In 1817, the American Colonization Society was formed. They were anti-slavery in that they wanted to keep the U.S. open to white workers as opposed to abolitionists who wanted to outlaw slavery because they thought it was a sin. The Colonization Society hated slavery, but also did not welcome a nation of free Blacks. To this aim they purchased land in Africa and named it Liberia, with the root being liberty. Its capital called Monrovia after President Monroe. The idea was to purchase slaves but then send them back to Africa. The plan did not work. It cost too much money, the slave owners did not want to sell, and the free Blacks did not want to leave. They were not African, and many had roots in America that went further back than many of their owners.
Historically Speaking 