George and Ann RichardsCivil War Era Center

Alison McCann is a doctoral candidate in the History Department at the University of Miami. Her research focuses on 19th-century American History, emphasizing African American migration, citizenship, and concepts of freedom. Her dissertation, titled “Until Freedom be Done: African American Place Making in Liberia, 1790-1880,” examines the experiences of African Americans who sought to establish lives in Liberia, Africa, as they reconfigured their existence abroad. She highlights specific families who migrated from Southern and Northern regions through her work, articulating a narrative essential to their aspirations and decisions regarding the African outpost. By analyzing the transnational experiences of African American emigrants, Alison aims to reveal new insights into the colonization movement. The intricate lives of these Black settlers provide a nuanced and refreshing perspective on the implications of this migration movement and its broader impact on African diasporic movements. African American emigration to Liberia is a story of cultural hybridity that resided at the periphery of the American empire. Her work seeks to enrich our understanding of the United States’ empire, race, and citizenship, not only within the United States but also across the Atlantic World.