History of Liberia

History of Lib eria

. K THOMAS H B . WAL ER

I llu stra ted

The Cornhill Pu blishing Company Boston 6011 2 2 0 C o i h t 1 2 1 p y r g , 9 BY THE COR NH ILL PUBL ISH ING COMPANY All righ ts re s erv ed PREFACE

We have divided this little work into very short

ha ters p , the chief aim of which is to make it convenient for the studen t to read an d commit short portions easily and n n ﬁnd it less laborious to discuss tha a lo g chapter .

n n There are occasio ally illustratio s given .

n n an The work is divided into two parts , a cie t d modern .

. n . n Dr Joh A Simpso , who wrote the foreword for this

n i n n . work , has spe t twe ty years Liberia He has prayed in n of E is o the Se ate , was pastor the First Methodist p c

of pal Church , which the president was a member , has

D . n Ph . bee honored with the by the College of Liberia , and is one of the few to receive the coveted degree of

K . C .

n n We are also greatly i debted to Dr . Natha iel H . B .

n of Cassel , preside t the College of Liberia ; the late n Bishop A . B . Camphor ; Bishop I . B . Scott , who spe t

. n n twelve years there ; U . S . Minister Dr Er est Lyo s ;

now an . . . Rev . d Mrs F A Price , who are in Liberia at work ; ’ Bl d en s and the followin g works $ Dr . E . W . y books and ’

n . orations; Africa stories by Bishop Camphor , Dr Reed s ’ and Racial Readj ustments , Bishop Scott s Reports ’ ’ n . . Papers , Bishop Ferguso s work , Starr s Liberia , Mr H ’ n The s n H . Johnso s work , Stewart Mis io ary, splendid

Vl l PREFACE

’ volume , The Life of Crowther , Dr . M . N . Work s Negro

an d in Year Book , Daybreak the Dark Continent , for valuable data . T H E AUTH OR . 2 A il 1 9 0 . pr ,

sonv le Fla U k l . . A J ac i , , S . . FOREWORD

The struggles and achievements of the Negro race have never been accurately and fully recorded ; here and there writers of note both white and black have written commendably of the native African s in Africa an d their n n in desce da ts America . The present great centers for educational acqu ire

n n me t , religious devotio , social and political achieve n me ts , are geographically located in the United States of

n n America , West I dies Islands a d the Republic of Li beria . A great deal of that which has been accomplished by this strugglin g race in America has been recorded by the scholarly writers of the race and read with enthu

iasm an n s , pride d inspiratio by the progressive members f o the race scattered throughout the world .

ff and f i The e orts progress o the race n Hayti , Santo Domingo and the British West In dies are less known

n and n n a d less appreciated , Liberia as a atio , though

of n n n an d the pride the Negro world , has ever been k ow esteemed by the other portion of the race as it should . ’ of n Now , after the close the great World s War , whe in the titanic struggle Christian civilization has tri

2 th n and umphed over the 1 ce tury feudalism , barbarism

o- of k n has autocracy , the s called superior race man i d begun to recognize the invaluable worth of a belated

n of n . race , and the pri ciples u iversal brotherhood ix FOREWORD

The members of the African race and the world of mankin d are presented with a history recording the strug gles of a portion of this race in Africa for civilization

o with political freedom . This Hist ry of Liberia comes as a beacon light along the rocky shores of the

’ n n in race s surging sea . It is both racial and atio al

n n an d n in its n its scope , a cie t moder compositio , com

n n of n a in prehensive i its treatme t facts , interesti g nd

in and n n structive , tasteful style , desig ed to awake within the heart of its reader a greater race loyalty and

n stronger patriotism of every true Liberia . Having scanned the whole of the book while in manu

an d in script form , read detail several of the chapters , it is a pleasure to me to write these words as an introd u c tion to a book ﬁlled with so much interestin g historical data and many in spiring facts which may be used by

n in an the stude ts school , d read by the parents in the

and home , and the patriot statesman in public .

n hi Dr . Walker has do e s work well , especially s o in

n View of the conditions u der which he had to write . He is

f n an the author of several di fere t works , d without hesita “ ” n of tio we place this volume , The History Liberia ,

of in the forefront his other books . This is a c ontribu

n as and tio to Liberia a nation , the African race at large .

n n an Dr . Walker has writte ma y books , d some of his

- n n on . O best k ow works have been Liberia f his work , f ” Presidents o the Negro Republic , over have “ n of been sold , and The Preside ts Liberia has also

n had a wide circulatio . F OREW ORD xi

He was given the Di vi ni ta ti s Doctori s by the College of 3oth 1 0 an n n West Africa , April , 9 7 , d whe a stude t at Gammon Theological Seminary won the Stewart Foun dation prize by an oration entitled $ Crowther of ”

n n an . Sierra Leo e , the Heathen, Missio ary d Bishop We believe that as a text - book this history will meet the long- felt want of Liberian schools and will be a v alu a ble en cyclopedia at the ﬁreside of every reading family

in and . America , Europe Africa

Yours truly ,

J . A . SIMPSON . h 8 92 0 M ar 1 1 . c , — M ission a to L i be i a A ica 1 899 1 9 1 9 . ry r , fr ,

b A d ess $ M on ovi a I/iberi a est A i a . I/i eri an d r r , , W fr c

INTRODUCTION

ttle t of ea t Li bro her my h r ,

Come and speak with me . I hear you shrilling an d singing a part In the waste by the hawthorn tre e f a t a ou Little brother o my he r , I pr y y

Come an d speak with me .

Or if ou w ll not , y i come h u s t a v Where t e bo gh mee bo e , a d the a le a d Come to the orch r , pp orch r , - at s hu m Where the wild honey g herer ,

An d sing to me of lov e . — R ETHE L TALB OT S CHE FFAUE .

In n n n o n prese ti g this work o Liberia , we d ot presume

an n n to give the public e tirely origi al work , but it is rather ou r aim to place before the public and the world an n f n u abridged history made up o ma y extracts , say in gs an d travels of others who have studied the country

n a d its people .

n n n We believe , however , that we are prese ti g ma y

n n facts that have ot bee before published . The Republic of Liberia is an attempt and an atone

n an me t . It is attempt to establish a civilized Negro estate in the West African Forest ; and a somewhat

n n n n and paltry ato eme t , which has bee made by Britai

- A n n of . s America , for the wro g doi g the slave trade Fran ce shared to some extent this trafﬁc in Negro bonds

en and n m , we may claim her sympathy participatio

in n n . also , the Liberia experime t She holds back her xiii xiv INTRODUCTION mighty forces an d the tidal wave of her African Empire

n n from the skirts of this small Africa Republic , wherei the descendants of slaves impressed with European culture may try to devise a new an d appropriate civiliza tion for Negro West Africa $ preservin g all that is good ’ f n n and practical o America s teachi g , sheddi g what is n an d n n n n i appropriate , i ve ti g additio al precepts suited ’ m n n . J to the Negro s min d a d body . Sir He ry H Oh s

of ton says , We believe that the future those Negroes in the United States who cann ot be absorbed into the American community without risk of civil war lies in ” n n n f Liberia a d n ot i portio s o the Tropical South .

h n u an d n As the istoria above q oted others might thi k , there is plenty of room within the square miles of

n nn n . the Liberia Republic , to make a good begi i g Room an for n n d to spare ; this cou try , properly tilled a d

n and n drai ed , cleared cultivated , might easily sustai a

n n n populatio of twe ty millio s . The Negro of America will have to ultimately d o one

$ 1 2 of three things ( ) amalgamate , ( ) form a separate

t or 3 n s ate , ( ) immigrate to Liberia . The ﬁrst is to ma y

and n odious improbable , the seco d almost impossible and n n the third the most logical . The te sio between

an d of n n the whites blacks America is becomi g strai ed , n in n in which is see the agitatio the mixed churches ,

in n of n n as well as the large umber ly chi gs . Therefore ,

of an n of the study Liberia is absolute eed the race .

n n Those who pro ou ce Liberia a failure , pass their

n n on n n n n se te ce s ap j udgme t alo e . It is ot conceivable NTR DUCT N I O IO XV

n n or n n that ﬁftee thousa d , eve forty thousa d , American i zed Negroes could effect in a hun dred years as much as Fran ce and Englan d could do in other portions of Africa

nl m in men with u i ited resources , arms and money dur in f o . h i n g the same period time Liberia s ould , all

n n n j ustice , be gra ted a other ce tury of trial before the world in con gress declares the experiment a success or

a failure . It has been said that the phrase of Robert Louis

n n n to Steve so a foot ote history applies to Liberia , although to many travellers an d historians it appears the most interestin g portion of the West African coast

$ - lan ds . Its area is trivial forty three thousand miles , but within these small limits are locked up some of the

of n greatest un discovered secrets Africa , besides e ormous

and wealth of vegetable products , possibly some sur

‘ As an in n prises in minerals . example comparative la d

ten n n area , Bulgaria has thousa d square miles less tha the little Negro Republic .

CONTE NT S

PA GE PREFACE FOREWORD INTRODUCTION

B L V LI ERIA, ONGITUDE AND LATITUDE . ISITED B Y H ANNO M ONROVIA AND THE LI B ERIAN REGION

TH E T B OP OGRAP HY OF LI ERIA, AND ITS FLORA ” H E AND FAUNA . T PE RIP LUS OF H ANNO EARLY E XPEDITIONS T o LI B ERIA TH E PORTUGUESE INFLUENCE ON THE WEST COAST T H E E NGLISH ON THE WEST COAST AND IN LI BERIA AFRICAN PRODUCTS ARTS AND C RAFTS IN EARLY LI B ERIA TH E D UTCH IN LI B ERIA

’ K B S NOE S D ESCRIP TION O F LI ERIA . TH E CHEVALIER DES MARCHAIS T H E BEGINNINGS OF THE S LAVE TRADE

TH E FOUNDING OF S IERRA LE ONE ORIGIN AND FOUNDING OF THE L IB ERIAN R E P UB LIC T H E S ETTLEMENT O F MONROVIA LI BERIA N AMED

’ L I B E R IA s TERRITORIAL AC Q UISITIONS T H E COLONIES OF MARYLAND AND MISSISSIPP I xviii CONTENTS

PA GE

XVIII LIBERIAN PROGRESS AND THE BEGINNING OF THE E ND OF THE S LAVE TRADE

GO V XIX THOMAS BUCHANAN, THE FIRST E R N OR OF LI BERIA GOVERNOR RO B ERTS TH E FOUNDING OF THE RE PU B LIC

’ B S E c T H E RE P UB LIC IN 1 85 0 . RO ERTS OND TERM AS PRESIDENT

T B XXIII POP ULATION IN 1 85 3 . B ORDER ROU LE S AND ANNEXATION OF MARYLAND

As C D FOR XXI V RO B ERTS ONSUL . OME STIC AND E I GN TROUB LES AND COMPLICATIONS XXV T H E RELATIONS BETWEEN THE UNITED S TATES AND LI B ERIA XXVI PRESIDENT WARNER AND THE P ORTS OF E NTRY L A W

A XXVII PRESIDENT PAYNE . EDW RD JAMES ROYE AND THE C HINERY L A W XXVIII T H E ULTIMATE S ETTLEMENT OF THE CHINERY L AW BOUNDARY TROUB LES WITH S IE R RA LE ONE LI B ERIA IN 1 880 B OUNDARY TROU B LE S WITH FRANCE

T H E T C HIRD GRE B O WAR . ONCESSIONS IN MINING AND RUB BER PRESIDENT ARTHUR BARCLAY EDUCATION IN LI B ERIA AND THE N EEDS OF THE N ATIVES R POP ULATION . E LIGION

TH E B PRESIDENTS OF LI ERIA . TERM OF OFFICE— BIRTH AND DEATH XXXVII D IFFERENT PARTS OF THE GOVERNME NT LIST OF ILL USTRA TIONS

PRESIDENT KING

D . H PRESIDENT E . OWARD WARRIORS OF EARLY DAYS LI B ERIAN S OLDIERS TH E COUNCIL OF CHIEFS AT MONROVIA

D . E R DWARD W . B LYDE N

J . A . S IMP SON

R B P ESIDENT JOSE P H J . RO ERTS AFRICAN MUSIC IANS WASH D AY OF THE AB ORIGINES JE HUDI ASHMUN A S SHMUN TREET, MONROVIA PRESIDENT GI B SON AND PROMINE NT S TATESMEN PRESIDENT WARNER PRESIDENT BENSON PRESIDENT PAYNE PRES IDENT RUSSE LL

’ PRE SIDENT S MANSION, MONROVIA L S . U . EGATION , MONROVIA PRESIDE NT CHEE SEMAN PRESIDENT COLEMAN PRESIDENT JOHNSON PRESIDENT H OWARD PRESIDENT 'CHEESEMAN AND CA B INET PRESIDENT JOHNSON

O . . H N . J L MORRIS xx L IST OF IL LUSTRATIONS

D . N H . . C R . B ASSELL

COUNCIL GENERAL DR . LYONS BISHOP FERGUSON U B ISHOP I . B . S COTT, M . E . CH RCH PRESIDENT BARCLAY CHIEF JUSTICE JOHNSON

PRESIDENT E . JAME S ROYE

DR . COLEMAN

DR . REED

Ex - MAYOR FULLER OF MO NROVIA

HISTORY OF LIBERIA

CHAPTER I

I ERIA I E A A TI E I I E L B , L ONG TUD ND L TUD . V S T D BY HANNO

In its n on regard to positio the map , Liberia may be

end of n n n styled the Norther Gui ea , lyi g between Sierra

and Leone the Ivory Coast . The mouth of the Cavalla n River , j ust beyo d Cape Palmas and the most easterly

n on in n poi t the coast , is lo gitude west . The

of n h n mouth the river Ma o , w ich forms the wester most

of in part the Republic , lies about N . latitude an d

n n W . lo gitude Liberia territory exten ds n orth

in n wards to about N . latitude the i terior .

of n n From the mouth the Ma o , the tre d Of the coast

in h r n an d n n is a sout easterly di ectio , at the e tra ce to the f to n o . u rv Cavalla , reaches withi the Equator C in n n g to the ortheast from this point , the Gui ea Coast does n ot again approach the Equator until the delta of

in n the Niger . Cape Palmas , the souther most extremity

n n n and n in n Of Liberia , is me tio ed agai agai accou ts Of

n n h n early African exploratio . O the ot er ha d , the river Man o to the northward probably was the extreme limit

n nn n n in see by Ha o , the Carthagi ia admiral , his voyage along the West Coast Of Africa in approximately 500

B . C . 2 HIS TORY OF LIBERIA

nn one n fa This particular Ha o , who was of fourtee

n n n o mous members of that Carthagi ia family , doubt saw the last crumblin g ruins of a on ce great Negro civiliza

n of n n n n . tio , which atives paddli g dow the rivers sa g

n nn n of Accordi g to Ha o , they gave accou ts a great em pire that had tottered an d fallen with the years .

n n n Whatever bou daries , co ﬁ es or customs were com mon to that empire have been entirely blotted ou t by

in n time , for Liberia today is but miles exte t , an d from time to time its territory has been lessen ed by

n n n on French an d British i roads upo it . It is bou ded

n n d n n an d on th e the orth a east by Fre ch possessio s ,

n n west by the British Colo y Of Sierra Leo e . To the south

nt n on be is the Atla ic Ocea , which the steamer track tween Europe and South Africa parallels the Liberian

n n i an seacoast . This lo g stretch of coastli e gives Liber a

n n e viable strategic positio . Liberian ﬂora an d faun a are peculiar to that country an d its immediate n eighbors of Sierra Leon e an d the

n f Ivory Coast alo e , so that the Republic di fers materially in its animal an d plant life from the entire remain der of

West Africa . This is the more astonishin g on account of the fact that on the map the coun try does n ot seem to be

Off n n especially marked from the other la ds of the regio .

In n respect to its physical geography , Liberia co sists f ’ o n . on on e n an the basi of the St Paul s River the ha d , d ’ n of a the more westerly portio the Cavall s watershed , together with a section of the rugged hill country which

n n M oa n forms the Ma di go Plateau , where the , Moko a HIS TORY OF LIBERIA 3 or n Sulima River ﬁ ds its source . This large stream ,

n n two n in which is k ow by its ﬁrst ames Liberia , and

in n n by the last Sierra Leo e , enters the sea withi the

n n n co ﬁ es of that Colo y . The Fren ch have drawn the n orthern frontiers of Liberia in such a fashion as to exclude the entire basin Of

n the Upper Niger from Liberia . The cou try itself forms the southern section Of the region which slopes more or less gently to the sea from the abruptly risin g

an d n n and plateaux ra ges , from which the Niger , Se egal

n Gambia rivers ﬂow in their respective directio s .

On n n an of m the maps Of the a cie ts , d some the ore ” n n n n n moder charts , are fou d The Ko g Mou tai s ,

n on risi g the n ortheastern frontiers of Liberia . These peaks were in variably marked on all maps with the “ ” n n n porte tous word , gold . Ma y were the expeditio s

n and n n which sought the ra ge , ma y were the lege ds

n i t wove about it . At the present time , is believed that the Dru ple Ran ge an d the Nimba Mountain s are the ” n of Ko g Peaks of history . Altitudes from six to ten thousan d feet are reported by travelers in conn ection

n ru n n with these ra ges , which orthwestwards three hun dred miles from the sea to the headwaters of the

n in n n Upper Se egal . The Niger rises also these mou tai s ,

n which are the highest to the west of the Cameroo s .

’ Liberia s seaboard of three hun dred an d ﬁfty miles is

n n in nn n o much i de ted , but such a ma er that sheltered an chorages or roadsteads are afforded for the protec tion

Mon of coastwise vessels . A site for a good harbor is 4 HIS TORY OF LIBERIA

n c onstru c rovia , the capital o Cape Mesurado , where the

n an dred tio of breakwaters d j etties , together with some g i n g work , would serve to establish a port Of the ﬁrst importan ce in the West African maritime trade . Aside

n n n ow th n from Mo rovia , which is eve e best landi g n place , there are several spots where disembarkatio may

ff r n of be e ected more o less easily . Navigatio the rivers by vessels of much draught is made impossible by the

n n - n n e ormous sa d bars , which block the e tra ce to every

of n in n stream importa ce the regio . CHAPTER II

MO NRO VIA AND THE LIBERIAN REGIO N

n ' Mo rovia , the capital , is again fortunate in being

n ten n o ly days out from Southampto , Liverpool and other British ports by English liners maintaining only a fair

of rate speed . A good deal Of the seaboard is dotted

and with Sharp rocks reefs , which lie near the surface and n n n n re der coastwise avigatio rather da gerous . ’ 1 91 4— 1 9 1 8 n Before the World s War Of , E glish and German liners made the direct run to Monrovia every two weeks . Liberia was formed by its colonists into an in dependent

in 1 847 and n n republic , duri g the ext two years , was recognized by most of the great powers except the United

n 1 85 n of o r States . U til 7 , it co sisted Virtually tw e

and n in publics , Liberia Maryla d , which amalgamated that year .

n n in At various times , Liberia has bee i volved disputes

n n n and n n n of with Fra ce , E gla d , the i dige ous atives the

n n regio . These latter Negroes , who are u civilized ,

n and of n umber over two millio s , form the bulk the

n n n- n populatio . Twelve thousa d America Liberia s are

n n an n of n the gover i g class , d the remai der the voti g population consists of thirty or forty thousand civilized

n n Christian Liberians Of ative origi . 5 6 HIS TORY OF LIBERIA

The American colonists may only take residen ce alon g parts of the coast lin e and about the mouths Of the

’ St . Paul s and Cavalla rivers . Therefore , except for

n n a arrow belt of cleared la d all along the seaboard ,

n ot Liberia is thickly forested . This is true of the ex

of n treme North the Republic , for there the de se tropical growths give way to a mountain ous country covered

an n n with grass d thi ly scattered trees . This Ope growth is more or less caused by the action of the Mohammedan tribes in clearing the forest lan ds for planting an d the

n of importatio cattle and horses .

n Of n The de sest forest the regio is the Gora , which is t regarded as being nearly wholly uninhabi ed . It ex tends about six thousand square miles between th e

nt an British fro ier d the PO hills .

on n of an d n It is accou t these forests tropical j u gles ,

n n n of a d which co tai ma y varieties palms n bamboos ,

of besides other trees more rarity , that the hinterland of

Liberia is so little explored . The nature of the lan d itself is rugged an d rises abruptly in certain sections to

n n n mou tai s of co siderable height . There is a large salt lake or lagoon lying between Cape and Palmas the Cavalla River , but except for this and a

no few others , there have been discoveries made of any

. n sizable lakes The coast , itself , has few lagoo s an d marshes compared to the n eighboring seaboards of Sierra n an d Leo e the Ivory Coast . In fact , the capes an d headlands Of the region oftentimes rise abruptly from a the se . Cape Mount towers almost sheer in some

CHAPTER III

ITS TH E TO PO GRAPHY O F LIBERIA , AND FLO RA AND

H E FAUNA . T PERI PLUS O F HANNO

Much Of the fauna Of Liberia is that of a far- distan t period of development ; examples of which are foun d

n fossil in the caves of certain lan ds in Europe . Amo g

and the mammals , the pigmy hippopotamus the zebra

n n n antelope are common to this regio . Several i teresti g local developments Of the Dian a monkey are also foun d in n of the de se forests , as are several peculiar varieties reptiles . The brilliantly colored red and blue lizard

n n n is commo to Eastern Liberia , as is the gia t scorpio

n to the forests . Those commo pests Of Equatorial

n n Africa , white a ts and mosquitoes , are almost e tirely

n n abse t from the cou try . Exploration and development of Liberia has been l largely curtailed by the forest growths , which have a lowed the inhabitants to remain in a far more backward condition Of civilization than have the tribes of other n sectio s Of Africa .

n Owi g to this fact , the mineral resources of Liberia

n n n are at prese t almost e tirely u fathomed . The san d Of nearly every river of importan ce contains some propor

n O and n and tio f gold , gar ets mica are common . From

n n of n n n the volca ic ra ge the Fi ley mou tai s , some dia 8

D E O PRESIDENT . H W ARD HIS TORY OF LIBERIA 9

n n n n i n mo ds have bee take . Iro s prese t nearly every

an d n n where , sapphires have bee fou d . The Periplus of Hann o gives a probably authentic account Of how and when the ﬁrst white men Visited

. n 2 0 Liberia Setti g forth from Carthage about 5 B . C . for of n an d n n purposes exploratio colo izatio , his ships

k and n S irted the North West coasts Of Morocco , u til

of Rio as the mouth the De Oro w reached . Here he

n n of n n bega the settleme t Ker e Isla d .

n n n and Passi g the i let of the Se egal , Cape Verde , what

now n n is Sierra Leo e , his vessels appare tly followed the

a coast as far s Cape Palmas , although some accounts

n n say the voyage was e ded at Cape Mou t .

n n n Sherbro Isla d was made a stoppi g place , a d here ,

n hi n an Han o says , s seame captured hairy d grotesque

n n . appeari g wome , whom they called gorillas Some ” historian s consider that these women were merely specimen s of the chimpanzees which still range the j ungle

ac alon g the Liberian Coast . Others believe that the

n and count of Hanno is substa tially true , that female savages of an undeveloped and primitive type may have been foun d .

f nn and Luckily for the pages o history , Ha o his fleet

n and returned safely to Carthage despite adverse wi ds , the usual maritime difﬁculties and delays Of those times .

i an After h s arrival , he wrote exhaustive history of his

was n and in voyage , which tra sferred to tablets set up the temple Of a Carthaginian god . Shortly afterwards ,

n and translations into the Greek la guage were made , 1 0 HIS TORY OF LIBERIA accounts of the epoch - making voyage were given by

n several early historia s . Hanno especially mentions the sheets of ﬂame which

n n n n swept over the grass plai s at the e d Of the rai y seaso , and was apparently much impressed and startled by the sight of Moun t K aku lima wrapped in ﬁre from crest to

n n an base . The practice Of bur i g the grass d brush at this time of year is still contin ued in the West African

n coast la ds .

and n n n Great traders seame as the Carthagi ia s were , it is extremely likely that they made other and un charted

to n for f voyages the West Africa coast , purely purposes o trade . There is a complete dearth of information regard ing these voyages in the works of either Greek or Roman

n 2 geographers u til after 00 A . D . ; but without doubt the Liberian tribes traded in directly with the merchants

n n of the Mediterra ea at that time , possibly through the desert tribes . WARRIORS OF E ARLY D AY S

L IB ERIAN S OLDIERS

1 2 HIS TORY OF LIBERIA

Betenc ou rt is said to have Obtained proof Of this early

n j ourney for exploration and conversio . From Mo

n n n and n rocco , overla d to the Ma di go Plateau , the towards the Liberian Coast is the supposed route Of the

Spanish brothers . Another traditional expedition is that of the Dieppois

n - n mercha t adve turers , who may have reached the Li

n n In 1 700 berian seaboard in the fourtee th ce tury . the Fren ch claimed that these Norman seamen had not only

