A neglected classic, unpublished until now, Bitter Canaan is a historical-sociological account of Liberian society. Written in 1930 and revised in 1948 by the influential, pioneering black sociologist Charles S. Johnson, it has remained talked about but unknown.

Founded in 1821, Liberia was conceived as a haven for freed American slaves. Johnson traces the historical development of American race relations that lead to the emigration of thousands of blacks to Liberia. The struggles in leaving America and settling the African wilderness are detailed. He shows how a Liberian nationality evolved and how the social, economic, and politi-cal foundations of the nascent state affected its history. His critical study of American corporate intervention in Liberian society in the twentieth century has the flair of contemporary political analysis.