Pardon autocorrect typo above: //there already were//

"...The Americo-Liberian settlers did not relate well to the indigenous peoples they encountered, especially those in communities of the more isolated "bush", They knew nothing of their cultures, languages or animist religion. Encounters with tribal Africans in the bush often developed as violent confrontations. The colonial settlements were raided by the Kru and Grebo from their inland chiefdoms.

Because of feeling set apart and superior by their culture and education to the indigenous peoples, the Americo-Liberians developed as a small elite that held on to political power. It excluded the indigenous tribesmen from birthright citizenship in their own lands until 1904, in a repetition of the United States' treatment of Native Americans. 

Because of ethnocentrism and the cultural gap, the Americo-Liberians envisioned creating a western-style state to which the tribesmen should assimilate. They promoted religious organizations to set up missions and schools to educate the indigenous peoples.. ..."

Sound familiar!?!

One could say that the US colonized Liberia because of policy encouraging the "go back to Africa" manner of dealing with those "uppity" free Black Americans it suddenly had to contend with.

(If you look for info about colonization from the history written by the colonizers, the whole truth is not in that side of the record!)

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liberia

~S~