- n explored the coast la ds , but had established settle

n n an n as as me ts at Gra d Basa d Cape Mou t , well at

n h as n ff other poi ts . No absolute proof yet bee o ered ,

h n ot however , to prove t at the Portuguese were the ﬁrst

4 n 4 m n . In 1 55 a d 1 56 white e to reach the coast , what ’ is n ow Portuguese Guin ea was Visited by Luigi Ca d a

‘ n n n in of Prin c H nr Mosto , a Ve etia mari er the service e e y

n n the Navigator , whose previous exploratio s had ope ed ’ up the sea route to the Far East . Ca d a Mosto saw the mouth of the Senegal and discovered Cape Verde and

n n the Cape Verde Isla ds , but got o farther to the South

n Bi o of n tha the sag s grou p Isla ds . ’ Ca da Mosto is n oted not only for his bold voyage of

n exploration , but also for his clear a d con cise accoun t Of the tribes an d geography of the part of Africa which he ’ visited . Ca da Mosto seems to have been something of an n author as well as a skilful avigator , for he wrote a vivid account Of the voyages an d travels of a fellow a f th n O e n . D c ptai ﬁ Portuguese Navy , Pedro de Si tra e n n ou t n n n Si tra was se t by Ki g Alfo so V , a d opened his HIS TORY OF LIBERIA 1 3

career by givin g the name Sierra Leone to what is now

n of u the n the British colo y virt ally same ame . The Portuguese renderin g of the n ame is lion -like mountain ” n an ra ge , d da Mosto states that this appellation was

to n of n due the roari g the surf o the coast . Before de ’ Sintra s time there is a record of a voyage made by

one of nf Diego Gomez the same service , but he u ortu

n atel no n y had historia to chronicle his travels .

n n n on n n n Co ti ui g beyo d Sierra Leo e , de Si tra reached

as a s h i n far the River Mars all , called n the a cient ac ” n n cou ts River Ju k , which lies between Monrovia an d

n n Gra d Basa . De Si tra also gave names to the bold

n of n n and n headla d Cabo do Mo te (Cape Mou t) , ear

n n n Mo rovia , Cape Mesurado . Several reaso s have bee

n f r n m t n assig ed o the latter a e , which appears o mea ” ”

or . either measured , miserable calm This latter meanin g may have had something to do with the

n n f r a peaceful ess of the atives , o d Mosto calls it Cape

n Cortese in his Italia narrative . During a lapse of seventy years in the Fren ch voyages

n u n n on the Atla tic , the Port guese obtai ed a stro g foot hold On the Gulf Of Guinea an d asserted their advantage of priority for nearly a hundred years .

n With these mari ers , Christopher Columbus made

his n several voyages to Guinea , before epoch maki g cruise ” His nn n n to The New World . co ectio with Liberia history lies in the fact that in all probability he lan ded on that coast when the caravels touched there for c om merce in pepper or to renew their water supply . 1 4 HIS TORY OF LIBERIA

In order to maintain their sovereignty over the su r roun ding territory , the Portuguese erected forts at the mouth of the River Gambia early in the sixteenth c en

n of n h e n tury, a d toward the close that era the E glis tered the ﬁeld and built settlements for trade near Sierra ’ n n Leone . As Great Britai s territorial acquisitio s grew

n n n was one rapidly , by the seve tee th ce tury She Of the leadin g powers on the Gold Coast .

n n of This consta t i ﬂux traders , particularly the

n h n in Portuguese and E glis , caused a trili gual speech the

f n natives o the Liberia Coast , who were able to speak

n n a h n n the two foreig la guages as well s t eir ative to gue . The chiefs an d headsmen became particularly conversan t

an n m with this art , d at Cape Mou t so e of them could

n an n speak Portuguese , Dutch , Fre ch d E glish with great

in h . t e ease As is today the case South Seas , a cosmo “ politan or pidgin ton gue was formed ou t Of the Portu

u ese an d n an g the ative dialects , d was greatly used in the

n and territory betwee Cape Verde Cape Palmas . With

n n mi n n the wa i g Of Portuguese do io , this tongue became

on n n n of based pidgi E glish i stead Portuguese . CHAPTER V

TH E PO RTUGUE SE INFLUEN CE O N THE WE ST CO AST

n for Seve years before Columbus set sail America , the Portuguese were ﬁlling their water casks in the Congo

and River , their hold was in large measure retained down to nn n of th n n the begi i g e i eteenth century . Portuguese was the established language all through the Liberian

n for n coastla ds , the early traders Of that cou ntry i ter

d n n n n marrie with ative wome , a d passed the Europea

n n ff n n n n to gue dow to their O spri g . Co seque tly eve in n n n n u - n the i etee th ce tury , Port guese speaki g Chris tian mulattoes were to be found from the River Senegal

allinh to the G as .

To n for mark the path Of their superb seama ship , they sailed toy caravels down one of the most dangerous

in n h n and n coasts the world , they amed eadla ds forela ds rivers and inlets and mountain peaks and ranges from

Morocco aroun d the coast of Africa to the Red Sea .

Not only did they merely name the features of the coast , but insured their dominion by brin ging the Christian

n n In 1 4 1 religio to the atives . 9 their priests were say in n an ten g mass on the Co go , d years later the results had been so gratifying as to j ustify the appointment of

n a ative bishop for the district . The greater number Of the Portuguese colonies are now 1 5 1 6 HIS TORY OF LIBERIA

n n in gon e from the West Coast , but the religio re mai ed some measure and the place-n ames given by the s ailors

Gallinhas was s o n from Oporto are still there . The amed on accou nt of the multitude Of domestic fowls in its

n n a nd vicinity, a d Cape Mou t , Cape Mesurado , the

and n n n rivers St . Paul Ju k are all survivals Of a cie t Portu

n n or gu ese sovereig ty . The comes the Cess Cestos River , thus named on account of the ﬁsh weirs or baskets ( ces tos) which are to this day placed in the stream . Cape Baixo and the Sanguin River were also given ’ n is their names by the Portuguese . The river s ame gleaned from the color of the red clay that ﬂoats down it

is an n n of at time Of ﬂood , although there i teresti g tale a

n native maide , whose love for a sailor led them both to their death an d subsequent burial in the river by a

n n native a d his headsme . Few of the origin al native names were left by the

n of n Portuguese . O e example these , the Si o settle

n n n me ts , still retai their tribal ame . The Dewa River was changed by the Portuguese for obvious reasons to

of n n Rio DOS Escravos (River Slaves) , but ow has retur ed

n n n to the origi al appellatio . The Grand Paris fou ded

n is n by the adve turers from Dieppe now Gra d Sesters , and its n Cape Palmas also takes ame from the Portuguese . The Cavalla River is so called on account Of the super

n n of n abu da ce ﬁsh , particularly mackerel , that the and ’ now n in h were fou d t is stream . Cavalla s Portuguese ” n n is mea i g Mackerel . C HAPTER VI

TH E ENGLI SH O N THE WE ST CO AST AND IN LIBERIA

In n n m n f the ﬁftee th ce tury , ari ers O any race did not sail up and down the treacherous West Coast for pleasure

n or n n to n merely to bri g Christia ity the atives . Trade was $ in in an on their Obj ect trade gold , pepper , d later , in n i i slaves . Whe the D eppo s came beatin g back into

n n n their Fre ch have , they brought with them two ki ds of n of P Grai s aradise or pepper , which they dis covered in use by the Negroes Of Sierra Leone an d Li ” . n n beria These Grai s Of Paradise , which have le t

n t n their ame o the Grai Coast , are sometimes called

n n - n n cardamo s , or more ofte by the Moorish Castilia ame

n n malaguetta . They were ﬁrst i troduced i to Europe

an n by the Moors , d almost immediately a thrivi g trade in pepper spran g up all along the West Coast an d greatly in creased the number Of voyages Of exploration to that

n regio . Although the English marin ers were quick enough in

n n e followi g the Spa ish explorers to America , they wer

n less enthusiastic about voyages to the Africa Coast . n d n on a I dee , the ﬁrst E glishman the West Co st coasted down the s eaboard as a sailor on a Portuguese ship .

In nn for was n in some ma er , he travelli g disg uise , he 1 7 1 8 HIS TORY OF LIBERIA

f n n an d penetrated the mysterious walled city o Be i ,

n His n nearly lost his life in conseque ce . safe retur to England caused British seamen to turn their eyes south

and in 1 553 n an n in ward , , they had begu exte sive trade

n was pepper . The first expeditio to fly the British flag

an i on composed of the ships P rimrose d L , which left

n n 1 2 1 5 n Portla d o August , 53 , u der the command Of

n n n int a n of A to io A es P e d o of Oporto , a former captai

n in an d n n high ra k the Portuguese Navy , a Captai Wi d

nn M o n n n ham . A pi ace called the o j oi ed the expeditio , and their ﬁrst lan din g was made at the Canary and Cape

s n . s et Verde I la ds From these , they sail for Liberia ,

n n a d e tered the mouth of the Cestos River . Here a

n n n n Pint a o divisio of Opi io arose i the little ﬂeet . e d

and n in wished to load up with pepper , Wi dham was

of n n n n favor ﬁ di g othi g but gold .

’ n n n n Fi ally , Wi dham s cou sel prevailed , a d the ships

n n n sailed up the Be i River . Here the ki g promised a

of it n great cargo pepper , but delayed s arrival so lo g that the n n n seame , u used to the climate , bega to die from

of an n fever at the rate four d ﬁve a day . Wi dham b e

n n n came totally u bala ced , presumably from fever , e

in Pint ad o an gaged a severe quarrel with e , d displaced

n n him as comma der of the expeditio . The latter died on the way home . Thus the ﬁrst British attempt at

n in discovery e ded disaster . One year later Captain John Lok and two

n n n n ge tleme adve turers , Sir George Bar and Sir

n set n n Tri i t Joh York , sail from Lo do in the n y, the

2 0 HIS TORY OF LIBERIA

en the goin g in to it is somewhat ill , because that at the tran ce the seas do go somewhat high ; but bein g on ce ’ i n n as St. n s withi , it is as calm the Joh s River that fou d ” in Florida . n n As to the inhabita ts o this coast , They are mighty

m n an n big e , d go all naked , except somethi g before their ” privy parts (much like the Igrotos of the Philippin e

n Isla ds) , which is like a clout about quarter Of a yard

f an is . long , made of the bark o trees , d yet it like cloth f n Some o them , also wear the like upo their heads , being painted with divers colors ; but the most part of

- and them go bare headed , and their heads are clipped shorn ; an d the most part Of them have the Skin of their bodies traced with divers works in the manner of a

n men an so leather jerki . The d women go alike that one cannot know a man from a woman but by their ” breasts . Towerson and his men evidently penetrated inlan d

n for of f n some dista ce , he speaks the making o iro arrow

n n in n heads , which eve the was practice by the atives .

n of for n He must have bee a scholar sorts , his collectio of the n ative words and phrases Of that time is still

n n n . n n i teresti g to li guists He me tio s that goats , fowls , an d n in an dogs were then fou d the various Villages , d comments on the fact that there were n o horses in that

n n n n part of the cou try . The u e di g forest growths an d j ungles are also duly described in the interesting account of his travels .

r A year later , Towe son returned to Ireland with only

HIS TORY OF LIBERIA 2 1

one H n ship . The i de had gon e down in a great tropical

n Off n a r tor ado the Gui e coast . Towe son bought two ships In Irelan d an d sailed into Bristol in the early part

of n Ju e . The lure of adventure must have been strong

in for in f him , September o the same year he again left

n on an n n Engla d Africa cruise . Reachi g Sierra Leo ne

an d the mouth of the Cestos River , they arrived j ust too late to see the ﬁrst battle between ships of European

n n n n atio s off this coast . Several Fre ch ships had falle in n an n n with a Portuguese squadro , d as the latter atio had j ust decided to close the Gold Coast to foreign

- sea on . In traders , a battle a small scale resulted the

n In n n on Of n . e cou ter , e the Portuguese ships we t dow ’ hi of n n To erson s n spite of t s clash atio s , w seco d voyage

n n ne was a comparatively u eve tful o . At several Li

n n his and n beria rivers , he reple ished water supply , ﬁ ally

o return ed to En glan d safely with a large cargo f ivory .

In 1 7 his and sea 57 , he made third last voyage to the coast of Liberia .

n Other En glish adve turers , lured from the explora

of tion of the New World by the fabled riches Africa , ’ visited Liberia immediately after Towerson s voyages .

One set n n in , Robert Baker , dow his adve tures doggerel His n l n is n . rhyme , which still exta t j a g i g rhymes are f n descriptive Of a veritable argosy o adve ture , for at the

n to n outset , he had the misfortu e be prese t at the ﬁrst battle between black and white men on that section of the coast . r n who n The affray occurred after the K ume , i habited 2 2 HIS TORY OF LIBERIA

n of n that particular regio , had been accused steali g

nn n n trade goods from a pi ace . The E glish u wisely attempted to invade Kru territory , and were met by a

n n frOm ﬂeet of a hundred war ca oes , hurriedly summo ed n up and down the n eighboring coast . They used o ly

“ an d light darts against the arquebuses , arrows , pikes

n in of n Of the E glish , but spite their crude armame t , n succeeded in puttin g the invaders to rout . The E glish

and n to were forced to their boats , raced dow the river the open sea with the ﬂeet Of war can oes hard upon them .

n n The darts of the Krumen had do e their work , for seve

Englishmen were severely wounded in the struggle .

The number of Kru casualties was n ever computed .

- n n SO en ded the ﬁrst inter racial battle o Liberia soil . Baker and his companion s again landed on the coast of n in n o ff in Liberia , but e gaged more a rays with the

n r was of n n habita ts . Thei s a voyage almost co ti ual

n for n s a-ﬁ ht exciteme t , it had begu with a successful e g

n n n against a Fre ch pirate , and e ded with their bei g

n on n maroo ed Liberian soil , whe their ships departed

n n s mn n without them . Ni e of these E gli h e fou d them

on n n o n selves a Liberia river , with mea s Of escape by

n in n sea . After ma y hardships , they succeeded reachi g

the Gold Coast , where the Portuguese received them with ff the utmost cruelty . They put up a sti battle against

n sea their Oppressors , and succeeded in escapi g to again .

n n - Finally , they la ded through the mou tain high surf

on an n n n k n the shores of u k ow Negro i gdom . Here , in spite of the fact that they were treated with the greatest HIS TORY OF LIBERIA 2 3

n n of of . ki d ess , six the party died fever After some time ,

n n the three survivors were taken o board a Fre ch vessel ,

n n and the ce to Fra ce .

n n n I accorda ce with the usual c ustom Of that cou try ,

In n they were held in captivity for rans om . the e d the

o n to trio , f which Baker was a member , safely retur ed

n E gland . CHAPTER VII

AFRI CAN PRO DUCTS

n e According to the tales of the Norma traders , whos reported visitation to Liberia may or may not be founded

n n on fact , the u civilized atives were really more “ 1 civilized at that time than at the present . Portu

n 1 460 and 1 560 gu ese records also Show that betwee , the condition Of the tribes along the Liberian seaboard was

n in th n better in that day tha e early ineteenth century , when the repeated raids of the slave traders on the coastal tribes did much to brutalize an d impoverish them .

In n an d n n the ﬁftee th sixtee th ce turies , cattle , sheep , goats an d fowls were common throughout Liberia and the n eighborin g territory of Sierra Leon e . Agriculture on n o n n n mea scale was also practiced by the i habita ts , who seem to have been on a much higher plan e of civiliza tion than were the n atives Of the hinterlan d of Portuguese

n n n of h Gui ea , or the de ize s the Ivory Coast , w o were

n ca nibals . Products which the natives of Liberia had for trade in n of n those tribes co sisted chieﬂy gold , pepper , a d n a n n egro slaves , umber Of whom came from Se egambia . Other articles which the traders greatly desired were

1 1 6 In 4 0 .

CHAPTER VIII

ARTS AND CRAFTS IN EARLY LI BERIA

Arts and crafts of the Liberian natives durin g the early n exploration s consisted Of the weavin g of cotto fabrics ,

n in n n an d . a d work iro , copper , bro ze brass The crafts men in bron ze reached their greatest fame in still virtu

n n n n ally u know Be i City , which produced remarkable

u n n portraits o bro ze . The latter metal was i troduced

n i to West Africa by the Portuguese , who used it to supple

n n d me t the commo trade articles Of mirrors , bea s , brace

n h n an n n and . T e lets , kettles bla kets amazi g d i teresti g

f n n n sculptural art o Be i is presumed to be e tirely Negro ,

n without Egyptia inﬂuen ce .

n h n as as n t n Asto is i g it may seem , it w o the Europea n n n n for atio s who se t cotto to Liberia at that time , the Africans actually exported their cotton fabrics to Portu

O i gal . T Islam s due the credit for introducin g the art of nn n and n for a spi i g weavi g to Africa , s the Moham

n n n meda tide Of i vasio swept steadily southward , the

of n Arabs divulged the secret cloth ma ufacture , which they had learned in India or other countries Of the Far

. n of n East From the ba ks the Niger , the k owledge of cotton fabrication spread to the region s about the

n and n n Se egal , the i to Guinea . Several species Of the genus Gossypium (cotton) are common to almost all 2 6 HIS TORY OF LIBERIA 2 7

t and in par s Of Liberia , cultivated form are much like the varieties grown by the American In dian s before the

men white arrived . Small quantities of American cot

ton in 1 4 n I were brought home by Columbus 93 , whe n n n Africa , the ki gs , chiefs a d headmen of Liberia were

n of weari g Short robes colored cloth .

n nn n an in At the prese t time , spi i g d weaving Liberia has been greatly curtailed by the importation Of print

n n n goods from E gland a d Spai . Copper is today foun d

in of th n n the rocks Liberia , but e atives have ever Shown

d n to i a ispositio work it , as other tribes n different

n of . n n n regio s the Dark Co ti ent have do e .

n n n Iro , however , had bee worked by the atives for

n men a the ce turies before the white c me , as various tribes were obliged to fabricate their war spears as well as

n more pea ceful impleme ts . In the n orthern and western region s Of Liberia the

n n n Mohamm eda s i troduced horses to the cou try , the terrain in the plateau country being especially suited to n On stock raisi g . the seaboard , horses from Portugal were brought on some of the ﬁrst expedition s . Various

n on early explorers , however , comme t the fact that the f n Liberian s had an indigen ous breed o their ow .

for Pigs were also imported by the Portuguese , aside

n n nn no from Abyssi ia a d Se ar , there are species Of wild

n . pig i Tropical Africa The Potamochoerus , the red

f n Af in bush or river pig o Ce tral rica , is some degree

and n n akin to the English domestic pig , has bee i terbred

n n has with the latter by the natives . This i terbreedi g 2 8 HIS TORY OF LIBERIA

s been most successful , for the red river pigs are ea ily

n n of n domesticated , sometimes eve to the exte t bei g regarded as pets in n ative households .

The question Of sugar is a rather complicated one .

n an d The can e is supposedly n ot indige ous to Liberia , n was ﬁrst introduced either by the Mohammeda tribes ,

n n or who brought horses and ri ce i to the cou try, by the

Portu guese . Before their tradin g expeditions to West Africa had been contin ued for a century their caravels imported

- an d au thenti the sugar can e from Brazil . Several other c ate d accounts state that sugar- can e was in digen ous to at

n f n h and least some portio o ort west Africa , that the Spaniards came to the Dark Continent for sugar - can e

n n n n to introduce i Hayti duri g the Sixtee th ce tury .

n But from whatever source it came , the ca e was growin g in n n n Liberia by the seve tee th ce tury . It seems that European trade with the Liberian coast

n ot an n n m n n was u mixed blessi g , for the white e ot only n Of i troduced to West Africa all the diseases Europe ,

n a nd but kid apped , cheated corrupted the blacks all

n n alo g the sea coast . They taught n othi g of the in dus

an d n n n trial arts , the i ﬂue ce of the missio aries was weak . The Portuguese fathers app arentlytau ght n either readin g n or n n writi g , but it is everlasti gly to their credit that

h i n t ey protested aga st the slave trade . On the credit side of the ledger is the stimulus given to native agriculture by the brin gin g Of cultivated plants

an to the Negro , d also the introduction of various domes HIS TORY OF LIBERIA 2 9 tic a nimals of value for interbreeding an d stock-raising purposes .

an n The traders , sailors , soldiers , d captai s , who darin gly sailed up and down one of the worst coasts in

in n n the world ti y vessels , were Obviously all adve turers ,

- n - m n n n n n . a d quick thi ki g , a d Ofte quick tempered e They are also described as being intensely religiou s in

t n in r n or n . their speech , hough ot all their p i ciples actio s CHAPTER IX

THE DUTCH IN LIBERIA

m n n In that day , the Dutch were rated as sea e seco d

n and h only to the E glish , therefore , w ile the British

n n n mariners were coasti g dow the Liberia seaboard , the Dutch had sn atched Arguin Islan d an d an other

n n - n islet n ear Cape Verde from the Fre ch . Seve ty seve

n an d re years later the Fren ch came back i to power ,

n n n captured and re amed their lost possessio s , but duri g

n - n no n those seve ty seve years , the Dutch were mea fac tors in the West African trade .

of of n to Gold was , course , the lure ﬁrst importa ce the

n Holla ders , although their tall ships periodically visited

n n the Grain Coast to Obtai pepper . I deed the coast ” n n probably took its ame from the Dutch word grai ,

th n n it n n which has e same mea i g as s E glish equivale t . Two voyages Of note were made in 1 61 1 an d 1 61 4

one n in by Samuel Brau , a Swiss the Dutch service . ’ n n n n an Brau s i itial trip to the Cameroo s , the Co go d Angola was so successful that he brought back to Hol

n n n an d n f la d a thousa d pou ds of gold two to s o ivory .

n so in 1 61 6 This success called for a other trip , , he again left Holland for the Ivory or Qua Qua coast and n n called at Cape Mou t , the Cestos River , a d the

in i n Kru coast Liberia . H s Opi ion Of the Liberian na 30 E DW ARD W BLYDEN D R .

32 HIS TORY OF LIBERIA

Fol ia to Gola or Gora tongues . The g , who seem have had some connection with the Kru tribe , were extremely

- and n and war like , ﬁghts betwee them the Vai people n were continuously going o .

Throughout his geography , Dapper adheres strictly

n and to n ative place ames , Of which the Mafu River the

n as Kon do tribe are moder survivals . In the south ,

$ D today , lived the various Kru tribes The e, Basa , Gibi

Grebo , etc . The researches of Benj amin Anderson in 1 868 dis close that even at that late date the tribal regions had n ot l i changed n otably . He regards the Fo g a race as

n n n n havi g bee aki to the Kru people , a d the Mambas

D an . also to the Kru , through the S d Basa tribes The

n n n Gora tribe are the i dige es . Of the prese t tribes ,

n and n n n the Vai , Me de , Ma di go are Mohammeda s . The

n an n of Mandi goes have almost Europea cast feature , an d n n f n as a rule , the i dige es o Liberia are ha dsome and

- n well proportio ed Negroes . Ivory has succeeded pepper as the leadin g article of trade at the Cestos River , which seems to have been a

n n n calli g statio for the Dutch vessels . A now u known

’ town or trading- post mentioned many times in Dapper s

n is accou t Petit Dieppe , the location Of which was n ear

n n the prese t Gra d Basa . It was apparently of inferior

n to a importa ce the river Cestos , which w s the headqu ar and n for n ters leadi g port the e tire pepper trade . The Dutch sailors were amazed at the stature of the ” G an d n n men and t rebo Ma di go classed hem as giants . HIS TORY OF LIBERIA 33

Dapper enumerates many of their feats Of stren gth and me m devotes so space to the history Of the Karou , or odern n Kru peoples , who co quered the warlike and powerful

n of ok all Vai tribes u der the leadership their chiefs , S w a an d S onik rri Fol ia n e . First the g we t down before the

- n n C n n n all co queri g Kru hieftai s , a d the the Gora an d

Kwo a n y peoples were co quered . The almost whirlwin d advan ce of the Krus contin ued n n an d n i to Sierra Leo e , e ded with the victory over the

an d of n . Dogo Gibi tribes the i terior Today , the Krus ar n n ot n of of n e the seame , o ly Liberia , but the e tire

s and n of West Coa t , form a large proportio the sailors

n employed on vessels i tropic waters . The n ext authentic account of Liberian natives is

n n n n in give by Joh S oek , who sailed past the Grai Coast

n n a yacht . Accordi g to him , ivory was already becomi g

n less abun dant alon g the coast . S oek also says that at that time the coast women were n early and sometimes ” n u n n n quite aked , altho gh the atives arou d Cape Mou t n n wore the Mohammedan g arments of the Ma di goes .

n n He des cribes the inhabita ts as bei g most hospitable , an d writes that near the present Site of Monrovia the

n n atives lived ﬁfty or Sixty in o e large house , divided ’ n In into two or three apartme ts . Spite Of these rather

n in crowded con ditio s , guests were welcomed these “ the of hotels , as maj ority the coast peoples were ex n tremely frien dly to whoever visited their cou try . n and its The slave trade had j ust comme ced , primary cause is described a s havin g been the almost in cessant 34 HIS TORY OF LIBERIA

n n warfare between the coast a d i terior tribes . Which

to ever party was Victorious , was always ready sell the prizes of war to white traders .

an in n At this time , however , the slave trade , d cide

Of n tally the warfare , was stopped necessity , whe the f 62 n great plague o 1 6 swept over the cou try . That

n particular epidemic was caused by dyse tery , which was n n n n i troduced i to Sierra Leo e by a Dutch tradi g vessel , and ravaged that country an d Northern Liberia for three years .

n in n Smallpox had already become commo the cou try , and n n attai ed epidemic proportio s at various times .

