Free African American colonists sail for Sierra Leone

Background. The American Colonization Society, established in 1816, aimed to repatriate freeborn people of color and emancipated slaves to Africa. The organization gained support from the British government and free Black leaders to send emigrants to Sierra Leone. In 1819, Congress provided $100,000 to the Society, enabling the first expedition to depart New York in early 1820.

Destination Context. Sierra Leone was established as a British colony in 1808 to resettle returning Africans after the abolition of the slave trade. Freetown, the capital, had been founded in 1792 by settlers from Nova Scotia. The region had a history of African American settlement, including Black Loyalists who arrived in the late 18th century.

The Voyage. The ship Elizabeth sailed from New York City on February 6, 1820, bound for West Africa. It carried three white agents of the American Colonization Society and 86 African-American emigrants. This was the first ship dispatched by the Society for this purpose, following earlier private efforts such as Paul Cuffe's transport of 38 people in 1819.