Simplify the following text for a Grade 11 native English-speaking person.
Original: The Republic of Maryland ( also known as the Independent State of Maryland ) was a small African American nation which existed from 1854 to 1857 , when it was united into what is now Liberia .
Simplified: The Republic of Maryland ( also known as the Independent State of Maryland ) was a small nation of African Americans from 1854 to 1857 .