’ n n Duri g S oek s voyage , the most powerful kin g in

n n n n the country was Me di Ma ou , a Ma di go chief , who had not adopted the practice Of bein g called by a Euro

n n . n n pea ame This was so commo that Peters , Joh s an d am e n J s s were fou d all over the coast . The court

n t of an la guage was a mixed dialec Portuguese d English .

CHAPTER X

’ K C SNO E S DE S RIPTION O F LIBERIA . TH E CHEVALIER DE S MAR CHAI S

S O high were the houses built about the tradin g- post ’ of the Cestos at the mouth , that they could be seen from

ou three miles t at sea . These were built with three or

an d n n four stories , were higher tha a y others alon g the coast . In those days the Cavalla River formed the boundary

n n n h li e of civilizatio . O t e Cape Palmas side lived the

- n an d on nn partially civilized Krume , the other , the ca i

v To bal tribes of the I ory Coast . the East of the river , the natives adopted the custom of sharpeni ng their

n n an n fro t teeth to a poi t , probably to give appeara ce of great ferocity . ’ f n n n At the time o S oek s Visit , the Liberia thro e was held by one of a lon g line of Captain Peters ; as that name was for some time common to the regents of

n in u Mesurado . Tradi g those days was fra ght with considerable dan ger when dealin g with the Dutch and

n and n English . Both the Europea s the atives were

n armed and hostages were excha ged . n Exactly opposite methods were used by the Fre ch , who renewed their commerce with Liberia in the seven

n ne no reca u teenth century . The tradi g was do with p 35 3 6 HIS TORY OF LIBERIA

n and on n tions on the part of the Fre ch , the other ha d ,

n n the n atives visited Fre ch vessels without hesitatio ,

n n and there was a feeling of trustful ess o each Side .

n an n By this practice of deali g with the tribes , d treati g

n n n the natives as valued frie ds , the Fre ch obtai ed a

- mighty an d far reachin g hold over the West Coast .

n n n n o of I the eightee th ce tury , the colo ial p licies

n n an n France a d Holla d were almost allied , d Fre ch

n - vessels began to call at the Dutch tradi g posts . To ascertain whether or not it would be proﬁtable to

n n n n n colo ize the i terior Of Se egambia , Fra ce se t ou t

n the Chevalier des Marchais i 1 72 5 . He brought back to Fran ce a very complete description not only of

n n n and n the conditio s for colo izatio trade , but also a interesting and valuable account of the customs of the n of an n atives Liberia d Sierra Leo e . He says The religion of the natives of Mesurado is

n n an n a ki d of idolatry , ill u derstood , d ble ded with a n of n to f umber superstitio s , which , however , few o them

na n te ciously cli g . They easily chan ge the Obj ect of their worship an d consider their fetishes only as a

n of n n ki d household fur iture . The su is the most general Obj ect Of their adoration ; but it is a voluntary

and n no n n n worship , atte ded with mag iﬁce t ceremo ies , was in as the case Of the Aztecs Mexico . “ In the space of a few leagues are many Villages

n n swarmi g with childre . They practice polygamy , and

n . a their wome are very proliﬁc Besides , s those people deal no further in slaves than by sellin g their convicted

38 HIS TORY OF LIBERIA

n n n d n ot side is left ope , bei g that from which the wi d oes

n in row an d commo ly blow . They place their posts a ,

n red cement them together with a ki d of fat , clay , which without any mixture of lime makes a stron g and durable mortar . Their bed chambers are raised three feet above

n n h the grou d . This would seem to i dicate t at the

n country is marshy or sometimes inu dated , but this is

no m n an d by ea s the case . The soil is dry , they take care to build their houses beyon d the reach Of the greatest

n h as a ﬂoods , but experie ce taught them that this elev

n n n tio co tributes to health , by securi g them from the damps caused by the copious dews .

n in h n n on e The wome work t e ﬁelds , a d ki dly assist

n n n a other . They bri g up their childre with great care , an d have no other Obj ect but to please their husban ds .

men m n n The , much like most e Of the orie t , work but little ’ The extent Of Kin g Peter s dominion s towards the n orth an d northeast is n ot well known ; but from the n of n umber his soldiers , there is reaso to believe it is

n a n n n co siderable . The e ster bou dary is the river Ju co ,

n an d about twe ty leagues from Cape Mesurado , the

n a wester is a little river , about h lf way from Cape Mount .

n n The cou try is extremely fertile . The atives have gold amon g them ; b u t whether found in this country or brought thither in the course of trade is n ot precisely

n n . n ﬁne an k ow The cou try produces redwood , d a

n of an qua tity other beautiful d valuable woods . Sugar

n n an d n r ca e , I digo , cotto g ow W ithout cultivation . HIS TORY OF LIBERIA 39

The tobacco would be excellent if the people were skilful in n . n an d n n curi g it Elepha ts , co seque tly ivory , are more numerous than the natives wish ; for these cum

n m n n n ot brous a i als Very much i j ure their cor ﬁelds , withstan din g the hedges and ditches with which they

n SO carefully fe ce them . The frequent attacks of lions an d tigers hinder not their cattle from multiply in and n in g rapidly ; their trees are lade with fruit ,

n to n Spite Of the mischief do e them by the mo key tribe .

In an d n n and a word , it is a rich ple tiful cou try , well

for m on Situated com erce , which might be carried here to any exten t by a n ation beloved like the Fren ch ; for n o n ation must think Of establishing themselves here by ” force . ’ The result of King Peter s having given Bushrod

- ’

n in of St . Isla d , the estuary the Paul s , to the Chevalier d es Marchais was that he formulated a scheme for the

n establishmen t of a Fren ch colo y at Cape Mesurado .

n n an This was laid before the Se egal Compa y , d if it had

n n n bee carried out , a Fre ch settleme t might have com

n . pletely a ticipated Liberia The Chevalier , after care ful consideration of the actu al plateau on whi ch Monro

$ n v ia is now built , wrote Clay ﬁt for bricks abou ds

and n n for . everywhere , eve sto e proper ashlar work

an d n Buildin g timber grows on the spot , the commo

n country provision s are extremely cheap . Except wi e ,

n an n bra dy , d wheat ﬂour , which the compa y must

n is to on . supply , everythi g else be had the spot Beef ,

n and and n . mutto , goats , hogs cost little , game abou ds 40 HIS TORY OF LIBERIA

Antelopes an d deer graze quietly with the tame cattle

n of . in the meadows . There are ma y Species birds

an d f n . n The basi (i . e the lagoo ) , the rivers , the sea a ford

on is as plenty of ﬁsh and turtles . NO river the coast

- much frequented by the sea horses as the Mesurado .

n an d The ﬂesh of these a imals is good , their teeth are ” n whiter an d harder than those of the elepha t . ’ n Unfortun ately for Fra ce , the Chevalier s scheme of

n n colonization was frow ed u po .

n From the very ﬁrst , Fre ch travellers showed more interest in the condition of the n atives than did the other

n n so trading natio s . Gra dpierre was impressed by

n f in 1 72 his exploratio o the River Cestos 6, that he wrote con cerning it My ambition is to be powerful an d rich en ough to

t and n n fit ou t a large fleet , filled wi h able i tellige t people ,

n u ﬁne n an n to make a co q est Of this cou try , d cha ge its nature by introducin g the best social laws an d knowledge . Evidently the system of Gran dpierre as regards treat

n of n was not ou t in 1 7 0 me t the atives followed , for 3 , English slave - traders reported that there was not a Sin gle

n on n Of Europea trader left the Norther Coast Liberia . The cause of this was the practice Of kidn appin g by

and n Dutch E glish , which had left the n atives so hostile

an man that the coast was unsafe for y white . For twenty years in the early part of the eighteenth

n n n ce tury , these orther shores of Liberia were nests Of h pirates . Bot Spanish an d English buccaneers preyed HIS TORY OF LIBERIA 41

about equally on the commerce by sea and the natives n by la d . The Slave trade brought countless European expedi tions to the West Coast throughout the seventeenth an d

n n an d eightee th ce turies , while the Dutch built up a

an d in n large proﬁtable trade slaves , they Oddly e ough

n n on n preferred deali g for atives the Gold Coast , leavi g

n n n n n the Grai Coast e tirely to the Fre ch , E glish a d

n . n Spa iards It was lo g after the slave trade was over , an d indeed but a few years after the establishment of

a s n Liberia a Republic that the Holla ders came back . At present the Dutch commercial houses are amon g the

in most respected the country .

of n n n an d D n Natives two Europea cou tries , Swede e

at ff n n on mark , di ere t times , advocated settleme ts Capes

lri n n n . k Mesurado a d Mou t The Swede , U Norde

ki l to n n and s O d , wished develop sugar pla tatio s , the

n . an n n Da e , J Rask , declared that there was abu da ce of

n gold in the cou ntry betwee the two capes .

was n At this time , however , the slave trade the leadi g

n n an d con sideration of the four great tradi g cou tries ,

For n neither Of their schemes bore fruit . several reaso s ,

n Liberia felt the slave trade only lightly . I the ﬁrst

n of Kr u n ot place , the atives the coast did prosper

n to n n n . in Slavery , a d refused work u der such co ditio s

and n on Therefore , they their savage eighbors the Ivory n Coast were largely left alone . Norther Liberia was much more infested with Slavers . ' CHAPTER XI

TH E B EGINNINGS O F THE SLAVE TRAD E

As the slave trade was largely in strumental in the

n con formation of the Liberia Republic , it should be sidered at least in its relation to the countries of n orthwest

n was in Africa . Oddly e ough , the church large measure responsible for the action of the slavers in brin gin g

Negroes from Af rica to America . Sin ce the natives of the Antilles did n ot prosper under

n n of the treatme t Of the Spa iards , the Bishop Chiapa in n Hispa iola (Haiti) , Bartholomew de las Casas , came

n in 1 1 7 and to to Spai 5 , protested the Emperor Charles V against the cru el methods taken to subj ugate the West

n d n n n I ia i dige es . He proposed that the West African coast Negroes should be imported directly into the West . In dies as

Slaves . As this was in thorough agreement with the

n of n previous pla s the you g emperor , he very graciously

n agreed to the propositio . He could well do so , for a “ year before he had licensed certain Flemish cour

f n tiers to ravage the West A rica coast for slaves . One of the largest con tracts entered into was with a

Lebrassa follower Of the court , , who was to supply each year four thousan d Negroes to the Spanish Islan ds in n L b the West I dies . e rassa sold his rights to a merchant 42 AF RIC AN M USIC IANS

W ASH D A Y OF THE AB ORI G INES

44 HIS TORY OF LIBERIA

’ n in n . D age , was i cluded the ship s compa y rake had

hi n n n an d virtually been adopted by s ki sma , Hawki s , this was the ﬁrs t Of several voyages they made together .

n on one Liberia was largely spared by Hawki s , who ,

n n voyage , collected more tha two hu dred slaves at

in Elmin a by j oining a tribal war . Other British traders periodically descen ded on the

n and n Liberia seaboard , made slaves of whatever atives

n n in n n they could ﬁ d . I deed the eightee th ce tury , the

n n th En glish were so hated all up a d dow e Gold Coast , that one man was obliged to represe n t himself as a

n n n n . Fre chma , whe his expeditio Visited Liberia

n n n n n n I his writi gs co cer i g the Grai Coast , the afore

n in me tioned Chevalier des Marchais states that , this

n n n regio , the natives readily tur ed from huma sacriﬁces

o n n n t selli g their captives i to slavery , whe they dis covered the proﬁt which could be made .

1 730 n ot one n n After the year , Europea dared remai in an so h n y part Of Liberia , ostile were the atives .

of n Added to all the ravagers the Liberia coast , rivers an d n a n d n marches , were the E glish Spa ish pirates , who again and again scudded to an d frOm their landin g

in places the search for slaves .

After a time in the early part of the eighteenth c en tury , the risks taken by these buccaneers in pen etratin g

n n n so the Liberia hi terla d became great , that they en tirel n n n an n y aba do ed the Grai Coast , d tur ed their at

n n r n te tio s to Sie ra Leo e , the Dahomey Coast (also known as d O the Slave) , the Niger elta , ld Calabar , Loango HIS TORY OF LIBERIA 45 and n s the Co go Di trict . The l atter region an d the mouth Of the Niger suffered the most from the ravages of the slavers .

In addition to the risks in volved in landin g on the n Liberia Coast , the slaves secured in this section n ever in V brought high prices the slave market . The ais

d n an d were Mohamme a s , were too proud to labor un der

- a Slave driver , while the Des and Basa did n ot ﬂourish in an d n on captivity , freque tly died the voyages . On nd the other ha , the Krus , while excellent ﬁghters an d

n n on own Vi well co te t to carry a slave trade of their , o lentl n n y obj ected to perso al slavery , and , i deed , pre ferred suicide to enforced labor in the West In dies or

America .

n From the very ﬁrst , Europea advocates of the slave trade were proliﬁc in arguments as to how slavery bene

ﬁ n n n n te d its vict ims . The co te tio of ma y En glish and

n n n n n n Co ti e tal writers of the seve tee th ce tury , that servitude gave the blacks an excellent Opportunity to become civilized as well as to embrace the Christian

n not . religio , does hold water

n n Stra ge as it may seem , the sanitary arrangeme ts in the various West African coast town s were equal to

n n a eti z those of Europe . Their cooki g was eve more pp in n n on the n n an d in g tha that prevaili g Co ti ent , respect

n n n to clothin g (taki g the climate i to consideratio ) , they were quite on a level with the people of En glan d and

n n n in d Europe . Their appare tly i here t good taste ress

n n n now an d a ric ul was even more pro ou ced tha it is , g 46 HIS TORY OF LIBERIA

in nn n u ture , like ma er , seems to have bee m ch more n advan ced and exten ded than at the prese t time . Live

n n stock raisin g was also more developed tha ow. On e n ation alone furnished n o apologists for its slave t tradin g activities . It is to the credit of the Dutch hat they in dulged in no san ctimonious humbug about c iv ili z in g or Christianizing the slaves . They regarded the

n n an in whole affair as a mere commercial tra sactio , d

o n d u lge d in n o religious r moral propaga da whatever . They were far superior to all the other n ation s in the

an n n n methods d co ditio s Of their overseas tra sport , though they seem to have had little regard for their

. On n charges afterward the other ha d , the Portuguese who are reputed to have given the best all- aroun d treat

n n kidna in h me t to their Slaves , bega by pp g t e Negroes

n of n an n from coast Villages i stead buyi g them , d tra s

nd n n ported them u er extremely bad co ditio s .

n in n However , o ce the Portuguese possessio s , the cap tiv es n n an were made i to Roma Catholics , d were well

n treated to a fault . No ig ominious servitude nor cruel

n treatme t was accorded them . Despite their reputation

n r for exacti g hard labo from their Negroes , the almost fanatical religious sen se that amni ated the Spaniards assured the slaves in their colonies of at least fair treat n me t . Third in respect Of kindliness to slaves were the

n n Da es , whose tradi g was don e in a comparatively small way .

n and n n The Fre ch E glish footed the list , a d yet it was English- speaking people who began the campaign HIS TORY OF LIBERIA 47

n and h agai st slavery the Slave trade . T is , at ﬁrst highly

n n n u popular moveme t , was spo sored by the Quakers . Their ﬁrst move towards abolition was contained in an

n - in a ti slavery address of George Fox Barbadoes .

n an t The Protesta ts , d more par icularly the Non

n n n n an n co formists , ext fell i to li e , d feeli g grew so high

n n n n an d amo g the Luthera s of Germa y , De mark , Swe d en t in 1 792 n n , hat the Da es Ofﬁcially re ounced the slave

n trade . Their sta d was followed by similar action by

n n in the U ited States two years later , by Great Britai

1 807 S n in 1 81 3 n in 1 81 4 an n in , wede , Holla d , d Fra ce 1 — 1 1 8 5 8 .

n n n in 1 787 Carl Ber s Wadstrom , a citize of Swede , ,

in on n n an n and wrote his Essay Colo izatio , excelle t

n one n who n truthful accou t of Ormo d , may be take as 0 a fair example of the Slave trader of 1 79 . He says “ n of n The followi g is a Sketch the origi , progress , an d en d of a European Slave trader who lately died at an

n n n an d at isla d ear Sierra Leo e , who seems to have tained to a degree of ferocity an d hardness of heart pro portion ate to his success in that bloody trafﬁc . “ He went from En glan d about thirty- ﬁv e years ago

1 758 n an d was (i . e . about ) as a cabi boy to a slave ship , retain ed as an assistant at a slave factory at Sierra Leon e

n River . There he acquired a k owledge which qualiﬁed him for settin g up a slave factory afterwards for himself

n n in a n eighborin g part towards the orth (Rio Po go) ,

n he an and though u able to write or read , became expert slave trader , so much so that he realized about 48 HIS TORY OF LIBERIA

n His cruelties were almost in credible . Two perso s who seem to have had good means of information give the f n n . n o followi g accou t of them O e them , who lived for a time near Ormon d said he kn ew it to be a fact that he

n n used to tie sto es to the ecks of his unsaleable Slaves , an d drown them in the river durin g the night ; an d that

not n n n f n his cruelty was co ﬁ ed to blacks , for , bei g o fe ded

n one d a n n n by a white age t Christmas y , whe dri ki g

n freely with some compa y , he made his slaves tie up the

own n hu n European , and gave him , with his ha ds , four d in red lashes , from which he died a few days .

n d n n of Fi ally, his estructio of a tow the Bagos , a war

n n like tribe who lived ear his factory , caused a ative

n n war to be proclaimed agai st him . His establishme t

n n and n n was bur ed to the grou d , his so a d adherents

t n were put to dea h . Ormo d was at Isle de Los at the

and . n time , so escaped He died about a mo th later . CHAPTER XII

TH E FO UNDING O F SIERRA LEONE

In 1 786 n — the year , about four hu dred Negro ex slaves from Nova Scotia were sent together with sixty irre

n n claimable Lo do prostitutes to Sierra Leone . This

n n n n in rather peculiar combi atio was to begi a ew life , and n th e n . i cidentally form , British colony of Sierra Leo e — Five years later eleven hun dred and thirty on e more

ou t Nova Scotia blacks were sent , so successful had the

’ British Sierra Leon e Company s sagacious mixture of

n pure philanthropy an d shrewd busin ess acume proved . Two years later a Fren ch squadron bombarded the

n n an d in 1 807 settleme t a d destroyed much of it , the British rather tardily began to appreciate the strategic

f n an d value o Sierra Leo e Harbor , formed the whole into a Crown Colon y with a Govern or at its head .

Af 1 833 n men - of— n ter , whe British war bega to swoop down on the slavers in an attempt to destroy the entire

- of trade , whole ship loads freed slaves were literally

n dumped in Sierra Leo e , regardless of whatever their

n n native cou ntry might be . Co seque tly , about every tribe of every country on the West Coast is represented

n and n amon g its inhabita ts , from Nyasala d , the Upper

n n n n Co go , the Lower Co go , Bor u , Wadai , Shari , Be ue , d n d and the Niger , the sud e ly freed slaves were eposited 49 50 HIS TORY OF LIBERIA in n for n Sierra Leo e . They years ma ifested a very

nn n an n an d cla ish dispositio , d Co gos Ibos hated each

n other far more than they ever did the white me . Add to this fact that the abun dan t n ative populatio n

n n n an d of the colony i tur hated almost all the colo ists , you have the reason why wars and rumors Of wars agi

n n tated Sierra Leo e for a full hu dred years . Today the hinterlan d of Sierra Leone is described as a country every whit as un developed as the Con go ” n ot n swamps of Central Africa . This is the stateme t

n n in of of a casual traveller , but is co tai ed the report a

n British gover or .

n n n Aside from the Sierra Leo e Gover me t railway , which is two an d a half feet wide and two hun dred and

n - n n n seve ty seve miles lo g , there is ot much progress

n n n n show for a ce tury of colo izatio .

of an The railway is the pride the West Coast , d Free town is said to have the best harbor on the entire Guinea

n t n t n f seaboard , but the co s a t fric io o the various tribes has prevented that development which would naturally

n be expected of such a cou try .

JEH UDI ASH M U N CHAPTER XIII

ORIGIN AND FO UNDING O F THE LIBERIAN REPUBLI C

n n However , the fou di g of Sierra Leon e was in large part respon sible for the formation of the Liberian Repub

n lic . Much i terest was felt in America concerning the

of n n 1 4 and work the British phila thropists duri g 79 , this interest led for th e founding of the American Coloniza

n in 1 tio Society 1 8 6. At the end Of the eighteenth century Slavery was becomin g less favored in the United States ; Vermont

n in 1 777 an d n abolishi g the practise , most Of the Norther

n an of n in 1 794 states followi g suit . By act Co gress , American ships were forbidden to participate in the

an in 1 0 n of n slave trade , d 8 8 the importatio Africa

n slaves into a y state was prohibited .

n n and Washi gto had freed his slaves , this created a

n n n n precede t . Ma y America pla ters followed his lead , an d in a short while the problem of what to do with the free black man was loomin g up before the coun

in an n n was try . All eging that mere freedom alie la d

n hardly a great privilege for the Africa slaves , various philan thropists in the United States urged that a s ystem of repatriation be adopted . It was put forward that not only would this be ade 5 1 52 HIS TORY OF LIBERIA

quate reparation for the inj uries done the black race , but that inestimable beneﬁts would be conferred on Africa by establishing a small n ucleus of Christian and civilized n atives on that continent . For these en ds the American Colonization Society

in was created 1 81 6. Both the North and South were largely represented ; for Elij ah Caldwell and Robert

‘ n n n n Fi ley , whose name has bee given to a Liberia mou t n n n ai ra ge , had proposed the society at a meeti g held in n n an n n the Capitol at Washi gto , d atte ded by Preside t

Clay . Finley was elected Vice - presiden t an d Caldwell secre

n n tary whe the Society was formally co stituted . Bush

n n n of n an rod Washi gto occupied the positio preside t , d

n n - n Fra cis Key was seco d vice preside t . The initial meetin g took place on e year after Richard Allen organized the African Methodist Epis

n copal Church , which ever si ce that time has been n in n n i terested Liberia colonizatio . Sierra Leon e was ﬁrst considered as a suitable region for Negro emigrants , but the British , who controlled

n in n ot r n . In 1 81 the cou try , did Sha e the e thusiasm 8, a commission un der Mill an d Burgess went to Sierra

n an d n n n Leo e fou d co ditio s most favorable . Their report impelled three white Americans , Rev . Samuel

n n . n n an d . S . Baco , Joh P Ba kso , Dr Crozer , to start for

S n - in 1 ierra Leo e with eighty eight Negroes 82 0.

n on Eli zabeth Upo the arrival of the party the ship , the Govern or of Sierra Leone became suspicious that HIS TORY OF LIBERIA 53

n some ulterior motive actuated the colo izing scheme . Possibly he may have feared an attempt to raise the

’ Stars an d Stripes over His Imperial Majesty s Domin

n . an n io s At y rate , the receptio met by the colonists was the forerunn er Of many succeedin g bickerings be

n an d t twee Liberia Great Bri ain .

M a c arth n n n y refused to let the emigra ts la d , claimi g that there was n o room on the Sierra Leon e penin sula ’ - n . Eli zabeth for Baco s ex Slaves Therefore , the sailed off to ﬁn d another spot as favorable for in auguratin g

n of n n the experime t colo izatio .

