Providence Island (Historically known as Perseverance, Dozoa Island, or Darzoe Island) was the site of the first successful settlement of
American
American(s) may refer to:
* American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America"
** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America
** American ancestry, pe ...
freedmen by the
American Colonization Society in Liberia. It has been proposed as a
UNESCO World Heritage Site by the government of Liberia.
History
After several unsuccessful attempts at colonization along the
Pepper Coast
The Pepper Coast or Grain Coast was a coastal area of western Africa, between Cape Mesurado and Cape Palmas. It encloses the present republic of Liberia. The name was given by European traders.
Origin of the name
The Pepper Coast got its name f ...
, the American Colonization Society sent two agents,
Robert F. Stockton and
Eli Ayers, to negotiate with local chieftains to secure a place for colonization. A conference was held at
Cape Mesurado, which the locals called Ducor. Reaching an agreement, known as the ''Ducor Contract'', the Society acquired the land bounded on the north and west by the
Atlantic Ocean and on the south and east by the
Mesurado River, including Cape Mesurado and land on Dozoa Island in the bay. To ensure the validity of the purchase, Ayers and Stockton ensured that all the surrounding chiefs signed the document. It was executed by
Gola chiefs Kaanda Njola of Sao's Town and Long Peter of Klay;
Dei
''Deus'' (, ) is the Latin word for " god" or "deity".
Latin ''deus'' and ''dīvus'' ("divine") are in turn descended from Proto-Indo-European *'' deiwos'', "celestial" or "shining", from the same root as '' *Dyēus'', the reconstructed chief ...
chief Kai-Peter of Stockton Creek;
Kru chief Bah Gwogro (also George) of Old Kru Town; and chief Jimmy from St. Paul River.
The colonizers established their first settlement in Liberia on Dozoa Island, which they renamed ''Perseverance'' and which was later renamed as ''Providence''. In 2017, the Liberian Ministry of Information, Cultural Affairs and Tourism nominated the island for inclusion as a
World Heritage Site.
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Providence Island, Liberia
Islands of Liberia
Islands of the South Atlantic Ocean