Liberia began its modern history as a settlement of the American Colonization Society (ACS). After the abolition of slavery in the United States, many former slaves believed they faced better chances for prosperity in Africa than in the United States. After the Civil War, more that 15,000 freed and free-born black Americans and 3,198 Afro-Caribbeans relocated to the settlement. Liberia became the first African country to gain independence on July 26, 1847.