She an n n took a southward course , d a la di g was

n n an effected o Sherbro Isla d . Here attempt was made

n or n n to start a settleme t tradi g post , but the la d proved so unhealthy that in a few weeks all the whites an d twen ty- two of the black settlers had succumbed to tropical fever of a most virulen t type . As the leaders

n an d . n n were dead , Da iel Coker Rev Elij ah Joh so took en tire command of the diminished party an d returned to

Fura Bay in Sierra Leon e to wait for assistance .

f n In a short period o time the U ited States brig ,

a ti lu s n n . N u , scudded i to Fura Bay and dropped a chor

n an d and On board were Rev . Ephraim Baco his wife ,

t n . n . nn an d Joseph A drus , J B . Wi Chris ia Wiltberger A small n umber of Negro colonists were in cluded in the

’ n an d n ship s compa y , stores and provisio s were also

n brought . These proved more tha welcome to the ﬁrst

n in . expedition , which was still maroo ed Fura Bay Then the question again arose as to a proper spot for 54 HIS TORY OF LIBERIA

n colonizatio . Cape Mesurado was , of course , regarded

the not as the best Site , but local chiefs did at all wel

a was n u come the idea . After th t proj ect give p , a n l an din g was made at Gran d Basa , where the atives proved more friendly .

an d n nn an d The climate was poor , however , Baco , Wi An drus were forced to return to America after a bout

n n n with fever . Back agai came Captai Stockto , who

n Eli zabeth . . comma ded the , with Dr Eli Ayres After

’ n of the latter s arrival , Wiltberger took comma d the

n h an d n n expeditio , w ile Ayres Stockto retur ed to Cape

Mesurado .

n an was n A drus was already there , d busily dickeri g with the n ative chiefs con cernin g lan d purchases .

n o n n of n He had success , but the i tercessio Joh Mill ,

an d a mulatto trader , materially assisted Ayres Stock

n in n n to their egotiatio s with the De chief .

an n n on n a d t For astou di g price , e hu dred n hirty

of n was miles seacoast was purchased . This strip Of la d

an as to be everywhere forty miles broad , d w forever

for n of reserved the settleme t American freed Slaves .

On 1 5th 1 82 1 n a December , , the bargai w s struck . The future site of Monrovia was also in cluded in the n n m tra sactio , and it must be ad itted that the De an d

an n Mamba chiefs , Peter , George , Yoda , d Lo g Peter ,

end an n got the worst of extremely bad bargai . For this large tract of lan d Ayres paid to the chiefs about ﬁfty ’ of dollars worth trade goods . They were as follows $

one six n Six muskets , small barrel of powder , iro bars , HIS TORY OF LIBERIA 55 ten n one two f iro pots , barrel of beads , casks o tobacco ,

n an d n on twelve k ives , twelve forks twelve spoo s , e small

of n o e b ox of n barrel ails , n tobacco pipes , three looki g

- on f glasses , four umbrellas , three walking sticks , e box o

on e f soap , barrel Of rum , four hats , three pairs o shoes ,

Six pieces Of blue baft , three pieces Of white calico .

In n additio , the purchasers bound themselves to pay

n $ six n n whe they could iro bars , twelve gu s , three barrels

of n powder , twelve plates , twelve k ives , twelve forks ,

n Of of twe ty hats , ﬁve barrels salt beef , ﬁve barrels salt ’ of pork , twelve barrels ships biscuit , twelve glass de

n and of . ca ters , twelve wineglasses , ﬁfty pairs boots

n This promised payme t , was , however , never made , an d the Mesurado chiefs complained long an d loudly . Some of their complaints took the shape of spears and

poisoned darts . Whatever they thought they were

n not bargaini n g for , they certai ly did realize that they

were selling their country . Probably the colonists j ustiﬁed the ridiculous bargain by the thought that they would never expel the n atives

from their holdings . AS might be expected from such

- n n n . a one Sided transactio , trouble at o ce bega Bushrod

n n n and n Islan d was the bone of co te tio , here the atives

gained the ﬁrst Victory .

This small tract of fertile lan d lying between the St .

’ n an d Paul s River , Stockto Creek Mesurado Bay was

much desired as a place for settlement by the colonists .

The n atives obj ected and ﬁercely prevented the Afro

r n n Americans from lan ding . Afte this i itial disappoi t 56 HIS TORY OF LIBERIA

and n ment and defeat , the eighty Negro two white colo

n i sts set up a small settlemen t on Perseveran ce Isla d . n in This was an islet , low and u healthy , Mesurado

on n on n n n Lagoon . The e settleme t the isla d , Ki gstow ,

of n was formed by the factory Joh Mill , the mulatto

n n in slaver . Agai he aided the colo ists various ways , n in an d thereby perpetuated his ame , which is found

’

n on St . . Millsburg , a tow the Paul s River Disheartened by the repeated failures attendin g the

n n expeditio , Ayres proposed to agai attempt a settle

n n . n me t at Sierra Leo e Fortu ately for Liberia , Wilt berger favored buildin g on th e high lan d of the Mesurado

n Cape . His proj ect was stro gly supported by Elij ah

n n n in n Joh so , whose impassio ed speech a swer to Ayres , Two years lon g have I sought a home ; here I have foun d o e n $ in n n , here I remai is famous the an als of Liberia .

n n a n Faithful to his pla , Ayres left for Sierra Leo e , d the energetic Wiltberger assumed sole comman d of the

n n party . He dari gly led his ha dful of colonists into the

an d Mesurado Cape , hurriedly felled trees an d made

n . In slight fortiﬁcatio s a short time , his exertion s

on n brought fever , which forced him to retur home . ’ n n n n The it was Joh so s tur to assume leadership .

men n an d n Eighty , wome childre formed the party .

O t n n of n f hat umber o ly half were capable beari g arms . Yet John son was a born comman der and master strate

n gist . He k ew that it was impossible for his compan ion s to spen d the rainy season in the marshes of Perseveran ce

’ n an d Wiltb er r Isla d , so adopted ge s idea .

58 HIS TORY OF LIBERIA

an d 2 t 1 794 . born April 1 s , He grew up at the time in surroun din gs when Methodist Christianity in the

United States was at its height . n n n After his conversion at the age Of seve tee , Ashmu trained himself for the ministry in the Episcopal Church . But when not much over twen ty he accepted the posi tion Of professor at a college . About this time he made

n n the acquaintan ce of a you g woma , also a teacher , for

n whom he con ceived a certain attachme t .

n . was They were soo afterwards married He ordained , n an d Offered himself as a missio ary . Amon g the ﬁfty-two Negro settlers who accompanied

f - n n n . one o Ashmu , o e Rev Lott Carey was the right ha d

n f n men an d foremost fou ders o the Liberia Republic .

- t Carey was a pure blooded Negro , short , thick se ,

man of n a ugly Of features , but a remarkable atur l ability

a an d dogged determin ation . He w s a slave employed by his owner in Virginia to man age a large store where

of n n was e for the tobacco the pla tatio k pt sale . He

an n . married early , d had several childre Between his

n n hours Of work , he got a little eleme tary educatio , s o

that he could read and write . He possessed busin ess

an e an ability d a remarkabl memory , d was so clever an d upright in his commercial transactions that his master

n and n n agai agai rewarded him . Gradually i this way he accumulated a su m of money with which to purchase hi s

and o hi s an freedom that f wife d children .

Aided by friends he secured hi s freedom and that of

his for n and in family eight hu dred ﬁfty dollars 1 81 5 .

HIS TORY OF LIBERIA 59

n n in From his origi ally scanty educatio , he succeeded

n n n in qualifyi g himself for the mi istry . Repatriatio

n n an n te sely i terested him from the start , d it was o ly

n n natural that he should be chose to assist Ashmu . CHAPTER XIV

TH E SETTLEMENT O F MONROVIA

For several months twenty ou t of the thirty- ﬁv e ’ who composed Liberia s ﬁrst army had to remain on

n n in n guard every ight . Ashmu was as prompt orga iza

n in n n n n hi tio as actio , a d o ly a fort ight after s arrival , issued a proclamation con cernin g the status of the

n in populatio . This is here reproduced its entirety , as it “ was virtually the ﬁrst state document issued by the

n Liberia s . It is as follows

1 n n ( ) The Settleme t is u der military law .

2 n n f ( ) Elij ah Joh so is Commissary o Stores .

3 . n n n ( ) R Sampso is Commissary of Ord a ce . (4) Lott Carey is Health Ofﬁcer an d Governmen t n I spector .

(5) F . James is Captain of the brass mounted ﬁeld

an d n n piece , has assig ed to his comma d R . Newport ,

. . and . M S Draper , William Meade , J Adams .

6 . n 1 8 an ha n ( ) A James is Captai of the Long , d s u der

n . n n . n his comma d J Be so , E Smith , William Holli gs ,

. n n an d D Hawki s , Joh Thomas Spencer .

7 . n of n ( ) J Shaw is Captai the Southern Picket Statio , n n n n mou ti g two iro gu s . To his command are attached 60 HIS TORY OF LIBERIA 61

. . n . n . and S Campbell , E Jackso , J Lawre ce , L Crook , n George Washi gton . 8 ( . is n n n ) D George Captai of the Easter Statio , n n n n . E mou ti g two iro gu s Attached to him are A . d mond s on n a n . , Joseph Gardi er , Josiah Webster , d J

Carey . 9 ( ) C . Bran der is Captain of a carriage mountin g two

i in n an sw vels to act co cert with brass pieces , d move from station to station a s the occasion may require ;

n attached are T . Ti es , L . Butler . (1 0) Every man to have his musket and ammunition

n n n with him , eve whe at the large gu s . (1 1 ) Every Ofﬁcer is responsible for the con duct of the men n placed u der him , who are to Obey him at their

peril . ( 1 2 ) The gun s are all to be gotten ready for action

an d ff m n immediately , every e ective a is to be employed at the pickets . ( 1 3) Five station s to be occupied by guards at night

n till other orders shall be give .

1 4 o n ( ) N useless ﬁri g permitted .

1 5 In man to n n ( ) case of alarm , every is repair i sta tly

an to his post d do his duty . Rain in torrents greatly added to the suffering of the

n and on 1 1 82 2 . n colo ists , September 5 , , Mrs Ashmu

of n n died fever . Ma y colo ists also succumbed to that

as n of malady , which w co tracted through the ﬂoods

n n F r t o n n rain pe etrati g their huts . o w mo ths it rai ed

n n f n and daily , and the co ditio o the colo ists grew worse 62 HIS TORY OF LIBERIA

on of C worse . They were situated a bit leared rocky

n and in on one n grou d , were hemmed Side by dense j u gle

a Not n a an on se . w s growths , d the other by the o ly

was this dismal in the extreme , but it also unhealthy .

n n With the lifti g Of the rai s , still worse fate befell the

1 1 th n of colonists . On November , the combi ed forces

6 and n the D , Mamba Vai tribes bega a furious assault on the stockade as day broke . The ﬁrst surge of the

of n n atives overwhelmed some the outer defe ces , an d n n many of the colo ists ﬂed i to the woods .

n Had the savages realized their adva tage , they would

in . As a have rushed the palisade force it w s , they stopped to ransack and plun der the huts and to kill the ’ Ashmu n s o woun ded . strategy caused him t load the

n n an ﬁv e gu s with commo shot , d to ﬁre them pointblan k

n into the struggli g mass of attackers . As Ashmun writes in his diary Eight hun dred men were here pressed shoulder to shoulder in so compact a force that a child might easily walk upon their heads

one the . from end of the mass to other They presented , in t of n heir rear , breadth ra k equal to twenty or thirty men an d u n of , all exposed to a g great power , raised on a ’ platform at only thirty to Sixty yards distan ce . Every shot literally spent its force in a solid mass Of human ” ﬂesh .

r r D To celeb ate the Victo y over the e tribe , Liberia has set apart a national holiday which is called New ” in n Port day , named ho or of Mary New Port who on B B the day of the battle with the B, when all was

64 HIS TORY OF LIBERIA

n severely woun ded . Ashmu himself received three

n n . bullets through his coat , but was u i j ured

man - of— n Towards sunset , a British war swept i to the

n Des n n . harbor . At o ce the ﬂed i la d Startled by the

n - ﬁri f P ri nce Re ent n oise of gu ng , the O ﬁcers of the g had

' diverted the ship from its course from Sierra Le one to

n not n Cape Coast Castle . The captai of this vessel o ly sen t ashore a detachment to ascertain the cause of the

nt u t n n of n was exciteme , b upo heari g the perils the colo y

n n n n n un dergoi g , se t a Scotch midshipma amed Gordo

n and eleven bluej ackets to aid the settlers . This e ded

in the most critical period all the history of Liberia . Gordon brought many supplies of food and munition s

n . of war , which were more tha welcome

n n n Eve greater aid was co veyed by Maj or Lai g , the famous Af rican explorer . After a short parley with the native chiefs , he made peace between the Americans and

C n f D a d . both the Mamba tribes A ter this success , the P ri nce Regent shook out canvas an d sailed away for

n and n the Gold Coast . Gordo the eleve sailors were left

n One b one of behi d . y , eight the seamen died from

and n n fever , ﬁ ally Gordo himself succumbed . His memory is perpetuated in a proposed Gordon Scholar ship in Liberia College .

n or n U dismayed by deaths by fever , Ashmu ordered the houses to be rebuilt outside the palisade . Examples of their type of Architecture are today found in the poorer

n n sectio s Of Mo rovia . They were raised from the ground on n or n an woode sto e supports , d had the appearan ce of PRESID ENT GI B SON AND PROMINENT STATESM EN

CHAPTER XV

LIBERIA NAMED

Inside the little colony several squabbles over the

n n on 2 4th division Of lan d were i fu ll sway , whe May ,

2 5 . n 1 8 , Dr Eli Ayres retur ed to Cape Mesurado , fully vested with the powers of agen t for the American Coloni z ation Society . Ayres attempted to make a more equal

n n l allotme t Of la d , but his efforts led to more quarre s

n n than before . Fi di g that he could do practically

t n n an d n othing for the lit le colo y , he retur ed to America

f n Ashmun resumed his position as Director o the Colo y . From Virginia on board the good ship Cyru s one

n hun dred and ﬁve fresh colo ists came in 1 82 4 . With

n n this reinforceme t , Ashmu felt that he could safely

an n leave the little settlement , d so we t to Cape Verde

n Isla d for a rest from his labors . The American Govern men t an d the Colonization

Society had recently appointed the Rev . Robert Gurley to draw up a provision al con stitution for the Mesurado

n n o in f n colo y . While proceedi g t the Gra Coast o the

P or oi se n an n war vessel p , he met Ashmu , d the deﬁ ite result was the establishin g of the plucky leader both as virtual govern or of the settlement an d as prin cipal agen t of n n n the America Colo izatio Society . Gurley after

an n of Of wards wrote exte ded biography Ashmun , whom he became a great admirer HIS TORY OF LIBERIA 67

n n n on Gurley not o ly drew up a co stitutio , but August 1 5th adopted the suggestion of Robert Good owe Harper of an d n an Baltimore , amed the colony , Liberia , d the

n n Mesurado settleme t , Monrovia . I true religious fer v or n n n , Ashmu had te tatively amed the little settle ” n Christo olis n n me t p , but readily co se ted to the

n n f n . o cha ge Mo rovia was course amed after Monroe ,

n n the president Of the U ited States . Harper was greatly

in n an interested the colo ization proj ect , d had suggested

in n n own both his names the U ited States Se ate . His n ame was afterwards given to the largest settlemen t in

n Maryla d on Cape Palmas . ’ n on 2 2 1 82 4 Af ter Gurley s retur to America August , , his measures were almost at on ce approved an d ratiﬁed both by the Colonization Society an d the United States

n n n to Governme t . This ratiﬁcatio was co veyed Li

Hu nter n off beria by the U. S . S . , which dropped a chor 4 2 n 1 1 8 5 . Monrovia , March , This Ship also i creased the population of the Mesurado Plateau by sixty

n colo ists . n Of After this success , Ashmu perceived the growth

n W n and n populatio that ould i evitably follow , bega buyin g up strip s of lan d about the seacoast . Bushrod

n n of n Isla d , that much co tested piece grou d , was either bou ght from Old King Peter or from a certain Mary “ n is n n Macke zie , who said to have bee its ative D of own er . oubtless , she was the mulatto daughter a

Scotch trader . n was At any r ate Bushrod Isla d purchased , but up 68 HIS TORY OF LIBERIA to the present time the Liberians have foun d very little use for it . n By a treaty and allian ce with the chiefs Peter , Lo g

n and on 1 1 1 82 5 Peter , Gouver eur , Yoda Jimmy , May , ,

Ashmun secu red the right to colonize alon g the St .

’ n its or Paul s River up to about twe ty miles of mouth ,

n n im to the head of n avigatio . Two settleme ts were mediately foun ded near the j un ction of Stockton Creek

’ O e n in . n an d the St . Paul s River was amed Caldwell hon or of Elij ah Caldwell of the American Colonization

an n Society , d the other , a statio called New Georgia , n set apart for the colonizatio of freed slaves , who might come as refugees ’ This skilful diplomacy much heighten ed Ashmu n s

in n n in and . reputatio , both Liberia the U ited States

He had n ot paid all his . attention to securin g terri

in nn tory , however , for it is recorded the a als of the Colony that the Liberian volunteers gave a Fourth of

f n in 2 nn o 1 8 5 . July di er , wholly ative products Some Of the n ative products must have been rather

n heady , for two of the ﬁfty di ers were dragged before the j ustice the n ext day to an swer charges Of drun kenn ess

n n n n preferred agai st them . Ma y America a d British

n n n n guests were prese t , amo g the most oted , Captai

Ferbin , a West Coast trader , who afterward got into hot water through min or participation in the slave trade .

in n a Thus three years , Ashmu had s vigorously de v elo ed as n p agriculture he had defe ses . A very good

CHAPTER XVI

’ LIBERIA S TERRITORIAL ACQ UI SITIO NS

n n Ash The colony having bee deﬁ itely established ,

n n ou t mu n turn ed his attentio to stampi g the slave trade , which even in 1 82 5 was much in practice along the lower

’ n n f on S t . Paul s River . He ﬁrst co ce trated his e forts

n the Grai Coast , and carefully made treaties with the

n differe t chiefs , by which he secured rights over various

f n was on pieces o la d . His ﬁrst large purchase made

2 th 1 82 5 n n October 7 , , whe the chief Freema ceded some territory about the New Cess River . This later became th n on e of e headquarters Of Theodore Ca ot , the m ost noted slave traders .

Ar n n n n ou d Cape Mou t , Ashmu secured the la d where

S n n - n powerful pa ish slave tradi g statio s were established .

n n on 1 2 1 82 6 A provisio of this treaty , sig ed April , , was that n o part of Cape Mount should ever be re - sold to any n n n foreig atio . An other large purchase was made O ctober 1 1 th of the

n Tom n same year , whe Chiefs Will , a d Peter Harris of the Mamba tribe tran sferred their rights over the terri tory about the Junk River and between the Dukwia an d

n n n Farmi gto to the Liberia s .

the Almost exactly a year later , town of Marshall was

n n of n fou ded , ear the mouth the Ju k . This was named 70 HIS TORY OF LIBERIA 71

r of n afte the chief j ustice the U ited States . Later in

the n of n same year , the Ki g Gra d Basa , Joe Harris , sold to the Liberian colonists the plot of lan d lyi n g about the

St . John River an d extendin g southward to the Biso

n n River ear Poi t Basa .

n of By the accessio all this territory , Liberia no w poss essed in disputable political control to the Grain

n n an n n i Coast betwee Cape Mou t d Gra d Basa , ot n ’ n the n cludi g territory alo g the St . Paul s River . ’ Ashmu n s success had been so pron oun ced that Kin g

n of n n n n Boatswai , a chief the Ma di gos , haste ed to e ter

n a n the n n i to llia ce with America settlers . O March

1 4 1 82 8 n n , , his e voys co cluded a treaty with Ashmun .

n of no n n for This allia ce was mea importa ce , King Boat swain reigned over six different tribes gathered into the

n o n . hi Ko d federatio From s capital at Boporo , he

n of ff of n directed ma y the a airs the West Africa Coast , an d his cession Of a part of the hinterlan d n orth of Cape ’ n as n in h n Mou t w a great achieveme t As mu s diplomacy . Whether the king was able to read his own treaty is

an n d oubtful , but at y rate , allia ce with his powerful

n n n confederation be eﬁted the colo ists to a large exte t .

of n Near the mouth the New Cess River , the Spa ish

- n in - slave traders had established a thrivi g trad g post , and against this Ashmun sent an expedition . Three American frigates participated in the attack on the s ettlement which was aptly en ough named Trade Town . Nat u rally the Spaniards were not desirous Of losin g their

an n ﬂourishing commerce , d put up a most determi ed 72 HIS TORY OF LIBERIA

n and an resistan ce to the invaders . As Ashmu armed

n party of marines landed o the beach , the frigates bom

In n barded the town . a short time the whole settleme t

an d a caught ﬁre , the ﬂ mes spread to a great powder

n magazi e .

n an d Immediately a great explosio occurred , the blast razed n early every buildin g by its force . For some moments the air was full of fragments Of houses an d

n n huma bei gs .

n n a n Notwithsta di g this wholes le destructio , all the

n n an d n slavi g statio s were rebuilt , were agai destroyed

- n n in 1 42 by a British Liberia expeditio 8 .

n n n nn n Tur i g like Ci ci atus from war to peace , Ashmu

n the n of in bega developme t agriculture Liberia . He

n an d new i i troduced raised breeds of cattle , sheep , p gs ,

- an d . n n n goats , ducks , geese fowls Cotto pla ti g was

d n n f wi ely e couraged , as was the growi g of co fee .

S n - n an d orghum , i digo , sugar ca e , rice maize were also

l n in an p a ted d about Cape Mesurado .

n Fever ravaged the colo y periodically , the settle

n n n in n me ts were ﬂooded by torre ts of rai the wet seaso , an d n of n of lot certai the settlers loudly complai ed their , and c olonv yet the prospered almost miraculously .

SO n in fast had bee its growth respect to territory, ‘ in 1 82 7 o that , the colored people f America were again

n urged to come to Liberia . Evide tly their response was

n one e thusiastic , for year later the population of the

n n colo y was more than twelve hu dred .

This ﬁgure did n ot in clude the many freed slaves and

74 HIS TORY OF LIBERIA

In the fall of 1 82 8 the fruits Of his last work became

n n n n apparent in a ew arra geme t , by which the America Colonization Society merely appointed an agen t and

- n n vice agen t to take over the directio Of the colo y . Every other Ofﬁcial was to be elected directly by the

n a d n his n colo ists themselves , n the to receive appoi t

n of ment from the age t , if the latter approved the selec

n man tion . The vote was give to every adult colored

n n in Liberia who ha d take an oath to the constitutio . ’ n hmu o n Upo As n s departure fr m the colo y , there had

n n been no other white ma i Liberia . Therefore he selected

of n Lott Carey to succeed him as Director the colo y .

did not n his Lott , however , lo g survive chief , but was killed by an explosion of gu n - powder while preparing

n n n n C in mu itio s for a ﬁght agai st a ative hief December ,

1 82 8.

’ At Ashmu n s death the American Colonization S O ciet n n m n y had appoi ted a other white A erica , Dr .

n n . Richard Ra dall , to be age t Almost his ﬁrst n otable act on arrivin g in the colony was to foun d the station of

in of Careysburg memory Lott Carey . This town is

of an situated to the east Millsburg , d like many other settlemen ts was inten ded to be a place where freed ﬁn d slaves might refuge .

n n Like ma y Of his predecessors Dr . Ra dall died Of in 1 82 fever April , 9 , while importan t negotiations with

n n n Ki g Boatswai were goi g on . A youn g American

n n doctor , Mechli , who had accompa ied him to Liberia , to n f succeeded the positio o agent . HIS TORY OF LIBERIA 75

Mechlin seems to have been a very stron g and diplo

an for n n n matic m , amo g his frie ds were umbered Lon g

of n an d n Peter , chief Cape Mou t , Bob Gray , ki g of

n n n Gran d Basa . Mechli attempted to stre gthe the

’ n on n of hold of the Liberia s the ba ks the St . Paul s

an d n in n n River , attai ed much success his egotiatio s . He developed the settlement Of Marshall at the outlet

’ n of the River Ju k , which is the main estuary Of the

Dukwia an d Farmington streams .

in n n He had , commo with Ashmu , a hatred for slave

and n n of traders , co ti ued all the policies the latter . n Un der his direction , the fort which overlooked a d com mand ed the penin sula of Cape Mount was improv e a d stren gthen ed . of in 1 832 n The ﬁrst real test his ability came , whe a ’ n n th n umber of slaves bei g sent dow e St . Paul s River and destined for the Gallinhas territory and the Cuban

n an d slave trader , Pedro Bla co , escaped from their guards

ﬂed to Monrovia as refugees . This precipitated an

n n intern ation al complicatio , for the Sulta of Brumley ,

n who own ed the slaves , was far from bei g pleased . He

on n immediately dispatched his s , Kaipa , to Mo rovia to deman d the return of his property . n Needless to say , the dema d was summarily refused .

n n n n n At on ce , the i dig a t Sulta procured some assista ce from the slave traders an d marched at the head of his

’ army to the Liberian settlements about the St . Paul s

n n n River . Mechli acted eve more promptly tha had the

n an d n n n Sulta , despatched Ge eral Elij ah Joh so , a ﬁeld 7 6 HIS TORY OF LIBERIA

n n n an n n to piece , a d o e hu dred d seve ty militiame the

n one n and n sce e . Guarded by hu dred twe ty freed slaves ,

n n n n of who acted as scouts , Joh so asce ded the ba ks the ’

t . an d z S Paul s River to above the ﬁrst rapids , sei ed the

n r villages of Brumley a d Gu rats .

n n f f Discouraged by this sudde tur O a fairs , the chief

an a sued for peace , d w s accorded favorable terms by

n f . n n o Mechli By the co ditio s the treaty , the chiefs ,

n were , however , forced to desist from i terrupting the trade between Monrovia an d the n atives of the hin ter

n land . Formerly the carava s Of the latter had been plun dered time and time again as they made their way towards the seacoast .

