American Colonization Society, originally known as the Society for the Colonization of Free People of Color of America, was founded in 1816 by Robert Finley to encourage and support the migration of free African Americans to the continent of Africa.

Why did the ACS fail?

Click here to learn more about the household of President Abraham Lincoln. In spite of strong support for the ACS and its mission, the organization and its efforts failed because of opposition from the free Black community and its leaders.

What did the American Colonization Society advocate?

The American Colonization Society (ACS), also known as the American Society for Colonizing the Free People of Color in the United States, emerged in 1816 as a national organization dedicated to promoting the manumission of the enslaved and the settlement of free blacks in West Africa, specifically in the colony of ...