00:01:46,279 Speaker 1: free black people grew, white supremacists and others who deemed 27 00:01:46,360 --> 00:01:51,800 Speaker 1: black people undesirable were unhappy with their newfound freedom. Others, 28 00:01:51,960 --> 00:01:55,800 Speaker 1: including free black people themselves, believed they would fare better 29 00:01:55,920 --> 00:02:00,280 Speaker 1: outside of the United States. A colonization movement emerged as 30 00:02:00,320 --> 00:02:04,480 Speaker 1: people proposed the idea of moving freed enslaved people to Africa. 31 00:02:05,600 --> 00:02:09,560 Speaker 1: In eighteen fifteen, Paul Cuffey, a free black entrepreneur and 32 00:02:09,639 --> 00:02:13,960 Speaker 1: sea captain, initiated the Back to Africa effort and transported 33 00:02:14,080 --> 00:02:17,200 Speaker 1: thirty eight black people from the United States to Sierra Leone. 34 00:02:18,000 --> 00:02:21,520 Speaker 1: They arrived in Sierra Leone in early eighteen sixteen, and 35 00:02:21,560 --> 00:02:24,000 Speaker 1: the years after that others took up the cause of 36 00:02:24,040 --> 00:02:29,360 Speaker 1: black immigration. In this climate, the American Colonization Society formed. 37 00:02:29,800 --> 00:02:34,079 Speaker 1: It was largely made up of white people, including clergyman, abolitionists, 38 00:02:34,160 --> 00:02:39,200 Speaker 1: and slave owners. The society purchased and freed enslaved people 39 00:02:39,360 --> 00:02:43,639 Speaker 1: and paid their way to Africa. In eighteen nineteen, US 40 00:02:43,720 --> 00:02:47,160 Speaker 1: Congress passed an act that authorized the President to send 41 00:02:47,160 --> 00:02:51,160 Speaker 1: a naval squadron to African waters to intercept people engaged 42 00:02:51,200 --> 00:02:55,760 Speaker 1: in illegal slave trading. It also appropriated one hundred thousand 43 00:02:55,760 --> 00:03:01,160 Speaker 1: dollars to return displaced Africans to Africa. On February six, 44 00:03:01,360 --> 00:03:05,400 Speaker 1: eighteen twenty, delayed days by low temperatures and ice, a 45 00:03:05,480 --> 00:03:08,280 Speaker 1: group of around ninety free Black people and a few 46 00:03:08,320 --> 00:03:12,040 Speaker 1: a CS members left New York and set sail for Freetown, 47 00:03:12,080 --> 00:03:15,680 Speaker 1: cra Leone. Little is known about the immigrants who were 48 00:03:15,680 --> 00:03:19,680 Speaker 1: on the ship. Adults and children were on board. Most 49 00:03:19,680 --> 00:03:22,680 Speaker 1: of them were residents of New York or Pennsylvania. Many 50 00:03:22,720 --> 00:03:25,000 Speaker 1: of them were farmers and artisans, and there was a 51 00:03:25,080 --> 00:03:28,840 Speaker 1: nurse and a minister. They arrived at Freetown in March. 52 00:03:30,040 --> 00:03:32,640 Speaker 1: Within the next couple of years, Liberia was founded as 53 00:03:32,680 --> 00:03:35,880 Speaker 1: a settlement for free black people, and thousands of free 54 00:03:35,880 --> 00:03:40,000 Speaker 1: Black Americans began immigrating to the area. Adjusting to the 55 00:03:40,000 --> 00:03:43,400 Speaker 1: new environment wasn't easy, but some of the black immigrants 56 00:03:43,480 --> 00:03:47,640 Speaker 1: did strive for wealth and subjugated and oppressed indigenous people. 57 00:03:48,800 --> 00:03:51,960 Speaker 1: As more free black people immigrated to Liberia from the US. 58 00:03:52,320 --> 00:03:56,600 Speaker 1: They continued to bring US culture and practices with them. 59 00:03:56,680 --> 00:04:00,440 Speaker 1: Liberia declared its independence in eighteen forty seven, though the U. 60 00:04:00,560 --> 00:04:03,720 Speaker 1: S did not recognize its independence until eighteen sixty two. 61 00:04:05,000 --> 00:04:07,400 Speaker 1: I'm Eve Jeff Co and hopefully you know a little 62 00:04:07,400 --> 00:04:11,280 Speaker 1: more about history today than you did yesterday. Give us 63 00:04:11,320 --> 00:04:14,520 Speaker 1: a shout or a share on social media at t 64 00:04:15,000 --> 00:04:20,440 Speaker 1: d i h C podcast. Our email address is this 65 00:04:20,560 --> 00:04:24,680 Speaker 1: day at I heart media dot com. Thanks for listening. 66 00:04:24,839 --> 00:04:33,159 Speaker 1: We'll see you again tomorrow with another episode. For more 67 00:04:33,160 --> 00:04:35,720 Speaker 1: podcasts from I Heeart Radio, visit the iHeart Radio app, 68 00:04:35,760 --> 00:04:38,320 Speaker 1: Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to your favorite shows.