78 HIS TORY OF LIBERIA

n Sippi Colonization Society Of Si o was killed , possibly

n through the collusion of Theodore Ca ot , the slave

h in to n trader , w ose part the ﬁght seems have bee a n rather shady o e . ’ n an d Harris s warriors attacked the Maryla ders , aid

n n n was hastily sent from Monrovia . Agai Elij ah Joh so

n on n and his sturdy militiame arrived the sce e , drove

n an d n the tribesme back , captured the pri cipal Basa

h n n n Villages . T is success drew a grudgi g co se t to the

n colonization of the Maryla ders from Joe Harris . Up

n ff to the prese t time , however , the e orts of prohibition leaders to bar liquor from the West Coast of Africa have n ot been successful . The Mississippi Colonization Society had a far more

of n n peaceful time it tha did the Maryla d group . In

3 n hi n 1 83 , the colo ists sent by t s society fou ded the

n of n of n tow Gree ville at the mouth the Si o River . This

n in settleme t , which is still the largest the n eighborhood of S n n n on the i o , was amed after James Gree , e of the n ﬁrst advocates Of ema cipation .

n Duri g all this time , Liberia had n ot aban don ed its

. In 1 83 n territorial growth 5 , more la d alon g the coast

h n was purc ased from the atives . These acquisitions exten ded Liberian d ominion s to the mouth of the Sin o

an d n n River , i cluded the outlet of the Sa guin .

n of an d was Mechli died fever , succeeded by Dr .

k nn n n on e in S i er , who spe t o ly part Of year Liberia . n ‘ I 1 837 n n . a ointed a ent , A tho y D Williams was pp g . ’ n nn of f Duri g Ski er s brief term O ﬁce , Thomas Eu HIS TORY OF LIBERIA 79

n n n cha a , a cousi of President Buchanan of the United

d n t n f States , was selecte . by the colo iza io societies o New York an d Pennsylvania to report on the con dition Of

. n h n Liberia His services to the colo y , w ich were ma y , in cluded the buildin g of the ﬁrst lighthouse on Cape

d n Mesura o . The Liberian settlements Of Upper a d

n n Lower Bucha a at Gran d Basa are n amed after him . In 1 838 the ﬁrst census of Liberia was taken . It gave the entire population of American origin as

of did n n n n This , course , ot i clude the colo y of Maryla d ,

as n which w the regarded as a separate state . Doubt less the account which states that four thousan d emi grants had been sen t from America to Liberia and

n n n Maryla d was a exaggeratio .

n t n m - n Eve the death ra e amo g the A erico Liberia s ,

was n which of course high , would hardly accou t for this

n in the n of i n discrepa cy ﬁgures , while umber em gra ts who went to Sierra Leon e or return ed to America was

n n i ﬁ itesimal .

As of n n a matter fact , a hu dred thousa d Negroes could have been sen t over of the three million in the United

is h n States at that time . However , it ardly ecessary to point ou t that the primary Obj ect of the several American Colonization Societies was not to abolish

n slavery as a institution , but to deport free Negroes .

n in an Slavery was the ﬁrmly established America , d it was considered that its abolition was a very far dis

n n as n ot in ta t eve t . The free Negro w welcomed the

for n of of South , he prese ted a problem the equality the 80 HIS TORY OF LIBERIA

n n n white an d black races . I deed , in ma y sectio s , these and an Negroes were considered a menace to society , ’ attempt at a gen eral black man s uprisin g was feared .

n n For this reaso , some authorities co sider that the work Of the colonization societies was n ot only a work of

n of n . phila thropy , but also precautio n In 1 838 Liberia now had its ﬁrst gover or . fresh

n n of n attention was given to the gover me t the colo y , an d to the persons in whom authority should be vested .

n n n n n of A e tirely ew constitutio , peculiar to the eeds

n Greenlof of Liberia , was draw up by Professor , Harvard

n of n College . By this time the Colo y Maryla d which had been built up roun d Cape Palmas was an in dep en

n f n o n as de t state . The rest o what we w k ow Liberia was divided into the two counties of Montserrado and

n an d Gra d Basa , stretched from somewhere about Cape

n on t n n on Mou t the west o beyo d the Si o River the east .

n n an - n It was placed u der a Gover or d a Vice Gover or .

To n n ho n these was added a Cou cil of Liberia s , w u der the direction Of the Governor were con stituted as a

n an - n legislative body . The Gover or d Vice Gover or were virtually appointed by the committee of the Ameri c an n n n Colo izatio Society , which also retai ed the right of veto on any laws promulgated by the Govern or and

Council . The members Of this Coun cil were to be

in n elected by the people . As the U ited States a suffrage was granted to every male citizen of twenty- one years and n upwards , without property qualiﬁcatio . The

n n of ten of i Cou cil co sisted members , whom s x sat for

HIS TORY OF LIBERIA 81 the county of Montserrado an d four for the county of

n n of Basa . The admi istratio j ustice was vested in a

High Court Of which the Govern or was President . CHAPTER XVIII

LIBERIAN PROGRE SS AND THE B EGINNING O F THE END O F THE SLAVE TRADE

The ﬁrst decisive blow against the slave trade was struck when Liberia declared slavery or the sale or barter Of Slaves illegal within the limits of the c olonyf Fear of slave traders being allowed a voice in Liberian politics was largely instrumental in con ﬁnin g citizenship to

n person s of color or Africa s . The question Of this limitation of citizen ship was much discussed until

of n Elisha Whittlesey , a member the commissio to dis “ n in n hi cuss the constitutio , succeeded havi g s color line measure adopted . “ n in The term Africa , which was used the Liberian

n of Co stitution , was taken advantage some years later

o e . n by n Attia , a Moorish trader This Morocca Jew , n n i though as fair complexio ed as an Europea , claimed h s

n C n as an n an right to Liberia itize ship , Africa , d boldly an d openly carried on trade outside the limits of the ports Of entry . He also established factories on the

an a coast and up the rivers of Liberia , d w s entirely

n of n n protected by the wordi g the Co stitutio .

n n n At ﬁrst gla ce , this racial disti ctio might seem to be

l n n n il iberal or eve u j ust , but from ﬁrst to last , the colo y 82

84 HIS TORY OF LIBERIA in an d Cuba , Porto Rico Brazil gave rise to a large de man d for slaves from the African Coasts .

n n n and Do Pedro Bla co , a ative of Malaga , Theodore

n of n n Ca ot , the former mate a Bosto tradi g ship , were

n f h an d is to the two best k own slavers o t is time , it

’ Can ot s account that we are much in debted for informa

n tio about the trade itself . Prices paid for the Slaves

in n n n were low , adult Negroes good co ditio bei g worth

n ten o ly about dollars apiece . Children or inferior slaves were bought at from three to n n or eight dollars . Slaves of the Ma di go Fula race

n t n an d were more valuable , owi g to heir lighter ski more

n n n n in ha dsome appeara ce . Ma di gos were very much , deman d in Cuba as the smartest type of domestic ser

n f in vant . But speed and eco omy o space the oversea

n n n n n h tra sport bei g esse tial co sideratio s , after the Britis n n n n ot i terfere ce with the slave trade had comme ced , so much attention was paid as in the eighteenth century

of on In hi n to the comfort the slaves board . s accou t , Can ot says “ Sometimes on slave ships the height between the decks where the slaves were chain ed was only eighteen n not n n i ches , so that the slaves could tur arou d , the

n n space bei g less tha the breadth of their shoulders .

n n n They were chai ed by the eck a d the legs . They had not man in ﬂi n the room of a a c o . They frequently died of n ru n thirst , for the fresh water would Ofte Short . The establishmen t Of the Liberian colony contributed remarkably to the drivin g ou t of the slave trade from the HIS TORY OF LIBERIA 85 region s east of Sierra Leon e ; but the greatest work in the suppression of this trafﬁc in Negro slaves in West Africa was don e by Great Britain sendin g her cruisers

nt an d of n an to patrol the Atla ic the Gulf Gui ea , d abol i shin in n in g slavery the West I dies , as South Africa , at a cost of the immen se sum of When

in the British West Indies market was closed , half the

nt In n d u ceme s were removed . the mea time the United

States of America seemed a seething pot , many churches drew the bands tighter about the admission of members an d the Methodist Episcopal Church was ruptured by on e of its bishops marryin g a woman who held slaves .

n n The church , as did the atio a few years later , divided

an d in half , which placed Liberia more more in the lime -light of the world as the future home of the liberated slave . CHAPTER XIX

HOMA HA A HE IR O ER O R O F I ERIA T S BUC N N , T F ST G V N L B

’ Liberia s ﬁrst govern or un der the new Con stitution

n i was Thomas Bucha an of Philadelphia , a wh te Ameri

c a n n n in . n , who has bee me tio ed elsewhere this history In 1 83 6 he had come ou t to Liberia as the envoy of

n n and n on e of two colo izatio societies , had co structed the ﬁrst lighthouses on the West Coast Of Africa .

In 1 839 n an d n he became gover or , almost at o ce began an eventful career which ﬁn ally won him the “ ” n n native nickn ame of Big Cann o . U der the rather

n n weak a d ineffectual administration of Antho y D .

an 6 n n n Williams , the Gora d D tribes had bee co ti uously an d n furiously battling i the country back of Monrovia .

v i in For some time ctory lay the balance , but the Gora tribesmen ﬁn ally destroyed all the power that had been ’ n the D$ s . I evitably all this warfare an d bloodshed did

n n an d b e co siderable damage to the colo y , Williams trayed no in clin ation to right matters by force of arms .

n n n n n Hardly had Bucha a e tered upo his ew duties ,

n hi n whe Gatumba , a chief of Boporo , linked s fortu es

an d his in with those of the Gora people , led warriors a

n n E furious o slaught agai st the D S . Whether by acci

n Or n n n n de t by i te tio , those Liberia s who lived along 86

88 HIS TORY OF LIBERIA

’ n nn on n into the enemy s territory . Leavi g their ca behi d

n n n f n and them o accou t of the de sity o the u dergrowth , the impossibility of their transportation across the , n n swamps , the three hu dred Liberia s marched through ’ h the j un gle on Gatu mb a s stron g old . This was a walled town some twen ty miles from Mills

a n burg , nd supposedly amply protected by the de se

n n j u gle which surrou ded it . In a short time , however ,

n a d was the Liberia force had surrounded it , n their aim

of so good , that after a ﬁrst ﬁerce struggle the soldiers

Gatumba laid down their arms an d ﬂed to cover . ’ Gatu mb a s n n n town was ﬁ ally bur ed to the grou d ,

- after the Liberians had occupied it for twenty four hours .

an an n The chief , himself , became outcast d e tirely lost all n n n an d su c his co siderable power . This i cide t , the

’ n n n n cess of Gover or Bucha a s prompt actio , raised the prestige of the Liberian Government con siderably in

f n of the esteem o the atives . The chiefs Boporo

ff n an n hastened to e ect a ew treaty , d peace was agai

n n restored to the hi terla d .

a n n Despite the fact that all warfare w s aba do ed , the

’ n on n f r n la d both ba ks o the St . Paul s River emai ed

n n n u developed for some time , owi g to the u settled state

n n . n of the adj ace t cou try Its agricultural developme t , which ha d been proceedin g very satisfactorily up to 1 830 t , thus received a severe se back . ’ While Buchanan s main contribution to the welfare

n was n of Of the colo y his suppressio the slave trade , he also took advan tage of his war - like reputation to c on HIS TORY OF LIB ERIA 89 e and an s n lude several treaties alli ce with the ative chiefs . He was also in strumen tal in preventing much inter

an d in n tribal warfare , abolishi g barbarous customs , such n as the poiso ordeal . The United States had long sin ce prohibited its sub e cts n n in n 1 42 j from e gagi g the slave trade , but u til 8

not t did back up the law wi h force . Therefore the Stars and Stripes ﬂuttered from the stern of many a

n Slaver which scudded past the Liberia Coast . At that

n n f - time , the British Gover me t had not the o t disputed

to n n right search America vessels , but the E glish cruisers prevented the establishin g of slave exportin g

n n an statio s at Cape Mou t d the Basa Coast .

n of n n n Writi g the British aval Ofﬁcers , Bucha a says Whi lst makin g various complaints against English

nn n in d n c on traders , I ca ot forbear placi g isti guished trast the honorable and gentlemanly con duct of the n aval

n n ofﬁcers of that nation . They i variably ma ifest a

n in of n and warm i terest the prosperity the colo y , Often lay me under obligations by their kin d off ers of ” service . Already the trade in palm Oil was beginning to out

a n n f rank the slav e trafﬁc s the ﬁrst co sideratio o traders .

and for n Great Britain , at that time ma y years , was the

f was principal purchaser o palm Oil , which greatly in

n n demand by the Liverpool shippi g i terests .

l- n As Liberia was rich in Oi beari g palms , British traders from Sierra Leone began to encroach upon the Liberian 90 HIS TORY OF LIBERIA

n Coast . These settlers were very a xious to have the

n an d n n Union Jack ﬂyi g over them , were ope ly scor ful

n as n of the U ited States , which , they said , e slaved

n n n an in Negroes i o e cou try , d advocated their freedom an other . Buchan an looked with great suspicion on these British

n an d in 1 840 n a n n n to settleme ts , se t n age t to E gla d obtain assuran ce that no English colonization society

n n would trespass upo Liberia territory . The British Anti - Slavery Society was viewed with suspicion by the

n n colo ists , who feared that ulterior motives lay be eath

n its phila thropy . An All -British domain from Sierra Leone to the Gold Coast was the spectre which confron ted Liberian s at

n n n that time . Ma y America s i terested in Liberia urged the United States to bu y the Dutch an d Danish settle ments ; but American interests at that time were chieﬂy

n n co cer ed with domestic problems .

n 1 840 d n n The ce sus of isclosed that Liberia , ot i clud

n n h ad n i g Maryla d , a populatio of American set tlers and n and n thirty thousa d freed slaves atives , who were loyal to Liberian rule .

Buchan an oftentimes professed himself acutely dis

Of n ho satisﬁed by the attitude the colo ists , w were for

n an d n ot the most part tow smen farmers . From time to time , he addressed drastic remarks to the settlers ,

n - n urgi g them to become self supporti g . This must

n in 1 8 have had some result , for , writi g May , 39 , he says $

92 HIS TORY OF LIBERIA as one Of the stron gest and best directed in the whole

of n n n history the colo y . I cide tally he was the last white administrator in power on the West African - Ofi n al littoral eastwards Se eg . CHAPTER XX

G OVERNOR ROBERTS

n n ns Gover or Joseph Je ki Roberts , who had c om man d ed i n n the exped tio agai st Gatumba , su cceeded

n n a s of n n Bucha a the head the Liberia colo y . He was immediately plun ged into the vortex of international complications by the action of Fran ce in purchasing

n n of from the ative chiefs Cape Mou t , the Site Great

an n Dieppe at Basa Cove , Great d Little Butu a d

n n Garawe , ear the State Of Maryla d .

n ru n The Fre ch ﬂag was up at the latter place , and it wa s asserted on royal authority that a con siderable portion of the Kru coast had been purchased from the

to natives . Naturally , the latter were only too glad sell

an n their lands over d over agai .

n 40 n n n I 1 8 , Fre ch possessions o the Grai Coast were foun d only alon g the course of the river Senegal

n n on the Cape Verde Peninsula , a d the little isla d of

n n re Goree , which had origi ally bee French , but had

n n n n an d verted to Holla d a d E gland . To these colo ies protectorates were added Gran d Basa an d several

n other parts of the Ivory Coast , some la d at Porto

n an NOVO , ear Lagos , d territory about the mouth Of the

n n n Gabu River , from which her vast Co go Possessio s came into being 94 HIS TORY OF LIBERIA

Apparently these territorial acquisitions took up all

or n her time , f after a protest was registered by Gover or

n o n Roberts , attempts were made by the Fre ch to follow n the up their purchases in Liberia . After a lo g time ,

n for of ne otia claims were re ewed , but merely purposes g

n tio . Govern or Roberts was no less active than Buchan an and Mechlin had been in addin g to the Liberian Sphere 2 1 43 n f n n . n 2 8 o i ﬂue ce O February , , he co cluded a treaty with King Yoda of the Gora tribe , by which Liberia Obtained much territory along the upper waters f ’ o St . the Paul s River . The Goras likewise pledged

an n themselves to abolish slavery d trial by poiso . ’ So successful were Roberts efforts in the way of treaty

n 1 845 n n maki g that by , Liberia territory exte ded over the whole coastlin e between the Mafa River on the West an d n n n Gra d Sesters River o the East . Co siderable money had been paid for these lands ; the American and other colonization societies frequently ﬁnan cin g the

n n tra sactio s . Most of the territory so acquired was purchased in

of 1 843 1 844 an 1 4 the years , , d 8 5 . The position of

on an d n n n Liberia alo g the Ju k River , at Gra d Basa ,

n on n n an at Si o , the Sa gui , d west of Cape Mount in the general direction of the Mano River was greatly strength

rr e ed by these treaties .

An agreement was made between Roberts on the one n and n . n of n ha d Joh B Russwurm , Preside t Maryla d , on the other , that the states of Maryland and Liberia

HIS TORY OF LIBERIA 95

Should practically unite against aggression by foreign

as powers , and far as possible pursue a common domestic

in of an f policy , particularly the matter customs d tarif . In both countries a uniform import duty of six per cent

a d va lorem was ﬁxed , which it was hoped , would provide sufﬁcien t fun ds to meet the cost of administerin g each

n an n n n n n n colo y , d also re der them i depe de t Of ﬁ a cial support from the various American Colonization Socie

ties . Perhaps a word Should be said here abou t the colony

n n on n n n of Maryla d , which had so far i sisted mai tai i g

f n n n n n o . an existe ce i depe de t her larger eighbor , Liberia

in 1 3 1 an d n Foun ded 8 , it grew but Slowly , umbered

n about four hun dred colonists nine years later . Te miles west of Cape Palmas was the extent of its coast

4 in 1 846 n lin e in 1 8 3 , but various treaties were co cluded with chiefs Of the Kru tribes on either side of Cape

Palmas . These lan ds extended the State of Marylan d from the Liberian Frontier at the Grand Sesters River on the west

o to the River S an Pedro n the east , sixty miles east Of

n a roxi the cape . This gave the state a coastli e of pp

n mately one hun dred an d twe ty miles . n n of At the presen t time , the existi g cou ty Mary

n n for in lan d is but a small portio of the origi al state , 1 892 the Fren ch Govern ment ann exed ﬁfty miles of

n and coast between the San Pedro a d the Cavalla rivers , at the same time took over several square miles of the hi nterlan d . 96 HIS TORY OF LIBERIA

The administrative capital of Maryland was the town of Harper situated at Cape Palmas and named after

on e Robert Goodloe Harper Of Baltimore , Of the most active and most prominent members of the American

Colonization Society .

n Russwurm was the ﬁrst gover or of Maryland . Like many prominen t citizen s of Liberia he was a n ative of f n n n o . the West I dies , comi g from the Da ish Island St

an n a an Thomas . He was octoroo , as w s Roberts , d resembled the Governor of Liberia in energy an d capa bilit y .

n an d of Under his supervisio that Roberts , a census

in 4 was taken 1 8 3 . It placed the combined American Negro population at Governor Roberts made a ﬂyin g visit to the United States in 1 844 to consult with Ofﬁcials of the colonization

n n n societies co cer i g the Slave trade and other problems . Later in the same year an American ﬂeet Of warships L i Visited the iberian coast . It was n this year also that the Methodist Episcopal Church became divided on

n of accou t the slave question .

Roberts shortly return ed from America to con clude an n n importa t treaty with chief Bob Gray , o e of the

t n n n mos importa t ki gs of the Gra d Basa district .

n on 5 1 845 By this agreement , which was sig ed April , , the entire strip of seacoast between Marshall on the Jun k

River and the Grand Basa settlements was ceded to

Liberia .

In n the same year , Liberia territory was much ex

98 HIS TORY OF LIBERIA

n n for this act , agai st which the U ited States Govern

n ment protested to Britai . The reply was made that Great Britain could n ot

n of recogni ze the sovereig powers Liberia , which it regarded merely as the commercial experimen t of a philanthropic society . n It was also put forward that by time Of reside ce , Captain Drin g had prior rights at Basa Cove to those Of t n n n n he Liberia s . Lord Aberdee , the foreig mi ister ,

and n took up the case , wrote to Everett , the America ambassador at the Court of St . James , that , Her

’ Majesty s naval commanders would afford efﬁcient protection to British trade against improper assumption ” f n f o power o the part o the Liberian authorities . Doubtless this last phrase referred to the levyin g of

n custom duties a d harbor dues . The United States appears to have aban don ed all intention of intervention for the little Republic at that

n in time , for the mi ister Great Britain replied that the “ United States had no thought Of presuming to settle differences arisin g between Liberian an d British su b ” ects n n for o n j ; the Liberians bei g respo sible their w acts . From these diplomatic interchan ges it became ap parent that the United States entirely disclaimed any n of an n protectio Liberia , d did ot claim for it the status of an n American colo y . The American Colonization Society immediately followed the lead of the United States Government in standin g aloof from the respon sibilities of creatin g the HIS TORY OF LIBERIA 99

n an d in n 1 846 Negro colo y , Ja uary , , resolved through “ its board of directors that the time had arrived when it was expedient for the people of the Commonwealth of Liberia to take into their own han ds the whole work Of

- n n n n n n of self gover me t , i cludi g the ma ageme t all their ” n n foreig relatio s . Thus Liberia was entirely thrown upon her own re

an of n n sources , d deprived all aid , ﬁ a cial or otherwise , from either the United States or the colonization socie

n n for n a s ties , which were j oi tly respo sible its creatio a c olony . A few thousan d ex- slaves and freed Negroes were

on one n n left to ﬁght , ha d , the savages and the j u gles ,

n n mn and n n a d o the other , the deter i ed almost co sta t n aggression s of foreign nations upo their territory . That they met the crisis wisely and bravely is forever to their credit . CHAPTER XXI

TH E FOUND ING O F THE RE PUBLI C

n n Fortun ately for Liberia , the British Gover me t at that time was rather overburden ed by its territorial

an no respon sibilities in Africa , d did t care to add more

its n of n lan ds on the West Coast to already lo g list colo ies .

nn in 1 846 i If Britain had desired to a ex Liberia , it s hardly likely that the United States would have Offered any con siderable Opposition . In those days there was no steamship service between

n an d an d n E gland the West Coast , the Liberia trade

n n was not of much importance . Co seque tly the British

n n in no n n Gover me t was hurry to act , a d duri g this time Govern or Roberts had the foresight to materially stren gthen the Liberian hold on the Grain Coast by ad

itional n d purchases from the ative chiefs . He secured eighty miles Of the Kru coast an d also the Kru town s of

and n in Sestra Kru Gra d Sesters this year . He was also

in n on t occupied a determi ed attack the slave rade , which

m ou t in n n was al ost wiped the vici ity of Cape Mou t . Whether or n ot En gland approved of this territorial

of n not n growth the little colo y , it did ve ture to further

n n i terfere with the foreig policies of Liberia , and in n 1 846 Ja uary , , Roberts decided that the on ly solution Of the difﬁculties of Liberia was to declare it an inde 1 00

HIS TORY OF LIBERIA 1 01

n n n pe de t Negro Republic . It was ot difﬁcul t to Obtain the assen t of the American Colonization Society to this

for scheme , the Society had for some time wished itself

of n li on rid its respo sibi ties the West Coast .

t th n The Bri ish seemed to favor e pla , provided Li beria con stituted itself a State with deﬁnite responsibili

an d n nt ties , the gover me was assured that it would

n n n n receive full recog itio from the British Gover me t .

n n an 1 847 Duri g the spri g d early summer Of , the Li b erians contin ued to discuss the question of in depen

n n 1 an n f r n n . O 8 o de ce May , ordi ance admi isteri g

in n and j ustice the State of Maryla d was passed , prep aration was made to declare Maryland an in dependent

n i Ju l 8th 1 8 was state simulta eously w th Liberia . y , 47 , declared a da o u bli c thanks i vi n i n Li beri a to mark y f p g g ,

