Joseph Saye Guannu A Short History of the First Liberian Republic Third edition Star*Books Contents Preface viii About the author x The new state and its government Introduction The Declaration of Independence and Constitution Causes leading to the Declaration of Independence The Constitutional Convention The Constitution The kind of state and system of government 4 The kind of state Organization of government System of government The l1ag and seal of Liberia The exclusion and inclusion of ethnic Liberians The rulers and their administrations 10 Joseph Jenkins Roberts Stephen Allen Benson Daniel Bashiel Warner James Spriggs Payne Edward James Roye James Skirving Smith Anthony William Gardner Alfred Francis Russell Hilary Richard Wright Johnson JosephJames Cheeseman William David Coleman Garretson Wilmot Gibson Arthur Barclay Daniel Edward Howard Charles Dunbar Burgess King Edwin James Barclay William Vacanarat Shadrach Tubman William Richard Tolbert PresidentiaI succession in Liberian history 36 BeforeRoye After Roye iii A Short HIstory 01 the First lIberlJn Republlc The expansion of presidential powers 36 The socio-political factors The economic factors Abrief history of party politics 31 Before the True Whig Party The True Whig Party Interior policy of the True Whig Party Major oppositions to the True Whig Party The Election of 1927 The Election of 1951 The Election of 1955 The plot that failed Questions Activities 2 Territorial expansion of, and encroachment on, Liberia 4~ Introduction 41 Two major reasons for expansion 4' Economic and security reasons Threat from the colonial powers Why Liberia lost territories to Great Britain and France 4 The absence of political authority Imperial might Inadequate Washington support Territorial expansion 4 Themeans Annexation of Maryland in Liberia Forced and voluntary annexations Why Liberia succeeded with expansion and pacification 5 United States assistance Collaboration of indigenous leadership Impact of European encroachment Effective control Violation of rights Nation-building Re-visitation of the national mission Questions Activities iv A Short HIstory 01 the First llbcflJIl Republlc .~Economicand other sodal conditions 54 Introduction 54 Theeconomy 54 The Liberian economic system The Open Door Policy The story of rubber in Liberia The story of iron ore mining in Liberia Problems experienced by the economy Education 58 Goals of education in Liberia Kinds of schools Administration of the educational system A few institutions of learning 59 Alexander High School The University of Liberia Cuttington University The Booker Washington Institute Other missionary contributions to education 62 The Roman Catholic Church The Methodist Church The Lutheran Church The Liberian Inland Mission The Presbyterian Church The Baptist Church The Episcopal Church The African Methodist Episcopal Church The Seventh Day Adventist Church Indigenous Educational System 65 ThePoro TheSande Problems experienced by the educational system 66 Poor supervision Weakpolicy A borrowed system Islam in Liberia 66 Questions Activities v 4 Foreign relations 1848-1980 68 Introduction 68 Foreign policy objectives: 1848-1980 68 1848-1885 1885-1945 1945-1960 1960-1980 Relations with Europe 69 Great Britain France Germany Relations with America 71 PeriodOne PeriodTwo Period Three International organizations 74 The League of Nations and Liberia The United Nations and Liberia Liberia and Africa 80 The Organization of African Unity (OAU)and Liberia Sub-regional cooperation ECOWAS Diplomat Edward Wilmot Blyden 85 Early life Blyden the diplomat Conclusion Questions Activities 5 The decline and fall of the First Liberian Republic 88 Introduction 88 Political and sodal causes 88 Politics and the Old Elite Politics and the New Elite Integration The question of land The coup of April 12.1980 96 Teachers and students The military vi Workers Market women Organized pressure groups The Monrovia City mayoral campaign of 1979 Thecoup Questions Activities 6 Condusion 107 Introduction 107 Major approaches in the writing of Liberian history 107 Sources of problems encountered 107 Scarcity of records Inadequate societal support Negative Western beliefs Impacts of the problems 108 Parochialism Distortion Unlearned lessons 111 Knowing the past Philosophy of development The lesson of equal political participation The lesson of land tenure The lesson of common identity Questions Aetivities 7 Appendices 116 AppendixA 116 Rulers of Liberia 1848-1980 AppendixB 117 The Liberian National Anthem AppendixC 118 The Lone Star Forever AppendixD 119 National holidays of Liberia Bibliography 120 vii.