Marcus Garvey Biography

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Biography Part 8 - Trial and Imprisonment

Towards the end of 1919 the FBI hired its first five African-American Agents to investigate Marcus Garvey and the activities of the U.N.I.A.. A trial of for using the postal service in order to commit mail fraud was constructed in January 1922 and in May 1923 the trial began. The basis for the trial being that the Black Star Line had mailed out brochures for the company with a picture a ship named "Phyllis Wheatley" on the cover. The Black Star Line was in the process of negotiating the purchase of the ship but the purchase had not been made by the time the charges were brought. The result of the trial was that Garvey was found guilty and sentenced to five years in prison; however, many believe the trial to be fraudulent with one key witness even admitting that he had been told to lie by the Postal Inspector. In 1927, Garvey had the remainder of his sentence commuted by President Calvin Coolidge and, in accordance with US federal law, he was deported back to Jamaica.

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