A Brief History of the African Country of Liberia. Education is compulsory for Liberian children between ages 7 and 16 and is provided free at the primary and secondary levels. While several distinct ethnic groups have inhabited what is today Liberia for at least 1,000 years, no large kingdoms found further east along the West African coast, such as Dahomey, Asante, or the Benin Empire arose there. The American Colonization Society, founded in 1817, has as its aim the settlement of freed slaves in colonies where they can become self-sufficient. So they took some of them to Liberia. The next three years were marked by unsuccessful attempts to work out a plan of assistance involving appointing foreign administrators, declaring a moratorium on the Firestone loan, and suspending diplomatic relations with Great Britain and the United States. Roberts was called back to office. History Of Us And Liberia Relations. About 85.5% of Liberia's population practices Christianity, while Muslims comprise 12.2% of the population. For a treatment of earlier periods and of the country in its regional context, see western Africa. The current civil war in Liberia, which recently cost the life of Samuel Doe, the President since a coup in the early 80s, has its roots in the founding of a colony for former slaves in 1822. After abortive attempts to establish settlements there, an agreement was signed in 1821 between the officers of the society and local African chiefs granting the society possession of Cape Mesurado. However, this promising new regime was upset by World War I. The oldest inhabitants of the Liberian territory include the Gola, Kpelle, Loma, Gbandi, Mende, and Mano peoples, who had settled in the area by 6000 B.C.E.36 Later arrivals included the Undated Acheulean artifacts are abundant across West Africa, attesting to the presence of ancient humans. In 2005, elections were held in Liberia, and Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf, who had once been arrested by Samuel Doe and lost to Taylor in the 1997 elections, was elected President of Liberia. However, Doe’s dictatorial government proved no better for the Liberian people than its predecessor. The colonies established by the Virginia Colonization Society, the Quaker Young Men's Colonization Society of Pennsylvania, and the American Colonization Society merged as the Commonwealth of Liberia and claimed control over all settlements between Cestos River and Cape Mount. The society contended that the emigration of blacks to Africa was an answer to the problem of slavery and the incompatibility of … On April 12, 1980, Master Sgt. In 1822, the ACS founded Liberia as a colony of the United States of America. In his Liberia: Or, The Early History & Signal Preservation of the American Colony of Free Negroes on the Coast of Africa, Innes describes the founding, structure, and struggles of this West African colony, founded in the early 1820’s as a haven for free and previously enslaved people of African descent and for ‘recaptives’ rescued from the newly illegal transatlantic slave trade. On his death in 1841 he was succeeded by Joseph Jenkins Roberts, the colony’s first Black governor, who was born free in Virginia in 1809; Roberts enlarged the boundaries of the territory and improved economic conditions. Other settlements were started along the St. John River, at Greenville, and at Harper. With the backing of the United States, Liberia kept its independence though the turmoil of the 20th century. For over 100 years, from its formation in the 1860s until 1980, the Americo-Liberian True Whig Party dominated Liberian politics, in what was essentially a minority ruled one-party state. Longley, Robert. Coastal groups traded several goods with Europeans, but the area became known as the Grain Coast, because of its rich supply malagueta pepper grains. Christian music is popular, with hymns sung a-cappella in the traditional African style. Outsiders’ knowledge of the west of Africa began with a Portuguese sailor, Pedro de Sintra, who reached the Liberian coast in 1461. They modeled the Liberian government after that of the United States. English remains the official language of Liberia, though the languages of the indigenous peoples are widely spoken. The Liberian population is made up of several indigenous ethnic groups who migrated from Sudan during the late Middle Ages. He served until 1876. Joseph Jenkins Roberts, a man born free in Virginia, became the colony’s first black governor in 1841, and declared Liberia’s independence in 1847; it … Several women have also served in the presidential cabinet and as Supreme Court justices. 54. Administration of the customs and internal revenue was placed in the hands of a U.S. financial adviser. How a system of inequality & turbulent history led Liberia to elect Africa’s first female president: Ellen Johnson Sirleaf. Backed by Libya, Burkina Faso, and the Ivory Coast, Taylor soon controlled much of the eastern part of Liberia. Along with Ethiopia, Liberia is considered to be one of the only two African countries never to have been colonized by European powers during the Scramble for Africa from 1880 to 1900. Monrovia was founded on April 25, 1822 by members of the American … Read MoreMonrovia, Liberia … Descendants of the freed slaves, generally Interestingly, the United States refused to acknowledge Liberia’s independence until 1862, when the U.S. government ended the practice of enslavement during the American Civil War. Buy History of Liberia by McPherson, John Hanson Thomas (ISBN: 9781153628150) from Amazon's Book Store. In 2003, the women of Liberia helped bring an end to the Second Civil War, and in 2005, Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf, the first elected female head of state in Africa, was elected President of Liberia. Radio is the main news source and there is a lively commercial sector. Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf, Liberia's 'Iron Lady', Countries in Africa Considered Never Colonized, Black American History and Women Timeline: 1800–1859, What Is Colonialism? However, this is disputed as the country was founded by free Black American immigrants in the 1820s and governed by these Americo-Liberians until 1989. The very early history of the country now known as Liberia is built around stories and legends passed down through generations and these refer to a people called the Jinna, a small sized race who lived in caves and in the carved out hollows of large trees. The first to arrive were 86 immigrants, who built the first settlement in Christopolis. This discussion focuses on Liberia from the 19th century. Though they were Black, the Americo-Liberians created a cultural divide. The Liberians tried to extend their authority inland, although they were still unable to control all the coastal area they claimed. It was established on land acquired for freed U.S. slaves by the American Colonization Society, which founded a colony at Cape Mesurado in 1821. The 16 officially recognized ethnic groups, who make up about 95% of the population, include the Kpelle; Bassa; Mano; Gio or Dan; Kru; Grebo; Krahn; Vai; Gola; Mandingo or Mandinka; Mende; Kissi; Gbandi; Loma; Dei or Dewoin; Belleh; and Americo-Liberians. The first American freed slaves, led by members of the society, landed in 1822 on Providence Island at the mouth of the Mesurado River. Liberia is the only Black state in Africa never subjected to colonial rule and is Africa’s oldest republic. Liberia was governed by a military dictatorship until the 1990s and then suffered two lengthy civil wars. Liberia has over 700 bird species, it is a bird-haven! Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation / Getty Images. Liberia was officially recognized by the United States in the year 1862, and both the countries they had good … On July 26, 1847, Liberia declared its independence from America. Leeflang (Peace Palace Library, The Hague (NL)) [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons. Be on the lookout for your Britannica newsletter to get trusted stories delivered right to your inbox. The oldest of the Liberia’s tribes, the Gola, who travelled from Central Africa to West Africa reportedly met these Jinna when they arrived in Liberia. Liberia’s culture draws from the Southern U.S. heritage of its Americo-Liberian settlers and the people of the country’s 16 indigenous and migratory groups. It is located on Bushrod Island and Cape Mesurado along the Mesurado River. To travel ( 3 ) in 2003 to end the frontier disputes resulted in treaties with Great Britain 1885... 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