Liberia

HISTORY

The first 86 African American immigrants left New York on February 6, 1820 to start a settlement in present-day Liberia. They were sponsored by the American Colonization Society a coalition made up mostly of evangelical Christians and Quakers who supported abolition, and Chesapeake slaveholders who understood that unfree labor did not constitute the economic future of the nation.

The emigrants started to establish a settlement on what is now the coast of Liberia. All three whites and 22 of the emigrants died within three weeks from yellow fever.

The settlement was named Liberia, which is "Land of the Free" in Latin, because it was founded by freed American slaves.

Map of Liberia in the 1830s

Liberia's capital, Monrovia, is named after America's fifth president, James Monroe, who was one of the most prominent supporters of the country's founding.

The Republic of Liberia declared its independence on July 26, 1847. Liberia is the only African republic to have self-proclaimed independence without gaining independence through revolt from any other nation, being Africa's first and oldest republic.

Joseph Jenkins Roberts, a wealthy free-born Black American from Virginia who settled in Liberia, was sworn in on January 3, 1848 as the country's first president. In 1872 he was elected again to serve as Liberia's seventh president.

Joseph Jenkins Roberts, the first and seventh president of Liberia.

More than 15,000 freed and free-born Black Americans from United States and 3,198 Afro-Caribbeans relocated to the settlement up to the American Civil War.

Liberian President Edward James Roye was overthrown in what is often considered modern Africa's first coup d'état on October 26, 1871.  Roye, who was of Americo-Liberian descent, faced intense opposition due to his controversial policies and financial issues, including allegations of corruption and mishandling of government funds. His overthrow set a precedent for political instability on the African continent. 

Liberian president Charles King won the 1927 election with 234,000 votes. At the time Liberia had the sum total of 15,000 registered voters

When Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf was declared the winner of the Liberian general election in 2005, she became the first democratically elected female head of state of an African country. She was inaugurated on January 16, 2006.

Sirleaf campaigning in Monrovia in 2005, shortly before she was elected. By Uwe.Kerkow

In 1989, 1994 and 1995, Liberian striker George Weah was named the African Footballer of the Year, and in 1996, he was named African Player of the Century.

Weah became involved in politics in Liberia following his retirement from football. He formed the Congress for Democratic Change and ran unsuccessfully for President in the 2005 election, losing to Ellen Johnson Sirleaf in the second round of voting.

Weah was elected President of Liberia in the 2017 election, defeating the incumbent Vice President Joseph Boakai.

In 2018, President Weah declared that the University of Liberia and all other public universities in Liberia tuition free.

FUN LIBERIA FACTS

Citizenship in Liberia is restricted to people of black African origins—people of other races can't become citizens.

For every 37 miles of road in the UK, there is just 1 in Liberia.

Only 1 in 15 Liberian roads are paved.

The Dallas Cowboys stadium uses more electricity than all of Liberia.