’ the con clu si on of the eﬁorts whi ch had been made to draw u p the terms of the Declarati on of I n dep endence and the

a c fu tu re con sti tu ti on of the Li beri n Repu bli .

n of On October 7th of the previous year , a cou cil Liberians had almost un animously approved of the

an measure providin g for a Republic , d all the tribes

of n . favored it , except the people Gra d Basa $ On July 2 nd a solemn Declaration of In depen dence on the part Of the Liberian nation was made in c onv en

to n n n tion . Roberts seems have bee abse t from Mo ro

n of v ia at the time ; Samuel Be edict , the Chief Liberia , was elected President of the Convention which made

n . this declaratio . The other members were H Teage , n and n n . Gen eral Elij ah Joh so , J . N Lewis , Beerly Wilso , 1 02 HIS TORY OF LIBERIA

n n n J . B . Gipso (represe tatives of the Mo tserrado

n n n . . n Cou ty) , Joh Day , Amos Herri g , A W Gard er , Ephraim Titler (representatives from Gran d Basa) ;

n . n n . . a d R . E Murray , represe tative from Si o Mr Jacob

S of n n n . W . Prout was the ecretary the Co ve tio The

Con stitution was adopted by a unanimous vote .

n n The Liberia seal $ A dove on the water , represe t in t an n i n n g peace , wi h Ope scroll n its claws , represe ti g a thirst for th e p en an d the kn owledge so lon g denied

On romon them , was also adopted . the seal is also the p

Of n tory Mesurado , a lighthouse , ships u der full sail ,

n n th n as a d a plough . Ofte times e dove is represe ted

n m n in i carryi g a docu e t ts beak , which is emblematic

n of a risi g republic . A somewhat peculiar state of affairs existed at this ti n of n me regardi g the status Maryla d State . Despite

n ot nn n 1 7 the fact that it was formally a exed u til 85 , three members from Marylan d sat in the Lower House at

n an d n n in Mo rovia , it was represe ted by two se ators the

n n n Liberia Se ate . Its co stitution was largely modelled on n that Of the larger republic , although it conti ued

n o n n u der its w gover or . The Sino district was represented by two member s in the Upper House and three in the Lower House of

Liberia . The hoisting of the new ﬂag Of the Republic on August 2 4th was the sign al for the recognition of the new Repub h e an n n n n n En as i depe de t state by Great Britai . A g

- — lish man of war proceeded to Monrovia and there

1 04 HIS TORY OF LIBERIA

n n n O to Berli , the Gover me t of Prussia took the p p ortu nity to formally recognize the existen ce of the n n Liberian Republic . This recog itio closely followed

n that of France and En gla d .

n n The Ambassador of Prussia to E gla d , the Chevalier ’ n n nn in n n de Bu se , gave a di er Roberts ho or upo the

n n n return of the latter to E gla d . Amo g the guests

n b e at this ban quet were Lord Ashley , who was soo to

n come Earl of Shaftesbury , the Rev . Ralph Ra dolph Gurley (the biographer of Ashmu n and one of the best

f and Blomﬁeld known American promoters o Liberia) , ,

f n n the Bishop o Lo do . The Bishop was much interested in the slave trade in

allinh as n an n the G cou try , d listened with amazeme t to

’ “ Roberts graphic description of the ravages of Pedro Blan co an d the other Cuban and American slavers in t n hat regio . Roberts declared that in his Opinion the only way in which the slave trade in this region might be effectively suppressed would be to purchase the lan ds between

n and n Sherbro Isla d Cape Mou t from the native chiefs , and then use the entire authority an d force of Liberia to i break up the commerce n slaves . The Bishop promptly asked how great a su m would be n to ecessary purchase the rights to this land , and Rob erts estimated it at two thousan d poun ds Lord Ashley immediately volunteered to raise this m su . if Mr Gurley approved of the expen diture . Gurley expressed the utmost satisfaction in regard to the p ro j HIS TORY OF LIBERIA 1 05

and n ect , the ext day Lord Ashley obtained a thousan d

n in t pou ds a Lombard Street bank and gave it to Rober s . Arran gements were made for raisin g the other thousan d

an on n pounds , d his retur Roberts was able to ﬁnan ce

n treaties with the chiefs of Mattru , Gumbo , Basa , Galli

nn an nn has , Ma a d Ma a Rock , although these territories

n were not actually purchased u til the year 1 856.

n n Of all the Europea pote tates , Queen Victoria gave

k n a it the most i dly welcome to President Roberts , nd was in England that he received the greatest assistan ce

for the new Republic . Every honor was paid the

n of n n Preside t , and a salute seve tee guns was accorded

n him at a reception on board the Royal yacht . Not o ly Roberts but hi s whole Ofﬁcial staff we re sent back to

Amazon an in Liberia on board the British warship , ; d.

addition to these courtesies , the British admiralty

n presented the Liberian Republic with a tra sport , the

- rk a d u u n u ai l . L a , n a small fo r g sloop , the Q The an latter was Of much use as a revenue cutter , d proved most efﬁcacious in the prevention of smuggling and the

n n n slave trade . Upo the prese tatio of these vessels , the Liberian Senate and Congress passed un animous resolution s Of thanks .

Roberts return ed to Liberia , delighted above all with

n and kindli his reception in Engla d , also gratiﬁed at the

n ness with which other foreig courts had received him , and the readiness with which they recognized the Li

his n to n berian Republic . Soon after retur Mo rovia ,

nboat the P enelo e to salu te at Monrovi a France sent a gu , p , , 1 06 HIS TORY OF LIBERIA

- n u ns the la o the Li beri an Re u bli c . wi th twenty o e g , f g f p The American corvette Yorktown and the En glish gu n vessel Ki ngﬁsher also Visited Liberia in the early part of 1 849 and assisted Roberts in a ﬁnal attack on the Ob stimate Spanish slave - trade settlements at New Cess

n an d River , j ust beyo d Basa , which were destroyed

slaves released . 1 4 Den In the year 8 9 , Portugal , Sardinia , Austria ,

n an n mark , Swede d Norway , Brazil , Hamburg , Breme ,

an of n and Lubeck , d Haiti followed the powers Wester Central Europe in formally recognizin g the Liberian

n State . The U ited States withheld its act of formal

n n for n as recog itio , the reaso that it feared if Liberia w

n an n n n n recog ized as i depe de t State , the U ited States ” n would have to receive at Washingto a man of color . Such was the color prej udice then in vogue in the United

In 1 62 States . 8 the United States formally a ckn owl edged the independen ce Of this little State created by

n American phila thropy .

1 08 HIS TORY OF LIBERIA

n n of the approach to the West Africa Coast , whe he said gorgeous sun sets an d sunrises of this region $ It seemed

’ as though all the purple of Rome s con suls an d C aesars were spread ou t un der the last footsteps of the God of ” n n in his Day , to his retur after a mo th the Republic , impression s of Liberia were most favorable . His very enthusiastic account of the country and its possibilities was printed as a State Document in 1 850 by the United

n States Co gress . With this act may be said to have en ded the direct patronage of the United States an d the

n n n in 1 877 n America colo izatio societies , though a umber of Negroes were sent from the southern states as colo

i in n in n sts . But various philanthropic circles the i terest

n n the Liberia experime t died .

n n for o The American Colo izatio Society , which s long

of a fostered the colony Liberia , still exists , nd still pub

Th ri can t r n e A e osi o . lishes its j our al , f R p y This review

n in 1 832 an n n was fou ded , d. to the prese t day conti ues

and o to give regular authentic reports n Liberia . Its n n in 1 892 an h ame was cha ged to Liberia , d it now as an and — n in active well edited co temporary Liberia ,

in West Africa , which is also published Monrovia .

n in 1 90 The preside t elected 5 was the Rev . Judson

- D . D . n n Smith , Amo g the vice preside ts is the familiar n of i n ame Crozer , n remembra ce of whom Crozerv ille

n i was fou ded n Liberia .

. n an The late professor Edward W Blyde , d Bishop S n . a d . . Isaiah B cott , Bishop J C Camphor , Methodist of t Bishops Africa , were grea workers worthy of note . HIS TORY OF LIBERIA 1 09

The Chairman of the Executive Committee bears the

n of an ho ored name Gurley , d is no doubt a son Of Ash ’ n mu s biographer . The Liberian Republic resembles the United States in its ﬂag , its political distin ctions and a system Of party

n n n n - gover me t , beari g amo g the conservative minded

n n of O Liberia voters the ame Whigs or ld Whigs , while the more radical or progressive section of the people

n called themselves the True Liberian Party , a d ” “ ”

n . Republica s The term Whig , like Tory ,

as n came , a political ickname , from England to the

n and to U ited States , from America back Liberia ,

in n where it is use at the prese t day . The Whigs in later days have been further differen “ “ tiat an ed d . as True Whigs , Old Whigs As a

an n party , they desire to limit d restrai the rights of

in and to foreigners Liberia , preserve the commerce and

n - n for la d settleme t as much as possible Negroes . The

n on n True Liberia , called later the Republica Party ,

n on the other ha d , advocate a far more liberal policy , which should admit stran gers to n early all the advantages

n n of Liberia . To this last party belo ged Preside t

a n n n n for Roberts , nd also Stephe Alle Be so the ﬁrst

n n n part of his career . But Be so afterwards we t over

an n 1 860 n to the Whig party , d si ce this has bee the

n domin an t factio . SO successful had the administration of President

n in 1 849 Roberts bee , that May , , he was elected for a

n nn n n 1 1 850. was n seco d term , begi i g Ja uary , He agai 1 1 0 HIS TORY OF LIBERIA

n 1 851 and 1 853 and chosen to head the Republic betwee , 1 1 55 n held ofﬁce until December 3 , 8 , a te ure Of more than six years . ’ n n Un der Roberts capable guida ce , Liberia bega to grow in importan ce and in commerce .

n 1 0 an n n n I 85 Germ i terests e tered the Liberia ﬁeld , an d two Hamburg tradin g -houses were established in

ne h n n the Republic . O year later the Britis Gover me t

n n n appoi ted as its ﬁrst co sul at Mo rovia , the Rev . Mr . ’ n n n n n n ot Ha so . Ha so s te ure of the post was altogether

an d in n n f successful , he left a year , complai i g o disre

f l n n spect u treatme t by the Liberia s . He was a n ative

and m an A n of Cape Coast Castle a of frica birth , but does not seem to have attracted much attention as a diplomat . In 1 850 also the sleep Sickness or sleep disease i n n . n was fou d to exist Liberia A missio ary , Koelle , and n Lu enbeel a physicia , g , both reported the malady , which has lately appeared to a small extent in the United

. Doala n n of States Bukere , i ve tor the Vai alphabet , one of n n was the most promi e t victims Of this disease , which has been fully described by Lu genbeel on condi t n n in io s as he fou d them Liberia .

n n n Duri g the ext year , Edward Wilmot Blyde , a N the n n of egro from Da ish Isla d St . Thomas , who was destined to become one of the most famous Liberians , in arrived the Republic . At that time he was only nine n tee years of age , but was already an excellent Latin and

an a Greek scholar , d w s also conversant with many

HIS TORY OF LIBERIA 1 1 1

n n Europea la guages . He soon became a person of n ote

in and the Republic , was the author of many books of “ n . n n n m an i terest His best k ow , Christia ity , Isla , d ” R n the Negro ace , is regarded as bei g one of the most

t t on Af n authori a ive works rica subj ects . He was versed

in an d Arabic , it is said that his policy on African Coloniza tion is the only method that will meet with

success . He was a resident of Liberia until his death in 1 1 there 9 3 . At this time friction with the n atives again occasioned

in In 1 n f . 850 o trouble Liberia , the atives Boporo had again stopped all trade between the Mandingos in the hinterland an d the Liberians on the coast by plundering

n the carava s . Commerce all alon g the coast was considerably dis

tu rbed n i h t by this i ter or outbreak , w ich occurred shor ly after President Roberts had concluded a treaty of peace

n n in an f betwee the Vai , Gora a d Buzi tribes e fort to

n n n stimulate trade developme t . Gra do , a ative chief , led a horde of tribesmen against the little town of Lower

Ten n n n an . Bucha a , d practically destroyed it Liberia s

in were killed the battle .

- Ren dered over c onﬁdent by this Victory , he attacked

nu t . Basa Cove , which proved a far harder to crack

n and The settlers displayed un expected resista ce , utterly

’ defeated Gran do s army with great loss to the latter .

n n n of n Mea while , Maryla d was havi g its share ative

an n n and n n troubles d i surrectio s , the gover or , Joh Bap

tist of n and . Russwurm , died overstrai overwork 1 1 2 HIS TORY OF LIBERIA

Roberts had completed the acquisition of territory betwee n Cape Mount and the Bulo country behin d Sher

n 2 In n an n o i 1 85 . bro Isla d , d retur ed t Europe October of the same year he had an interview with the Prin ce

n of th n n Preside t e Fre ch Republic , Louis Napoleo ,

’ n n n d who was ot yet Emperor . Roberts visit to E gla was to secure recognition from the British Govern ment of n allinhas n Liberia sovereignty over the G cou try . He was again highly honored an d was sen t back to Li

on beria a British warship .

1 1 4 HIS TORY OF LIBERIA

of the Grebo and allied tribes battled at Cape Palmas .

on n 1 8 1 857 d of They were driven off ; but Ja uary , , a bo y

n n n n Maryla ders , who were e deavori g to retaliate upo

on of the Grebos , met with disaster the shores Sheppard

Lake .

n n n In a ﬁerce battle ear this lagoo , which lies betwee

an h e n Cape Palmas d the river Cavalla , t Maryla d State

n troops lost a con siderable n umber of men an d gu s .

no n n At that time , Roberts was lo ger Preside t , but bore

l n n and his o d title of ge eral . With two hu dred ﬁfty

n n of n . Liberia militiame , he came to the aid Maryla d

n 1 8 of n n O February th , a treaty frie dship betwee the

n n n two Republics was sig ed by the Ho . J . T . Gibso for

n an Maryla d , d by Roberts for Liberia . Shortly after

n n an wards , peace was declared betwee Maryla d d the

Grebos .

. n J . B Drayto had succeeded William Prout as gover ’ ’ n r at in ra t n o the latter s death 1 856. D y o s policy was in of an d on accord with that Liberia , it was felt both sides that two such Republics as Marylan d and Liberia

n should become o e .

n n on 2 8 n This u io was effected February , 1 857 , whe n nn b Maryla d was formally a exed y the larger Republic . The Ofﬁce of superintendent of Marylan d superseded

of n an that gover or , d the former republic became a

n of cou ty Liberia . Its ﬁrst superinten dent was the

Hon . n J . T . Gibso , who had been instrumental in brin g in nn n n g about a exatio . Maryla d now sent two sen ators and n n n three represe tatives to the Liberia Co gress . HIS TORY OF LIBERIA 1 1 5

Durin g his last year of ofﬁce President Roberts

n n n n in we t to Europe for a third time , reachi g E gla d

October . So great had been the en couragemen t af

t n n n forded by Great Bri ai , that Roberts co ﬁde tly asked

d n n n n m n n n Lor Clare do , the foreig i ister , to co se t to the ann exation of Sierra Leon e to Liberia for the reason that

n the latter cou try desired a good harbor . This proposi tion was received with little favor by the British diplo

a n d n mats , it probably was j ust as well for Liberia ot to assume more territorial respon sibilities at that time . Liberian coin s were ﬁrst struck Off in this year with

n n n In n n the ﬁ a cial assista ce of Samuel Gurley . de omi a

n one n n t n n nt - ﬁv e n tio s of ce t , two ce ts , e ce ts , twe y ce ts ,

n t in n n . ﬁfty ce ts , etc . , hey were cast E gla d Roberts return ed to Liberia in December to ﬁn d some degree of

n an in of n local Oppositio to his policies , d May the ext

S n n n nt . year , tephen Alle Be so was elected Preside

in 1 1 6 n . . 8 Benson was born in Maryla d (U S . A ) , the year Richard Allen in corporated the A . M . E . Church ,

’ n in 1 32 the n a d had come to Liberia 8 , year of Nat Tur er s uprising in the United States in his attempt to free himself an d to liberate his brother Slaves . He had risen to be a Gen eral an d a Vice - President in the

n an Liberia State , d was elected with but little oppo

sition .

Roberts had ren dered great service to the Liberian n Republic . It is possible that but for his vigorous ma age men t that state might never have had any in dependen t

was of existen ce at all . Though Roberts Negro blood 1 1 6 HIS TORY OF LIBERIA he was mentally and physically the equal of the greatest

n white statesme , a fact which perhaps gave him more

as weight at that time in the coun cils Of Europe . He w much exasperated in the summer of 1 855 by the attacks “ n n d of a Mr . George S . Dow i g , escribed as a Free ” man colored of New York , who wrote bitter articles containin g various aspersions on Liberia and President

n Roberts . These articles showed that Preside t Roberts ,

too to . like all great leaders , was , , have his opposers Roberts after ceasin g to be President still continued to devote his talents and en ergies to the service of Li

n h beria . As already related he took comma d of t e

n n in 1 85 an armed force that we t to save Maryla d 7 , d he played a leadin g part in the annexation of that colony ;

for his soul was too big him to stop .

In 1 857 n n of he was appoi ted pri cipal Liberia College , an n n n on in 856 n ot i stitutio fou ded paper 1 , but brought n n n 1 858— 62 n i to bei g u til , duri g the great Civil War of the n of U ited States America . With Mrs . Roberts he

on of n resided the site the college for ma y years .

. . d n n n E W Bly e , Preside t Gibso and Dr . Nathan iel

H . B . Cassell afterwards became Presidents of this c ol

. in lege President Cassell was elected 1 91 8.

1 1 8 HIS TORY OF LIBERIA

n of con siderable periods of time . This particular ba d n recruits was to be taken to the West Indies . Upo

n n n n heari g of their desti atio , they at o ce took alarm , and lon g and suspiciou s conversation s between the cap tain and the headsmen in duced in them the fear of bein g

n sold i to slavery .

- n Terror stricken by the thought of this eve tuality ,

’ n in n an d they muti ied the captain s abse ce , killed every member of the white crew , save the doctor . The latter

on of n a had , luckily for himself , w the good graces the tiv es by treatin g the sick amon g their n umber . After

of th and their work butchery , e Krus set the Ship adrift

th t n ﬂed to e Shore . The vessel drif ed alo g the shore

n n u til picked up by a passi g British steamer , which

n n co veyed it to a Liberia port . The Fren ch Government was in n o way to blame for t n n n n n o his u fortu ate i cide t , due doubt to a complete

n n n misu dersta di g . While Roberts had been anxiou s to improve the foreign

n of n n n was in relatio s the little Republic , Preside t Be so like man n er concerned with the in terior Of Liberia it

h a self . He d had con siderable experien ce in the c on ditions n n n i of the hi terla d , glea ed n large measure from

’ n as t on . n his adve tures a rader the St . Paul s River O on e occasion a buccan eering n ative chief had taken

a an d him c ptive , held him for some time as a hostage .

n n Soo after his electio , he made a thorough search for explorers . His Obj ect was to penetrate the vast forest

Of n an n Liberia to the u charted d u known regions beyon d . HIS TORY OF LIBERIA 1 1 9

Seymore and Ash were sent on this quest early in the year 1 858 . The two Liberian s travelled for half a year an d n of n i a full descriptio their j our ey , n which they n n reached Kwa ga , two hu dred an d eighty miles distant

n n in from Mo rovia , is give the proceedin gs of the Royal

S for 1 n n n n Geographical ociety 860. Kwa ga c a o lo ger

n d on be ide tiﬁe the map , it is probably the Mandingo

of n — state Kwa a , but the travellers describe with

h n n h emp asis the high mou tai s which they reac ed .

n to the n n They j our eyed great mou tai mass of Nimba ,

n where Cavalla River takes it source , a d like Joshua and n n Caleb they told Of a great cou try beyo d the hills .

In 1 850 n - n n a n , the A glo Liberia trade had begu to ttai

n n r co siderable importa ce . Four B itish steamships were maintainin g a regular service between English ports and

n n n Liberia . This li e , The Africa Steamship Compa y , was in reality the beginning of the ﬁrm of Elder Demp

h n in ster , which as bee almost without a rival the West African trade sin ce the Hamburg Woerman lin e was ’

n in 1 1 4 . In 1 . disconti ued 9 858, St Mark s Hospital ,

in was n . the ﬁrst the Republic , fou ded at Cape Palmas 1 0 During the ten years after 85 , sharp reprisals were visited by Germany an d Great Britain on the n atives Of

a d an d the Kru Coast . The l tter customarily strippe dismantled all mann er of ships which came ashore on

n n and the rocks of their coast . Like ma y seafari g sea

t and as coast peoples , hey regarded wrecks wreckage

n n of and legitimate salvage . The Gover me ts Liberia

n Maryland endeavored to control the atives , but their 1 2 0 HIS TORY OF LIBERIA militiamen an d revenue ofﬁcers were obliged to en gage h d in ﬁerce battles with the Krus , w ich led to very oubt ful vic tories for the Govern ment forces .

n 1 60 n - n - and n I 8 , the lo g draw out bitter bou dary n dispute between Britain and Liberia bega . The

of n primary cause of it was the refusal a trader , Joh

n n . Myers Harris , to recog ize Liberia authority Harris ,

n on in who was suspected of carryi g a trade slaves , established himself between the Sulima and Man o

n of n rivers . He was remi ded the Liberia political

in a n rights , but refused to y way submit to the authority f o the Republic . President Benson ordered a coast - guard boat to seize

n n two schoo ers belo ging to the trader . The seizure took place between Cape Mount an d Point Man o ; that

n n is to say well withi Liberia territory . Notwithstandin g the fact that Ben son was actin g

n n n T r e tirely withi his rights , a British gu boat , the o ch,

n n was ordered from Sierra Leo e to Mo rovia . Her ofﬁcers took away by force the vessels belon gin g to

n on Harris , while the Liberia s looked , powerless to ‘ n n i terve e .

In 1 862 n n n n , Preside t Be so we t to Sierra Leon e to nego tiate with the Govern or for an established boun dary

n n an n betwee that colo y d Liberia . Be son was civilly

n a received at Sierra Leo e , but w s referred to Lon don for

n d n on a ﬁ al ecisio the question .

A commission called the Anglo - Liberian was ap pointed and the commission remained in utter deadlock

HIS TORY OF LIBERIA 1 2 1

over this question ; n othing was don e either on the

a of S n or p rt ierra Leo e of Liberia . Although this en ded th e boundary dispute for the

n n time bei g , it by o mean s curtailed the activities of

Harris . Operatin g with the support of the Sierra Leon e n n Gover me t , he attempted to establish himself as an

n n n in Gallinhas n i depe de t chief the cou try . His exac

n d n tio s cause the Vai tribe to wage virtual war upo him .

In n n retaliatio , Harris orga ized the Gallinhas tribes

for h n war wit the Vai . At o ce the Liberian Govern

n n of n V me t se t a force militiame to aid the ais . With

the Gallinhas n a their arrival , atives took to ﬂight , nd turn ed their resentmen t on Harris One of his factories

d an was estroyed , d the trader had the presumption to put in a claim again st Liberia for six thousand poun ds

In nt n this he was appare ly supported by Sierra Leo e . This caused the creation of a new j oint An glo - Liberian

n n n t n commissio to e quire i to the ma ter . It was i deed fortun ate for the little Republic that an American man of— in n n war was the eighbori g waters , for otherwise the Govern or of Sierra Leon e might have been disposed to

n carry matters with a high ha d . Commodore Shu feldt of the battleship was chosen as

n of m arbitrator , a d reduced the claims Harris to a ere three hun dred poun ds The colon y of Sierra Leone now advan ced its claims to a protectorate over the coast east of Sherbro Islan d

n n no d a s far as the River Ma o , asserti g that or er was 1 2 2 HIS TORY OF LIBERIA kept by the Liberian Govern ment west of that stream .

i one n This excu se was but a ﬂ msy , for the Liberia s were wholly powerless against the aggression s of the Brit

n of ish traders , who could comma d the military aid the n Sierra Leon e Governmen t at any time . Agai the ques

n n an d wa an tion was submitted to Lo do , s met with evasive an swer by Lord Clarendon .

n 1 0 - n I 87 , the ill fated Preside t Roye agreed to Lord ’ Granville s proposal that the British frontier should be at the Sulima River . By con sentin g to this somewhat curious proposal President Roye had n o doubt gravely compromised the right of his governmen t to an exten sion west of the

f n . o o n Sulima As a matter fact , steps were take to ’ n n f n carry Lord Gra ville s proposals i to ef ect , owi g to the disaster which led to the death of Presiden t Roye in h 1 87 1 . T e n n questio , therefore , of this orthwest fron tier continued to remain open until closed by the Anglo

n 1 Liberia Treaty of 885 .

