This study of Edward Blyden spotlights West African and African American history in the second half of the 19th century. Blyden became the intellectual focus of the English-speaking West Africa of his time. The "African personality", "Pan-Africanism" and "Negritude" are all concepts which developed under the stimulus of his thinking. Blyden, a West Indian by birth and a Liberian by adoption, knew America, Europe and West Africa. He was well traveled and became Liberia's first ambassador in London. The discrimination against African Americans which he saw in the United States offended him and led to a life-long advocacy of repatriation to Africa.