African Americans in Africa facts for kids
| Regions with significant populations | |
|---|---|
 Sierra Leone |
100,000 (descendants) |
 Liberia |
12,000 (descendants) |
 Ghana |
9,000 |
 South Africa |
3,000 |
 Ethiopia |
600–800 |
This article is about the history of African-American settlement in Africa. It tells the story of how people of African descent, who were once enslaved in the Americas, moved back to Africa. This movement started a long time ago, when people were sent back to Africa from European colonies in the Americas.
Contents
History of African-American Settlement
Early Returns to Africa
Many African Americans, West Indians, and Black Britons moved to Africa. This happened mostly from the late 1700s to the mid-1800s. Two countries, Liberia and Sierra Leone, were even started by formerly enslaved people. These people were sent back to Africa over a period of 28 years.
Other formerly enslaved people were also sent back from different European colonies. For example, the Tabom people in Ghana and Togo are descendants of Afro-Brazilians. These Afro-Brazilians were either sent back willingly or by force from Brazil. Some were sent after a revolt in 1835.
The Back-to-Africa Movement
After slavery ended in the United States and other parts of the Americas, many groups wanted African Americans to move to Africa. Several colonies were set up for this purpose. These included Maryland in Africa, Kentucky in Africa, and Mississippi in Africa. These colonies later joined together to create Liberia.
Martin Delany, an African-American abolitionist and army officer, supported this idea. However, the movement became less popular by the late 1800s. This was due to some dishonest activities and scams.
In 1787, the British government tried to settle people in Sierra Leone. About 300 Black Britons, known as the Black Poor from London, moved there. But within two years, most of them died from sickness or fighting with the local Temne people.
A second attempt was made in 1792. About 1,100 formerly enslaved people started the city of Freetown. They had help from a British person named Thomas Clarkson, who was against slavery. Their numbers grew even more in 1800. Over 500 Jamaican Maroons were brought to Sierra Leone after first going to Nova Scotia. The descendants of these formerly enslaved people are known as the Sierra Leone Creole people.
The Back-to-Africa movement became popular again with Marcus Garvey. He was an activist from Jamaica. He led the Universal Negro Improvement Association and African Communities League. Garvey encouraged African Americans in the United States to be proud of their heritage. He also pushed for descendants of enslaved people to return to Liberia and Sierra Leone.
This movement ended by the late 1920s. However, it influenced other groups like the Nation of Islam and the Rastafari movement. The Rastafari movement, which started in Jamaica, saw Haile Selassie I of Ethiopia, the emperor of Ethiopia, as a very important spiritual leader. They also saw Garvey as a special figure. This movement helped create a settlement in Shashamane, Ethiopia. This community still exists today and has over 200 people.
African-American Communities Today
Ghana
There is a large community of African Americans in Accra, Ghana. Nearly 10,000 African-American residents live there. Most of them are from the United States and Jamaica. They live in Ghana with work permits, and some have permanent resident status.
Accra has been a popular place for African-American tourists since Ghana became independent in 1957. W. E. B. Du Bois, a famous African-American writer and activist, lived his last years in Ghana and is buried in Accra. The Ghanaian government has even tried to get more African-American residents and tourists to come. In 2001, they passed a law that made it easier for people of African descent to live there. Groups like the African-American Association of Ghana help support African-American residents.
As of 2019, about 4,000 Jamaicans lived in Ghana. Also, an estimated 5,000 African Americans have moved to the country in recent decades.
Liberia
The Americo-Liberian people are an ethnic group in Liberia. They are descendants of African Americans, Afro-Caribbeans, and Liberated Africans. They are similar to the Sierra Leone Creole people because they share similar backgrounds and culture.
Americo-Liberians trace their family history to free-born and formerly enslaved African Americans. These people moved to Liberia in the 1800s and founded the country. They identified themselves as Americo-Liberians.
Sierra Leone
Some African Americans moved to Canada first. After that, they helped found settlements in Sierra Leone. Other formerly enslaved people who were rescued from slave ships settled in what is now Côte d'Ivoire.
See Also
