A New Era With the days of peril ended, the sounds of war behind her, Liberia began a new day with the inauguration of President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf on January 16, 2006. She is an accomplished Harvard educated banker/economist, one that has lived and worked in and outside of Liberia. Her previous employers include the […]
Onset of the War On December 24, 1989, rebel forces called the National Patriotic Front of Liberia (NPFL) led by Charles McArthur Taylor, invaded Liberia from the Ivory Coast into Nimba County. Taylor was the former head of the General Services Agency (GSA) of Liberia. He fled the country when charged with embezzlement of government […]
Doe came to power through the 1980 coup that toppled the Tolbert administration, and ended the True Whig and Congo dominance of Liberian politics. This 28 year old army sergeant with no government or administrative experience was now the Head of State. For the tribal people, it was a time of rejoicing as this was […]
William R. Tolbert took over a nation that was still controlled by the minority Congo people and a one-party system. A small number of natives were becoming educated, but the native majority was still excluded from key political and economic spheres. In addition to completing Tubman’s term in 1971, the government adjusted the law and […]
The Emancipator Tubman was the Emancipator, one to unite the country and integrate the natives into the Liberian society through his Unification Program. He made more changes in this aspect than any of his predecessors, although the concept was introduced many decades prior. This integration effort also stemmed from education and exposure of the natives, […]
Barclay’s presidency began when the nation was coming from a scandal of such magnitude and at a point of low morale. He had to restore national and international confidence in the government and fix the nation’s finances and economy. There was also an uprising in the Kru region and World War 2 happened during this […]
The True Whig Party The young republic was divided into two political parties. The Mulattoes were in the True Liberian Party and the dark skinned Americo-Liberians made up the Old Whig Party. The parties names later changed with the True Liberian Party becoming the Republican Party, and the Old Whigs changing their name to the […]
The Republicans returned to power in 1872 as J.J. Roberts was elected (unopposed) by the Legislature at their Joint Convention in 1871. He proposed reconciling with the True Whigs because they were becoming powerful in national politics. He pardoned those that were wrongfully accused and jailed during the coup. Roberts also tried recruiting Elmot W. […]
The preferred professions of the high class Americo-Liberians were politics and law, although the ones who settled outside of Monrovia did persevere in agriculture. The Congoes (recaptured slaves) were the most successful farmers as they were accustomed to farming in Africa. Other prestigious professions included Christian Ministry, teaching and business. Those involved in commerce worked […]
Roberts was the first Republican president and the era after him was a continuation of Republican rule in Liberia. Although the True Whigs who were of pure Negro decent opposed the Republicans, it is believed that the Republicans were re-elected based on their record and not their skin pigmentation. Following Roberts were Presidents Benson, Warner […]