1 2 4 HIS TORY OF LIBERIA was considered that the United States had founded an d fostered the n ucleus of a n ative representative govern

n n an so ment o the Africa shore , d that Liberia ,

f d n and n created , had a forde a ﬁeld of emigratio e ter

n n f prise for the ema cipated Africa s o America , who had n ot been slow to avail themselves of the oppor

nit n n s n tu y , it was evide t that the U ited State Gover men t must feel a peculiar interest in any apparent movement to divert the in dependen t political life of

f n n n B Liberia or a ggression of a great Co ti e tal ower , which already had a foothold of actual tradin g posses

n sion o the n eighborin g coast .

n 1 n . n n I 880 Mr . Evarts i formed Mr Hoppi , the U ited

’ air s in n n n States Charge d Aff e Lo do , that the U ited States were n ot averse to having the Great Powers kn ow that they publicly recognized the peculiar relations

n an d an which existed betwee them Liberia , d that they were prepared to take every proper step to maintain them . “ ’ n n n I 1 884 duri g Chester A . Arth ur s admi istration as

n of n n n Preside t the U ited States , Freli ghuyse informed

. R ou stan n n h n n M , Fre ch Mi ister at Was i gto , that

n of n n Liberia , though not a colo y the U ited States , bega its n n n a n f of n i depe de t career as o fshoot that cou try ,

- n n which bore to it a quasi pare tal relatio ship . This authorized the United States to interpose its good ofﬁces in an n n an d n $ y co test betwee Liberia a foreig state . A refusal to give the United States an Opportunity to be heard for this purpose would make an unfavorable HIS TORY OF LIBERIA 1 2 5 impression on the min ds of the Government an d the

n people of the U ited States .

In 1 887 on n n h a , the occasio of the reported Fre c g

ressions on n n g Liberia territory , the United States Gover men t stated that their relations with the Republic had n ot chan ged and that they still felt j ustiﬁed in employ in n g their good ofﬁces o her behalf .

n n n an d The ame of Bishop H . M . Tur er , a oted writer

as an t and nd of lecturer , will ever live agi ator Vi icator the love America owed Liberia . CHAPTER XXVI

PRE SIDENT WARNER AND THE PO RTS O F ENTRY

LA w

While the Civil War was at its height in America ( 1 864) Presiden t Ben son was succeeded in ofﬁce by

hi l n the Daniel Bas e War er . Whereas former was a

n R - an . e very dark m , War er was a mulatto elected

n n n 1 864 1 868 . o ce , he served co ti uously from to Warn er was elected on the Republican or True Li

n in in beria ticket , but while ofﬁce became a Whig

n of n politics . His establishme t the Ports of E try Law in 1 865 was doubtless due to a distrust of European s ;

n n of and i duced by the aggressio s Harris other traders . Despite the storm of disapproval it drew from British

nt n mercha s , the Ports of E try Law is doubtless a wise and n n eve ecessary measure for Liberia . It con ﬁn ed “ the commerce of foreigners to six ports of entry an d in a circle of six miles diameter about each port . The six harbors selected for intercourse were Roberts

t n n n por , Mo rovia , Marshall , Gra d Basa , Gree ville an d

Cape Palmas .

n At each of these ports , Liberia customs houses were erected and the government itself took the respon sibility for an d all traders their property . This was n ot as d an n rastic a measure as it would seem , for y perso of the 1 2 6

1 2 8 HIS TORY OF LIBERIA

n n n n m to 1 865 , whe three hu dred West I dia s ca e the

n in - West Coast Republic . I cluded the ship load was

n b o Arthur Barclay , the a mere y , who afterwards served was as President of Liberia . His father a free Negro , who had become involved in political matters in Barba

and n dos , as a result , was obliged to leave that isla d with all his family .

an an in He was a very able m , d much respected Li

u n . beria , where his s ccess was co siderable The Barclays

an n were of pure Negro blood , d origi ally came from

h the n of Little Popo or Dahomey . They s owed stre gth

n n . the Negro brai , although u mixed with the white race After the con clusion of the war between the North and ’ in n in n South America , whe the Negro s status the U ited

n n n in n States was e tirely cha ged , i terest Liberia bega

n n n h to revive . Bishop Tur er got a better heari g o t e

n n and great Africa Questio , several attempts were made

n n to i augurate wholesale emigratio to Liberia . This reawaken ed in terest necessitated the securin g of information concernin g the virtually unkn own hin ter

n f n n n la d o Liberia . Ma y perso s we t to the little Repub

not n n the n in n ew n lic , but cou ti g cost of settli g a cou try , some returned home and branded the entire proj ect a failure .

n n n n n n To meet the eed , Be j ami A derso , a you g Li

n n in 834 an beria , bor 1 d Secretary of the Treasury under

n n n 1 864 a nd 1 866 n Preside t War er betwee , volu teered

as an his services explorer . He had received a good

d n and n of e ucatio , had a thorough k owledge surveyin g . HIS TORY OF LIBERIA 1 2 9

of d At the time his with rawal from ofﬁce , he visited the United States to meet several American philanthropists

n in n who were i terested the Liberian Questio . They en quired why some boun dary line had not bee n

on n n o an n n ﬁxed the Easter fro tier f Liberia , d A derso declared himself willin g to u ndertake such a task of de mar c ation n n n if sufﬁcie t fu ds were provided . He ry

hi n M . S c e fﬁi assisted greatly in the ﬁn an cin g of this

of n has n ot n work exploratio , which to this day bee

in n repeated a like directio . It stood for many years as on e of the greatest under

n n takin gs in the exploration of West Afric a . A derso

n on u 1 4 1 68 and made his start from Mo rovia Febr ary , 8 , j ourn eyed slowly by crooked trails to the principal

d n a town of a chief called Besa . This was locate e r

n the coast slightly west of the river Ma o . The Mandingos at Boporo manifested some Opposi

n n n d . tion to the j our ey , but this trouble was soo e de

n d n d n d in n At Boporo , i dee , A erso succee ed securi g porters an d bearers to take him through the cou ntry of

n n n Chief Boatswai , whose ame still clu g to this stretch

n of hinterla d . The Man din gos almost wholly controlled the Boat

n and of Swain cou try , were large holders slaves either captured in war or brought from the neighborin g p esi n n n or Buzi tribes . The latter seem to have bee a atio

n n n d of con siderable importa ce , for they mai tai e their indepen den ce despite the aggressions of the warlike

n Mandi gos . 1 30 HIS TORY OF LIBERIA

Anderson ﬁnally reached the edge of the great forest

i r Z of and n at Z gapo a u c . A stretch park grassla ds as

a c en ding to a plateau feet bove sea level , stretched

n an d . n orthward from this tow , over this he took his way h h n in n T e oil palms , w ich mark the forest regio wester

n n h a d ce tral Africa , disappeared as he reac ed Bulata

in an now feet altitude) , d the explorer was travers in an d n n g a high , healthy ope cou try , where a dry atmosphere an d cool nights made travelling more easy

h n in h u n t a t e dense j gles .

of n and The people this la d were highly civilized ,

d of on a were bree ers horses large scale . They were

n n n an h Mohammeda Ma di gos , d held t eir capital at ’ u a n n M s d u . A derso s treaties with their chiefs an d others of the interior may still be seen in the state

n n archives at Mo rovia . The origi als were written in

an n Arabic , d by them the various ki gs an d headsmen

n n placed their cou tries withi the limits of Liberia . As a resu lt of the curious conformations of the lan ds of C n i these hieftai s , a somewhat Z gzag hin terlan d bound ary was secured for Liberia .

n in 1 874 n Agai , , A derson struggled n ortheastward

n of through the j u gles Liberia . This expedition was one - n an for treaty maki g , d the geographical discoveries

of a n were small import ce . Coupled with territorial

n n deli eatio s , which were made subsequent to the an ’ n exation n n of Maryla d , A derson s researches caused

n o Liberia to exhibit a curious formatio n the map . ’ n n of n About the time of A derso s ﬁrst trip exploratio ,

CHAPTER XXVII

AY E AR AME S OYE A HE PR E sIDENT P N . EDW D J R ND T CHINERY LO AN

n 6 n n In the electio of 1 8 7 , Preside t War er was defeated

n n n . by the Republica ca didate , James Sprigg Pay e

n n n 1 1 68 and was Pay e took ofﬁce o Ja uary , 8 , president

fﬁ n n . u ntil 1 870 . His term of o ce was u eve tful

He was succeeded by Edward James Roye , a pure

an d n e. blooded Negro , the first Whig preside t to take offic At that time the relative volume of t he Liberian trade was small compared with that of the British an d Fren ch ’ n on on n of colo ies the same coast , accou t Liberia s in ability to Open u p her hinterlan d t 0 $ a m ore profitable an n n 1 86 an 1 d d . 0 d 870 exte de commerce Betwee , there h ad been much discussion on this question and

d n of regar i g that public works . As the difﬁculties surroundin g the proposition s were

n n n n purely ﬁ a cial , it was decided to egotiate a loa . This measure was enthusiastically supported by Presi

n n n n de t Roye , who se t two commissio ers , W . S . A derson

and . . n n n W H Joh so , to Lo don to complete arrange

- n . n for it me ts U luckily the Republic , s con sul general

n was an n n n n on for Great Britai E glish ﬁ a cial age t , e n nn n Chi ery, whose co ectio s were with certain bankin g

of not houses the best repute . 1 32 HIS TORY OF LIBERIA 1 33

n n n n $ The loa was to be for a hu dred thousa d pou ds , t ﬁv e n t n n hat is to say hu dred housa d dollars . Chi ery n d of n n i troduce a rather shady ﬁrm ba kers , who outli ed

n n a propositio u favorable for Liberia . A payment in cash of seventy thousand pounds was to be made against

n h n n u n a bo d issue of a u dred thousa d po ds .

n d in n n The whole loa was to be repai ﬁftee years , a d the in terest was seven per cen t for the en tire one hun dred

n n n n n thousa d pou ds . This arra geme t made it ecessary for Liberia to pay back to the len ders the outrageous su m of on e hundred an d thirty- two thousan d six hu n

n n n n . dred pou ds , i cludi g the i terest Doubtless the hard terms of the loan were largely

n due to the rather poor security adva ced by Liberia . The customs dues or some bran ch of the customs revenue was a guarantee for the loan ; but the bankers declared that the reven ues were collected in no certain and orderly

n an d h n $ fashio , it might appe that there would be too little reven ue to meet the actual overhead expenses of Liberia itself . n In case the little Republic repudiated its obligatio s , they were fully aware that the British Government would take no action whatever in the matter . ’ n Chiner s In Monrovia and elsewhere , the ews of y

n on ( loan was received with great dissatisfactio all sides .

n n The in dign an t citizen s at o ce protested to Chi ery ,

in n n n but President Roye was E gla d , compromisi g

n and t a Liberia in the Gallinhas Questio , while here p

n n n proved the idea of the loa . Upo this j our ey the 1 34 HIS TORY OF LIBERIA

n f . . n n Liberia Secretary o State , Hilary R W Joh so , accompanied him . In En gland Johnson disagreed with Roye over th e

n n n an n Sierra Leo e Liberia fro tier , d hastily retur ed to

n n Monrovia . It seems appare t from his subseque t actions that Roye was about to attempt an overthrow of n n the Gover ment , which would allow him to gover

did n ot an Liberia as a despot . While he take y direct ’ n Chiner s n h e n actio as to y loa , i timated his approval of

n n the scheme , before the matter had bee duly co sidered by the Liberian legislature .

n one n im Roye thought his positio a secure , a d so mediately after his return from En glan d in th e ﬁrst

t 1 87 1 n ff part of Oc ober , , issued a proclamatio to the e ect that he would exten d his ten ure of ofﬁce for two more

n years . Doubtless the Liberia s might have favored

n n ot such a cha ge , if Roye had autocratically an d ille

on wn gally ordered it his o authority . At on ce popular in dign ation began to ru n high at

n n an d n t Gra d Basa , Mo rovia , ma y other se tlemen ts .

Roye attempted to arm those of his party wh o h ad

’ in cou promised to support him his p d eta t. His sup porters made an attempt to seize a bank buildin g in

n an d w t Mo rovia , i h that overt act , the ﬁres of insu rre c

n tio broke out .

man n Almost to a , the citize s of Monrovia rose against

the despotic president in the ﬁrst a n d last revolution in

Liberia . Street ﬁghtin g became gen eral an d several

’ on lives were lost both sides . Roye s followers were ou t

H O N J L M O . RRIS HIS TORY OF LIBERIA 1 35

n an d ou t- fou ht an d umbered g , ﬂed , while an angry crowd ’ n n sacked the Preside t s ma sion .

After a somewhat exten ded man hunt through the

an city , Roye d one of his sons were caught an d im n . n t n an priso ed Co gress was has ily summo ed , d the Senate an d House of Representatives issued a manifesto d n eposi g Roye . The government was to be provision ally

on . n n carried by Charles B Du bar , Ge eral R . A . Sherman an d Amos Herrin g until a new president could be

. n d on O 2 6 1 7 1 elected The ma ifesto was issue ctober , 8 . ’ f o S . . . n n Roye s Secretary tate , H R W Joh so , still re n in mai ed office .

’ n - n Mea while , ex Preside t Roye s trial before the Supreme Court was halted by his death in the breakers

ff n o . n n Mo rovia Duri g the ight , Roye , through negli

n n ge ce , had ma aged to elude his guards an d had

. In n h escaped from j ail a native ca oe , e tried to

an n in reach E glish steamer the harbor . He removed

n the greater part of his clothi g , so that he might be mis taken for an ordin ary n ative or Kru boy looking for work

n n About his waist was a mo ey belt , ﬁlled with sovereig s , a n d as the badly steered canoe capsized , Roye was

n drow ed . Much confu sion exists as to the precise amount of mon ey which actually reached the Liberian treasury from

n n nt - n the loa . It is ge erally estimated that twe y seve thousan d poun ds ou t of the hun dred thousan d actually

n n reached Liberia . Of this sum , twelve thousa d pou ds

in n n was paid bills , which could be egotiated o ly at a 1 3 6 HIS TORY OF LIBERIA

n an d of n n high rate of discou t , out the seve ty thousa d pounds assumed to have been foun d by the Lon don ’

n n as nt . ba kers , three years i terest w appare ly deducted A great deal of the mon ey seems to have disappeared

n n ho as n n an . w w with Roye , d W S . A derso , bri gi g out ’ n n a small sum from E gla d , was so alarmed by Roye s

h n and n fate t at he ﬂed to St . Paul d e Loa da , dema ded

n n protectio again st prosecutio in Liberia . President Roye had further Compromised the Li berian Republic by issuin g bon ds to the sum of eighty

n n thousand pou ds agai st the amoun t of the loan . Vari ou s historian s state that possibly even one hun dred ’ n n of n in n thousa d pou ds worth bo ds were circulatio , but the Liberian government was able to can cel a large number of these . ’ Chinery s successor as Consul Gen eral began a suit again st the former Liberian representative at the behest of n o n in in an the Republic , but satisfactio was obta ed y

n n n n n f ma er . I deed , through a stra ge t u r o circum

n n n n sta ce , Chi ery agai acted as Co sul General in Lon don

n duri g 1 880. This came about through the efforts of

. . n n n Dr . E W Blyde , who , meeti g Chi ery in Sierra

n n n Leo e , came to the co clusio that the blame lay entirely

h n . n n with Roye Blyde , t e Liberian mi ister to the court

of . n n n St James , appoi ted Chi ery to his former positio , but this action was n ever conﬁrmed by the Liberian

n Preside t .

n Former Preside t Joseph J . Roberts was called u pon

an d n to succeed Roye , held ofﬁce u til 1 875 . Scarcely

CHAPTER XXVIII

THE ULTIMATE S ETTLEMENT O F THE CHINERY LO AN

Quite n aturally the Liberian Governmen t was in clined to repudiate the Chin ery loan after the treachery

f b u t n n n n - n o Roye , u fortu ately from twe ty to twe ty seve thousan d poun ds had arrived in Liberia an d had

n An n n n n promptly been spe t . E glishma amed Johnso

’ n hin r in n n an d n n n had take C e y s post Lo do , duri g i e years attempted to in some way straighten ou t th e

n ta gled affairs of the Republic . ’ n l en f n n Owi g to B yd s e forts , Chi ery agai held the

f on e n in n of ice , but was succeeded by Gudgeo , who , tur ,

n n t n gave place to He ry Hayma , whose itle was Co sul

n an t n n n n Ge eral d Ac i g Mi ister Reside t . Hayma

ﬁrSt 1 885 1 89 1 an d took ofﬁce from to , his more vigorous attempts to un ravel the tan gle of loan matters

n were more successful tha those of his predecessor .

and n n Fraud eglige ce greatly added to his troubles , for “ ” a large n umber of bonds made ou t to bearer were

on in the n d n in actually sale Lo o Stock Market , Holland and n n n n other cou tries of the Co ti e t . Negligen ce on the part of Liberia is presumed to have “ ” n n n bee respo sible for this ﬂood of bo ds to bearer .

In 1 898 of n - n , the year the Spa ish America War , the 1 38 HIS TORY OF LIBERIA 1 39

Liberian Govern ment agreed to pay a progressive n er n i terest at three to ﬁve p ce t . Sin ce that time the n on i terest , which is a loan of from seventy to eighty

n n n n an thousa d pou ds , has rise to four per ce t , d has been paid without default . This unusually hon orable settlement with holders of

n n u n Liberia bo ds , partic larly ho orable in respect to the

n was h Liberia Republic , ac ieved by Arthur Barclay , n the Secretary of the Treasury . The text of this agreement is as follows

n n n 7 n Liberia Gover me t per ce t . Extern al loan

of 1 87 1 .

of n n Bases Agreeme t submitted by the Ho orable A .

of and Hon Barclay , Secretary the Treasury , the . J . C .

n n - n of n n Steve s , Attor ey Ge eral the Gover me t of Li

one and beria , of the part , approved by the Committee of Liberian Bon dholders actin g in conj un ction with the

f n n f Coun cil o Foreig Bo dholders o the other part .

n on $ I . The i terest the debt to be reduced as follows 3 per cen t for three years ; 3 % per cent for three years ;

n of n 4 per cent for three years , the prese t rate i terest ; 4 per cent for three years ; 5 per cent thereafter until

n to in in extin ction . I terest be paid half yearly gold

n n to n Lon don , by a ba ki g house be appoi ted by the

an n Government of Liberia d approved by the Cou cil . The ﬁrst payment of interest to be made on October

99 . 1 st , 1 8 n of n of nd de II . Amortizatio the pri cipal the bo s ,

n n n n in posited with the Cou cil u der this arra geme t , 1 40 HIS TORY OF LIBERIA

n accordan ce with Article VIII , to comme ce after ﬁve

i z On O l st 1 904 n of an v . $ years , ctober , , by mea s accu

n n n nn mu lativ e sinki g fu d of 1 per ce t per a um , to be applied half yearly by purchases on the market or by

n n n tenders as the Gover me t may decide , whe the price

n d n re m of the bon ds is u der par , or by rawi gs for d e p

n or tion at par whe the price is at above par . The government reserves the right to in crease the sin king

n an or n n an fu d at y time , to put it i to operatio at earlier date .

n n u III . For the arrears of i terest recko ed p to March

1 t 1 899 n n n 3 s , , the Cou cil of Foreig Bo dholders will

n on - n t n issue i teres beari g certiﬁcates , which shall be redeemed in the followin g mann er $ After the extin ction

n n n of the pri cipal of the debt , the Gover me t of Liberia will contin ue to remit in the manner herein before pro v ided , for a period of four years , the like amou n t of interest an d sinking fun d payable at the date of suc h extin ction in respect of the amount of bon ds which may be deposited with the Coun cil within the period prescribed by Article VIII . This sum shall be applied by the bank ers charged with the service of the debt to the re d emp

n of ro tio the certiﬁcates , either by a p ra ta payment or by half yearly drawmgs as may be determined by the

n in n n Cou cil conj u ctio with the committee . The Government of Liberia is entitled to purchase certiﬁcates on at an if d the market y time it so esires , an d to partici pate with the holders of the other outstan din g c ertiﬁ

in n cates the fu d appropriated for their redemption .

1 42 HIS TORY OF LIBERIA van ce made by the syndicate or compan y which may be

n n of n formed to u dertake the collectio the said reve ues . In any event the full su m required in gold for the half yearly service of the debt is to be in the han ds of the bankers in London at least a fortnight before the due

the n n n m n date of coupo s as altered u der this arra ge e t . The Government will also at the same time pay the bank

u n n n the sual commissio for admi isteri g the debt service .

n of 1 87 1 VII . The bo ds are to be lodged with the

an d on Council , stamped their face as assenting to

n n and n the new arra geme t , the coupo s en dorsed with the altered dates an d rates of payment in accordan ce with

or new n Article I , coupo sheets are to be printed an d at

n an tached to the bo ds . If y stamp duty in En glan d is involved in this operation the cost shall be born e by the

Government of Liberia .

n VIII . I order to participate in this arran gement the bonds must be deposited with the Coun cil of Foreign

Bondholders within one year from the date of its a c

tanc e n c ep by the bo dholders .

n n f IX . I the eve t o default of any payment c on tem lated n n or of p by this arra geme t , failure to carry ou t

n the terms thereof , the existi g rights of the bondholders to revive .

n n X . This arra geme t is subj ect to ratiﬁcation ﬁrst

of an by the Legislature Liberia , d afterwards by resolu tion of a gen eral meeting of bondholders to be conven ed n by the Cou cil . n XI . A reaso able su m to be paid by the Liberian HIS TORY OF LIBERIA 1 43

Government to the Coun cil for their expenses an d ser

n n - n vices , to be settled between them a d the Co sul Ge eral of Liberia .

n n 2 th f 1 89 Lo do , the 8 day o September , 8. For the Government of Liberia $

r Arthur Barclay , Secretary of T easury , — n n n . J . C . Steve s , Attor ey Ge eral For the Committee of Liberian Bon dholders

n - n of n G . W . Frema tle , Vice preside t the Cou cil ,

” A cti ng Chai rman . CHAPTER XXIX

B OUNDARY TROUBLE S W ITH SIERRA LE ONE

Rumors of gold mines near Mu sadu agitated Liberia

’ in 1 8 1 n an d 7 , duri g Roberts last term , the explorer ,

n n n n n n the n n Be j ami A derso , was agai se t to hi terla d ; this time to ascertain the truth of these reports . He

n in n n an n an d his did ot succeed ﬁ di g y mi eral wealth , travels in the j ungles of the interior brought n othin g new

n of to light in a geographical se se . The prestige Li

n n n beria amo g the ative tribes was , however , co siderably

n n heighte ed by this expeditio .

n n n be At about this time , relatio s were agai strai ed

n an d n . n twee Liberia Sierra Leo e The Vai , o ce more grown restless un der the aggression s of the notorious

n in an n Harris , had rise force d destroyed his factories o

n an d M aﬁ . n the Ma o rivers As usual , the gover or of

n n an n Sierra Leo e stood behi d the trader , d dema ded a new n n in n of 1 869 i dem ity additio to that , which had no n t bee paid .

in 1 872 Roberts agreed to settle the ﬁrst matter , but

n n de ied the j ustice of the seco d claim . The matter

n 1 878 n n lapsed u til , whe it was agai brought to life by

n of n Sir Samuel Rowe , Gover or Sierra Leo e . He de manded that the second indemnity of more than eight 1 44

1 46 HIS TORY OF LIBERIA entire tribal characteristics of the lan d had un dergone

n some cha ge . The British commissioners had their eyes on Cape

n an n n Mou t , d e deavored to secure that strategic poi t by coercin g the Liberian s in to declarin g the Maﬁ or Man o

n - n n n River the Sierra Leo e Liberia fro tier . The questio

n n n of i dem ity due to Harris a d other British traders ,

was whom the Vais were said to have attacked , also the

n n n subj ect of much acrimo ious a d heated debate . Fi ally the commission split up without arrivin g at a satisfac

t n n n tory set leme t of a y questio . In 1 879 an unfortun ate in cident further en dan gered

n n and the Republic , already shake by British aggressio s

u of n n n Kru the fail re the Chi ery loa . Near Na a , the n atives of the coast h ad maltreated the crew an d p as sen ers n Carlos g of a Germa steamer , the , which had

on n n crashed the rocks ear the Dewa River . At o ce a

n man - of— Vi ctori a f Germa war , the , steamed or the Li

n an d beria coast , bombarded the Kru town s about the

n of sce e the wreck . After this act of summary v en

ean c e d n an g , the battleship proceede to Mo rovia , d a claim again st Liberia was deposited which was paid by the Cooperation of the European merchants settled at

n . n n Mo rovia Might is ofte called right , a d whether

n not the little Republic was respo sible or , it paid the

claim . CHAPTER XXX

LIBERIA IN 1 880

In 1 876 a pest in the form of burrowin g ﬂeas or jiggers came to Liberia on a ship from the Portuguese n Isla d of Sao Thome . The jigger spread over the

of coastal belt Liberia , but is much less apparent at the

n n prese t time tha a few years ago . Presiden t Gardn er was made a Knight Gran d Cross of

n of atoli a in 1 8 9 an d the Spa ish Order Isabella C c 7 , resolved to initiate an order of chivalry peculiar to Li beria . This was named the Order of African R edemp n tio .

