Liberty Brought Us Here

The True Story of American Slaves Who Migrated to Liberia

By: Susan E. Lindsey

Narrated by: Madelyn Cruz

Between 1820 and 1913, approximately 16,000 Black people left the United States to start new lives in Liberia, Africa, in what was at the time the largest out-migration in US history. When Tolbert Major, a former Kentucky slave and single father, was offered his own chance for freedom, he accepted. He, several family members, and 70 other people boarded the Luna on July 5, 1836. After they arrived in Liberia, Tolbert penned a letter to his former owner, Ben Major: "Dear Sir, We have all landed on the shores of Africa and got into our houses.... None of us have been taken with the fever yet."

Drawing on extensive research and 15 years' worth of surviving letters, author Susan E. Lindsey illuminates the trials and triumphs of building a new life in Liberia, where settlers were free, but struggled to acclimate themselves to an unfamiliar land, coexist with indigenous groups, and overcome disease and other dangers. Liberty Brought Us Here: The True Story of American Slaves Who Migrated to Liberia explores the motives and attitudes of colonization supporters and those who lived in the colony, offering perspectives beyond the standard narrative that colonization was driven solely by racism or forced exile.

The book is published by The University Press of Kentucky. The audiobook is published by University Press Audiobooks.

"Beautifully written and meticulously researched...a pleasure to read." (Alan Huffman, author of Mississippi in Africa)

"An engaging, nuanced, and imaginative work that merits a prominent place in the scholarship on the American Colonization Society and Liberia." (Eric Burin, editor of Protesting on Bended Knee)

"An urgently necessary book that should be on the shelf in every library." (Patricia Jabbeh Wesley, author of Praise Song for My Children)

©2020 Susan E. Lindsey (P)2021 Redwood Audiobooks

very interesting read!

This true story was very interesting and eye-opening. I loved hearing the perspective from both sides, the owners and the slaves who in the stories cited, almost became family. Memorable moments for me were hearing their inner thoughts which expressed the contentment or unrest they felt in their daily lives. Sometimes I felt there was more detail than was needed. The narrator was so good though that she kept your interest with her articulate delivery and subtle inflections at the perfect times. I would highly recommend this book especially for anyone interested in delving further into the history of racism.