Lott Carey was one of the first black American missionaries and also the first American Baptist missionary to travel to Africa. He co-founded the Colony of Liberia in Africa for freed American slaves that was established by the American Colonization Society and became the colony’s first black governor. His story is quite remarkable and has been used as an inspiration for school children in both America and Liberia.
Lott Carey was born in 1780 into slavery in Virginia but it was apparent from an early age that he was an extremely intelligent young man. His first master was a Methodist minister and in 1807, Carey joined the First Baptist Church of Richmond where the congregation consisted of whites and blacks (both free and slaves) and it was here that Carey was baptised and joined a small school for slaves where he learnt to read, write and studied the Bible.
As Carey became more educated, he was presented with better work opportunities and was able to switch from work as a common laborer to that of a shipping clerk in a tobacco warehouse.
By 1813, he had earned enough money to purchase his freedom and that of his two children (his first wife had already passed away) for $850 and he became an official Baptist minister.
Just eight years later in 1821, Carey had managed to accumulate enough money from his work that he was able to pay his own expenses as a member of the colony sent to Liberia and therefore became the first black American missionary to Africa.
However, early life in the Colony of Liberia was far from easy and in fact very dangerous for Carey. The native Africans tried to resist the colonization by the Americans, and this consequently resulted in many armed conflicts. The colonists were also at risk of being sold into slavery by the slave traders.
Carey became acting governor of Liberia in August 1828 but unfortunately this role was cut short as he was killed just three months later. Carey and his colleagues were making bullet cartridges to ward off an attack from slave traders, and an explosion of the materials fatally injured him and seven of his companions.
Despite starting life as a common slave, Carey became educated, worked hard, bought his own freedom, became a minister and helped found a new nation. An inspiration to us all.