 While Washington's intentions were to pave the way for a colony made by and for African Americans, the whole movement was still framed within a colonial context and Washington himself viewed the native Africans who were already living in Liberia as "heathen inhabitants" who would appreciate the African American colonizers for bringing with them civilization and western religion.Washington opened a Daguerrean studio in the capital Monrovia in 1853 and also traveled to the neighboring countries Sierra Leone, Gambia and Senegal.His daguerreotypes came at a vital moment for the Liberian nation as they were a visible way to document the progress of the colony not only for the Liberians but also to create an image of the colony for Western audiences.