All of the major European powers seemed to be in on this rush for power on the continent of Africa during that time. It has been years since I learned about the topic, but why didn't the US get involved at all? Seafaring trades routes had been established for hundreds of years, so it seems that many in the US could somewhat easily access the continent. Was it because of the economic turmoil that the country was experiencing during the Reconstruction period following the Civil War? Was it because of the Racial make up of the United States, and the fact that a War had just be fought to abolish the slavery of African Americans? Was it because of the trend of Westward expansion, and expansion of influence into the Pacific and the Latin American areas that kept the US too Preoccupied to look back east? It just seems strange that I can't recall anything about the US during the hugely influential colonial event in History.
As a matter of fact, the United States did experiment with African Colonization. After the American Revolution, many Whites and Freed Blacks weren't sure, or did not believe race relations in the United States would improve. As early as 1792 (this date keeps getting pushed back, interestingly enough) Free Blacks were petitioning for emigration to other lands, the most notable petition comes from fifty five notable Black Philadelphians including Richard Allen, father of the Black Church, it reads:
We have with other men an Inalienable Right to life Liberty & the pursuit of happiness, so that nothing may be wanting on your part to facilitate so desirable an object of opening a door for gradual Emancipation to take place, and likewise to look forward preparing an asylum… similar to the one prepared by the British in Sierra Leone.
Born out of uncertainty, a desire to improve race relations, and inspired by the British Colony of Sierra Leone, home to many former British and American slaves. There began a push for the creation of an African colony, run by Free Blacks and sponsored by White philanthropists. The largest sponsor of these groups was the American Colonization Society, founded in 1816. From these "Colonization Societies" sprang small colonies such as "Mississippi-in-Africa" and the "Republic of Maryland" on the West African Pepper Coast, though both would be annexed into the greater state of Liberia, founded in 1822.
The United States very much treated Liberia as a protectorate, and protected her against foreign encroachment though never officially recognizing it as American Territory. In 1843, Secretary of State Abel Upshur wrote a terse letter to the British Diplomat after they had made moves to annex a section of northern Liberia.
<this Government regards it [Liberia] as occupying a peculiar position, and as possessing peculiar claims to the friendly consideration of all christian powers; that this Government will be, at all times, prepared to interpose its good offices to prevent any encroachment by the colony upon any just right of any nation ; and that it would be very unwilling to see it despoiled of its territory rightfully acquired, or improperly restrained in the exercise of its necessary rights and powers as an independent settlement.
Out of this grew a larger problem, the US wouldn't officially recognize or annex them and wouldn't allow other powers to either. So in 1847, Liberia declared its independence and wrote the 1847 Liberian Constitution a document full of references to their own past, showing their still strong connection to the United States:
We the people of the Republic of Liberia were originally the inhabitants of the United States of North America.
The United Kingdom recognized Liberia the following year, though the United States would refuse to do so until 1862 when President Lincoln recognized and sent diplomats to Liberia and Haiti (the two Black Republics). Throughout the 1800's and even into the 1930's, American Citizens emigrated to Liberia and the connection remained strong between the two. In 1909, President Taft spoke with a near paternalistic attitude to the country. Relations remained strong throughout World War II and the Cold War and it was not until the 1980 Coup by Samuel Doe that relations somewhat faltered.