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In the 1860s- as America waged civil war- several thousand African Americans sought greater freedom by emigrating to the fledgling nation of Liberia. While some argued that the new black republic represented disposal rather than emancipation- a few intrepid men set out to explore their African home. African-American Exploration in West Africa collects the travel diaries of James L. Sims- George L. Seymour- and Benjamin J. K. Anderson- who explored the territory that is now Liberia and Guinea between 1858 and 1874. These remarkable diaries reveal the wealth and beauty of Africa in striking descriptions of its geography- people- flora- and fauna. The dangers of the journeys surface- too-Seymour was attacked and later died of his wounds- and his companion- Levin Ash- was captured and sold into slavery again. Challenging the notion that there were no black explorers in Africa- these diaries provide unique perspectives on 19th-century Liberian life and life in the interior of the continent before it was radically changed by European colonialism....