’ n $ n n on 1 st 1 879 U der Gard er s preside cy , April , ,

n d th n n n Liberia j oi e e U iversal Postal U io . In 1 877 there had been a fresh accession of Negro colonists from Louisian a who were mainly distributed

’ of su bse about the Lower St . Paul s River . Some these

n n of was . que tly returned to America . O e them Rev

f re M . H . Mahaffey , whose wife was so a fected by the

n n tur to America that she lost her mi d , j umped over f n n . board from the ship a d was drow ed . Rev Maha fey

in 1 1 n n . was foully murdered 9 3 , ear Gai esville , Fla No immigration of any organ ized or important kin d

n has taken place subseque tly from America , though indiv iduals from the United States and the West Indies 1 47 1 48 HIS TORY OF LIBERIA have from time to time foun d their way to Liberia an d

n settled there more or less perman e tly . In 1 880 it is probable that the total Americo - Liberian population was ten thousan d in number . The birth

an d n rate was small , the somewhat slow i crease at most atoned for the departure of dissatisﬁed colonists an d the heavy death rate from disease . It is a fact that American s are no less susceptible to

n - African fevers than Europea s . Full blooded Negroes

ff t ' b and f are least a e c ed y the climate , mulattoes su fer

n n less tha quadroo s . As a result , the pure Negro type

n i i h - n has i creased n Liber a , w ile the half breed is dyi g

ou t .

In 1 880 a rather foolish system of caste was main tained between Christian Negroes from America and

in i in f or n n the d g es o Liberia . Marriages illicit u io s — between Americo Liberian men an d n ative women were

n , t of frowned upo almost equally , al hough some the

Vai an d Man din go girls are strikingly beautiful. Different observers declare that Liberia is depen dent for its population upon the in ter - marriage of the n n n new atives with the emigra ts , who will i fuse a blood

n n n n . S n i to the comi g ge eratio ome , i deed , go so far as to state that person s of color from America or Europe

n n n should obtai wives direct from the Africa Co tin ent . After 1 880 public spirit in Liberia was takin g a more

n n on n of n Africa tur , perhaps accou t a feeli g of dis ap

n n in to of poi tme t regard the results Negro repatriation .

n n Duri g this time , the phila thropists of the United

1 50 HIS TORY OF LIBERIA

n n back to Sierra Leo e , but the Se ate was more coura

n an d geou s tha its leaders , rej ected the treaty , while instant Opposition to its harsh terms was displayed all

n over the cou try . Liberia declared herself ready to have the matter

n or arbitrated , as the e tire dispute arose more less from the fact that Liberia could n ot use armed force to re strain the arrogant British traders who had established

n n themselves within her bou daries . Their aggressio s

n and served to stir up the atives , the result was almost

n n i cessa t turmoil .

o 1 882 Ar Back to Liberia n September 7 , , came Sir thur

n n n Havelock a d his gu boats . The gover or demanded

n n of was n ow a immediate ratiﬁcatio the treaty , but

n n vigorously opposed by Preside t Gard er . The Li

n ha n an d beria executive had d time to prepare a defe ce ,

n r asked Havelock why , if the co tested territory wc e

n n n n n British , E gla d should claim a y i dem ity for tribal

n n n n i risi gs therei . O the other ha d if Liberia d d pay an n n n i dem ity , why should her la ds by right of priority and of purchase be snatched from her$ Gardn er was

n n supported by the Se ate , which vigorously opposed a y

n of ratiﬁcatio the treaty .

n All attempts to coerce Liberia havi g failed , the n n of n in 1 88 Gover me t Sierra Leo e , March , 3 , by force took over all the territory from the Sherbro to the Man o

River . This territory had cost Liberia approximately

n n n to n twe ty thousa d pou ds buy , mai n and n n tai , pay i dem ities . Small wonder that Gardner D R N H B ASSELL . C CO U VC I L GENERAL D R L ONS . Y

P ISHO FERGU SON BISHOP I B S C OTT B , M E CH UP CH

1 52 HIS TORY OF LIBERIA town of Boporo an d such other town s as shall be here after acknowledged to have belo nged to the Republic ” n n at the time of the signing of this Conve tio . The question was ﬁn ally set at rest by further negoti a

n in 02 in n - n tio s 1 9 , which resulted the A glo Liberia

n n in bou dary commissio 1 903 . The same treaty also

n f n provided for the repayme t to Liberia o 50 pou ds , which was inten ded to reimburse Liberia for sums origin ally paid between 1 849 an d 1 856 for the pur

of of n chase some these co tested territories . CHAPTER XXXI

B OUNDARY TROUBLE S W ITH FRANCE

h n At about t is time Fra ce , which had severely c en sured the British Govern men t for its aggression s on

u n n on wn b Liberia , decided to do a little pl deri g its o e n n n half . As has bee before me tio ed , by the purchase of

n n an n coastal la ds , the Republic of Maryla d , d ﬁ ally

n n that of Liberia , exte ded eastwards alo g the Ivory

Coast about sixty miles from the Cavalla , that is to

to San . say , the river Pedro

n n The e tire Kru tribe i habited these limits , so that it

n on was as much a racial bou dary as a geographical e .

n was n Up to 1 888, this strip of coastla d recog ized as

n in 1 885 Bu ll ti n bein g Liberia territory , although , the e des L oi s published a decree exten ding the territory of

a n n n of France to the Cavalla nd eve beyo d , to the tow

. n n a d Garawe , past Cape Palmas Fra ce also bega to van ce some ridiculously slight claims to Cape Mount

n a n d to the origin al site of Petit Dieppe (Gra d Basa) .

n n n in 1 891 Upon hearing of these i te tio s , Lord Salisbury ,

n n n actin g for the British Gover me t , attempted to i duce France to restrain her aggression s to reasonable limits .

‘ The French boun dary was drawn at the Cavalla .

n n n The Liberians protested i vain agai st this spoliatio , 1 53 1 54 HIS TORY OF LIBERIA

n no n of but , receivi g assura ces support either from the

r n n n United States o Great Britai , were fai to co clude a

n n 1 892 n treaty with Fra ce o December 8th , , accordi g to which the river Cavalla became the boun dary between

n n as Fra ce a d Liberia from its mouth , as far a point situated about twenty miles to the south of its c onﬂu

n Fo ed u a-ba n n e ce with the river d g , at the i tersectio of the parallel n orth latitude and the (Paris)

n n n - meridia of west lo gitude . This starti g poin t of Fran co - Liberian delimitation on the river Cavalla

n in n nn is determi ed the most co tradictory ma er . The treaty ﬁrst says that it shall be situated at a point on the Cavalla about twenty miles to the south of

n n Fod ed u a -b a its co ﬂue ce with the river g , which was

an ﬂ n at that time supposed to be af ue t of the Cavalla . But the treaty supplements this deﬁnition by adding the “ n n words , at the i tersectio of the parallel n orth

and n of n latitude the Paris meridia west lo gitude .

d n At the ate this treaty was draw up , almost n othing

n n of of was k ow the course the river Cavalla . The name

Fod ed u a - ba n n n f g is a Ma di go word , appare tly , or a river or water course which un der varyin g forms appears and

n n in reappears co sta tly the Upper Niger Basin . The river which is in dicated un der this name in the Fran co

n n Liberia treaty is obviously the mai course , Dugu or of Duyu , the river Cavalla . This was con fused by na tive tradition with a real Fod ed u ga -b a which occurs a great deal farther to the north as an afﬂuent of the

Sasan r d a River .

1 56 HIS TORY OF LIBERIA

Africa with some greater d eﬁniteness of outlin e an d ’ Without the fantastic zigzags introduced by Anderson s surveys . These two treaties , like a mighty vise , are en deavorin g to more completely conﬁn e the boun ds of the little Republic .

n n n Presiden t Hilary Joh so died i 1 898. He had received several decoration s from European powers

n and was much respected . After his retireme t from the Presiden cy he took up the position of Postmaster

n n n n o i a Ge eral . He had bee chieﬂy respo sible for eg t t ing this frontier treaty with Fran ce but retired from the

d n n on n 1 st Presi e cy before it was co cluded , Ja uary ,

1 92 an d n 8 , d was succeede by Preside t Joseph James

n u i Cheesema , who occ pied the chief mag stracy till his

in 1 896. n death November , Cheesema was followed by

n - William David Colema , ﬁrst as Vice presiden t an d

n later as Preside t . CHAPTER XXXII

TH E THI RD GREBO WAR . CON CE SSI ONS IN MINING AND RUBBER

More trouble broke ou t on the lower Cavalla River in 1 893 n , whe the warlike Grebos , excited by the ag

ression s of the n g Fre ch , tried to capture an Ameri co

n t n n Liberia set leme t ear Harper by assault . After several disasters to Liberian arms the steamer Gorrono ” mah n n of was se t to the sce e the Third Grebo War ,

- an d c o n Gen . . . n operati g with R A Sherma , who com man d e d n n n the la d forces , gai ed a ﬁ al victory over the n atives . Three years later the tribe again waged war on the ’ n n settlers , but so stro g had Liberia s army the become that the Grebos were almost in stantly put down with

n . n . . n little loss to the Liberia s Ge eral R A Sherma , the

f had of n mulatto o ﬁcer , who the record directi g the

f n t n in greater part o these pu i ive expeditio s , died 1 894

n a nd was buried with all military ho ors .

1 880 n no n Up to , there had bee thought of Europea

n in developmen t of Liberia resources , but that year talk

in n n or in n of con cession s mi i g rubber was begu . Su c h a con cession might well prove a ﬁn ancial success for the state . n n n Eleven years before , the Mi i g Compa y of Liberia was established an d given special rights by the Govern 1 57 1 58 HIS TORY OF LIBERIA

f n su ﬂi cient for me t . However , it failed to raise capital

In 1 as the working of these mi ni n g ri ghts . 1 88 this w

n n n n n n n an d tra sformed i to the U io Mi i g Compa y , to it

n n n n n was gra ted a charter co tai i g importa t privileges .

n n in n n This chartered compa y was to la guish i actio , Since it was un able on a purely Liberian basis to raise

n f r a y capital o its purposes .

in n in n an The belief mi eral wealth Liberia the , d per

one a dd now n in of a haps may , li gers the air Liberia , s Benj amin Anderson has written a great deal that is allurin g about mines of fabulous wealth in the vicinity of Mu sadu no n , which , however , he had t bee allowed to

. to n in 1 874 visit He tried reach these regio s , but failed . The won derful gold mines of Buley (Bula) have not been discovered as yet . The rubber royalties were afterwards applied to the f o n d . n n service the Liberia ebt The co cessio , after

n n n passi g through several ha ds , was ﬁ ally bought by the

n an d n Chartered Compa y , has ow become the Liberian

n Rubber Corporatio .

’ of Bu ik The results Prof . tt ofer s j ourneys have c on siderably in creased the kn owledge of the coastal geog ra h of p y Liberia . 1 880 1 890 From to , German interest in Liberia began n to i crease , partly through the publication of Butti ’ kofer s on n of n work the fau a the Republic , a d also

n of Woerma n through the Hamburg Compa y n , who had

n n on n 1 850 n bee tradi g the West Coast si ce , a d had e n n stablished factories all alo g the Liberia seaboard .

1 60 HIS TORY OF LIBERIA

Americo - Liberian s on either side of their country with good - humored toleran ce until attempts were made to

n maintain law an d order W ithin the Kru cou try . Kru labor is sou ght after everywhere and shows that the African is not the shiftless fellow that man y writers

n n - claim him to be . Fra ce s apped up the sixty mile

n n an a stretch of coast betwee the S a Pedro d the C valla , so as to have un der her own ﬂag a supply of Kru labor . Several attempts were made by the German house of Woermann to obtain a con cession for the recruiting an d

n of an d n n n exporti g Kru labor , regulatio s gover i g this recruitmen t were from time to time drawn up by the

n Liberian Governme t . The M onrov ian Government in 1 893 strengthened its position among the Krumen by securin g declaration s on th e part of their chiefs of adhesion to the Govern — ment of Liberia to put a stop to foreign intrigue in this

n n n directio . Preside t Colema favored vigorous measures

o n n n to subdue the tribes f the hi terla d arou d the St . ’ and in 1 900 n Paul s River , comme ced a disastrous attempt to carry Liberian in ﬂuen ce into the n orthwest

f n region s o Liberia . His pla s met with a rude j olt when his expedition was totally defeated and utterly routed

n n by the very tribes it had bee se t to subdue . The Liberian Cabinet was thoroughly in opposition to Cole ’ n as n an ma s domestic policies regarded the atives , d he — resigned in favor of Vice president Garretson Wilmot

n n - Gibso , the preside t elect . H IS TORY OF LIBERIA 1 61

’ Gibson s ideas on domestic affairs were in great c on

n an n trast with those of Colema , d u der his direction the

n of developme t the Republic took a great stride forward .

n an f To facilitate this developme t , d especially that o the

n n n f n n n hi terla d , the age t o the U io Mini g Company

- ff t . n to Lt . o ered the charter of hat ﬁrm Col Cecil Pow ey ,

n n the chairma of a British sy dicate .

f To clear up all diﬂic u lties con cernin g the ten ure of the charter an d the n ecessary san ction of the Liberian

n n ir n an d . . n n Gover me t , S Simeo Stuart T H Myri g we t

n n to the Republic as accredited age ts of the sy dicate .

n n n An agreeme t to buy up the charter was e tered i to ,

n n in m 1 901 n an d the Liberia Co gress Dece ber , , sa c tion e d the transfer of the charter from the Union Minin g

n n n Company to the West Africa Gold Co cessio s Limited .

n n Some min or chan ges were i troduced i to the charter ,

n in u 1 904 an d further modiﬁcatio s were made A gust , ,

n in 1 906. n an d Jan uary , By this charter , mi i g rights two

of n an d n d and n coun ties , those Mo tserrado Maryla , ba k in an d t g , railway , telegraph , other rights hroughout n Liberia are consigned to the compa y . The Chartered

n n 1 902 and 1 904 d d Comp a y , betwee , ispatched six expe i n n and in 1 903 tion s to search the hinterla d for mi erals ,

n en gaged Mr . Alexa der Whyte to make a thorough h f T e o . investigation of the Liberian ﬂora . results Mr Whyte ’ s work have been of some importan ce to scien ce ; he has done for the ﬂora of Liberia what Bu ttikofer did for the fauna . CHAPTER XXXIII

PRE SIDENT ART HUR B AR CLAY

n 4 n Hon . I 1 90 , Preside t Arthur Barclay succeeded the

n and n n G . W . Gibso , immediately bega a policy of co cilia

n n n tion toward the tribes of the Liberia hi terla d . Bar

in clay was a n ative of Barbados , had come to Liberia

5 an d in n n 1 88 , had served the legal , j udicial , ﬁ a cial ,

n n n n an d other departme ts of the Liberia Gover me t .

of the of n He was ﬁrst Clerk House Represe tatives ,

f n - Judge o the Court of Quarter Sessio s , Sub Treasurer

n n an at Mo tserrado , Postmaster Ge eral d Secretary of the Treasury . He proceeded to hold at Monrovia a Con gress or Con

n i n n n an d v e t o of ki gs , headme chiefs from the hinter

n an d an la d , more particularly the Gora , Boporo , d

n n n p esi cou tries . This co fere ce served to greatly improve trade relations between the Americo - Liberian s

n in i in s an d n f a d the d g e , other meeti gs o Kru an d Grebo

t n men of au hority followed . Missio s were also di s patched un der native commission ers to the in terior and

n d n a . up the Cavalla St Paul rivers , ofte times a hun dred n d miles , to e deavor to evelop commerce with the coast , to hoist the Liberian ﬂag an d to prevent tribal wars and skirmishes .

President Barclay struck the keyn ote of his policy of domestic government when he stated that he c on 1 62

1 64 HIS TORY OF LIBERIA

n n n t n n was the Liberia hi terla d , for his Fre ch expeditio the ﬁrst to reveal with any approach to accuracy the

n d conﬁguration of the Cavalla basi . It also iscovered

n n an d n the lofty Nimba Mou tai s , e abled us to make a more accurate guess at the sources an d affluents of the

’ n of St . Paul s River . Their j our ey threw a beam bright

n light through the dark Liberian hinterla d .

in 1 904 an d n Therefore , , proposals cou ter proposals on the part of Fran ce and Liberia were made in regard to the drawin g of the boun dary lin e on the n orthern and

n f . In eastern fro tiers o the Republic the ﬁrst place , a more accurate delineation of the frontier was ren dered n n 1 892 n ot n ecessary , i asmuch as the treaty of had bee foun ded on geographical facts .

of n n to The proposals Fra ce , which were ﬁ ally agreed

n of by Liberia , caused the cessio by the Republic a

n of n of n in n portio the basi the Mako a the orthwest , but on n n n the other ha d , assured her u disputed possessio of

n n n of the e tire wester basi the Cavalla . The whole

n basi of the river St . Paul was also given over to Li

. in beria By this treaty , much valuable territory both the regions of the northeast and northwest is lost to the little Republic , which , however , secures the territory

n n and n previously me tio ed , attai s a much more easily marked frontier in the course of the Cavalla from source

- to mouth . This is also the lin e of water partin g between

’ of an the river systems the Niger d the St . Paul s and the main course of the Makona as far as the Anglo - Liberian n fro tier . CHAPTER XXXIV

EDU CATIO N IN LIBERIA AND THE NEEDS O F THE NATIVE S

Accordin g to the report of the Superintendent of n n 1 904 Public I structio for , there were more than ﬁve thousan d pupils in the public schools and mission schools f o the Republic . The average yearly expen diture for

n was n - ﬁv e n not n educatio twe ty thousa d dollars , i clud in g an extra ten thousan d dollars which was annually f devoted to the College o Liberia . The staff of the public an d mission schools was c om

f n n posed o the most efﬁcie t teachers that could be fou d . The government h as agreed to give free tuition in the

n n n to public schools , if the various pare ts will co se t pay n for the books which their childre use . The College of West Af rica has a large student body

n an d a competent corps of teachers . This u iversity is largely supported by the Methodist Episcopal Church an d ran ks with the best colleges of Africa .

n d n E is c o Denomi n ational schools , i clu i g those of the p

n in and pal Church , are doi g a great work Liberia , the n entire educational system is un usually efﬁcie t . At that period the greatest need of the country in an education al way was a complete plant to publish

n n c ol adequate school books for the various i stitutio s , leges and schools . 1 66 HIS TORY OF LIBERIA

It has been observed that the great ﬂaw in the Li berian system of education is that the ideas of the n ative African have been too much subordin ated to the culture

f n - n an d n o the A glo Saxo , that this eglect of the customs

in as in n of of the n atives has Liberia , other sectio s

n of n Africa , hi dered the spread educatio throughout

l n the a d .

Man y of the mission aries who are now sent to Africa would fail if they attempted the same work at home .

’ n n - n of He ce , Liberia s great eed is a well selected umber

n n mission aries to work amo g the atives .

n n an d n The missio ary , ofte times bred shaped o ly in

n n n n his little de omi atio al groove , is pro e to overlook what is good and n oble in the culture of the native

n an Africa s . To impress the ideas d ideals of the white

n n n race upo the Africa , without adequate co sideration of own n his peculiar culture , is a mistake ofte made .

n n n Alo g sociological li es alo e , there are elements in the customs of the natives which merit exten ded c on

n n n sideratio . For i sta ce , why should the native African

n n r or the ative Liberia , the Kru o the Mandin go adopt ou r system of marriage $ Why should he adopt ou r dress$ The Man din go robe

to n an is wholly suited the eeds of that tribe , d European clothes are unnecessary as they are in con gruous when

n wor by a native . The dress question should be gov erned rather by the requirements of the climate and the need of the in dividual than by any arbitrary rulin g of r church o state .

CHAPTER XXXV

POPULATI ON . RELI GION

The approximate total coast population of civilized

n n an d of n Liberia s , mostly Christia , mixed America

n n n and i dige ous Negro races , amou ts to The “ n n n Liberia commu ity , therefore , at the prese t time amounts to a population in the coast region s of about

in n In 1 1 4 n n umber . 9 a large umber of perso s

n - in n n from the U ited States , thirty eight umber goi g

n n from Jackso ville , Fla . , were added to the citize ry The writer of this book lives but a few blocks from the wharf where these persons took ship for Africa . The Protestant Episcopal Church started work in

in n Liberia 1 830 . A few years later the First Missio ary

n Bishop was elected , Bishop Auer . The seco d Bishop

n n n was the celebrated Joh Pay e , who worked amo g the

of n Grebo Cape Palmas . The prese t Bishop is a colored man n D . , the Right Rev . Samuel David Ferguso , D . ,

n n in n bor at Charlestow the U ited States , but settled in n 1 848 n Liberia si ce ; his picture herei appears . He

in 1 884 an n in 1 was elected Bishop d co secrated 885 . He atten ded the Lambeth Conferen ce in 1 897 an d was one

in n n of the Bishops received audie ce by Quee Victoria .

n n n n a . He also atte ded the Co fere ce at Richmo d , V , 1 68 HIS TORY OF LIBERIA 1 69

. . A . 1 1 2 9 . U S , His death was a great loss to the

as Church well as Liberia .

n n U der the Protesta t Episcopal Church , Liberia is d n B n an ivided i to four districts , Mesurado , asa , Si o , d

Cape Palmas . These again are divided into a n umber of - - sub districts . Nearly every Americo Liberian settle

n or n n me t has a church school belo gi g to this body . At Cape Mount the Protestant Episcopal Church

ﬁn e n n has a establishme t , the Irvi g Memorial Church ,

’ n Langford Memorial Hall a d St . George s Hall .

n n The reside ce of the Bishop is at Mo rovia . This

n n 1 9 70 church mai tai s , besides the Bishop , clergy ,

an 3 8 1 8 n catechists d teachers , day schools , boardi g

an d 3 1 S n . ns n schools , u day schools It gives i tructio n to over pupils . Dr . N . H . B . Cassell is amo g the leadin g preachers . 2 The Methodist Episcopal Church started in 1 83 . Its work in Liberia is controlled by the Methodist Episc o

D . D . pal Church , Right Rev . Joseph C . Hartzell , , a

- - i well known an d much respected personage n West ,

and South , Southeast Africa , supervised the American missionary work in Western Africa between Liberia and

n an d i n an d 1 6 . A gola , Rhodesia Mozambique for years man The Associate in Liberia was a colored , Bishop n Isaac B . Scott . Bishop Scott had a most wo derful success and under his administration the membership

n 1 2 . doubled . He spe t years there He and Bishop in Hartzell have been retired . They were succeeded

Liberia by Bishop J . C . Camphor . Bishop Camphor, 1 70 HIS TORY OF LIBERIA

of while visiting the U . S . America , succumbed to pneumonia in 1 9 1 9 .

of n n . C . was Bishop M . W . Clair Washi gto , D , elected

1 92 0 n . . at Des Moines , Ia . , May , , alo g with Bishop R E

n n in Jo es , bei g the ﬁrst regular Negro bishops elected the Methodist Episcopal Church . Bishop Clair goes to Liberia . The Methodist Episcopal Church has about

n 48 n and n 42 adhere ts , mi isters missio aries , day teach

1 S and . ers , 6 unday schools , scholars The Presbyterian Church $ Presbyterian missionaries 2 began work in Liberia in 1 83 . Their operations are ’ chieﬂy conﬁned to Monrovia and the St . Paul s settle

n me ts .

$ of n The Baptist Church Earliest all Christia churches , n B n in 1 82 1 the America aptist e tered Liberia , , to perform ’ n chaplain s duties for the America colonists . Their

. . n o ﬁrst pastor was Rev Mr Wari g , the father f Miss

n n n h Ja e Wari g , who married Preside t Roberts , t e ﬁrst f President o Liberia . The Baptists have most of their

n a d adherents in Mo rovia n Basa settlements . The African Methodist Episcopal Church began i i 1 work n Liberia n 885 . It has mission stations in three counties of Liberia . Bishop Heard and Bishop Ross served a short time . But the A . M . E . Gen . Co nference

in 1 92 0 elected May , , Bishop W . Sampson Brooks of

Baltimore , who like Bishop Clair of the Methodist m Episcopal Church will sail for Liberia about Septe ber .

’ n is n in The Luthera Church represe ted the St . Paul s

CHAPTER XXXVI

C THE PRE SIDENTS O F LI BERIA . TERM O F O FFI E BIRTH AND DEATH

n in n Joseph Jenkins Roberts was bor Virgi ia , March

4 1 09 n 1 st 1 848 n l st 1 856 1 , 8 , served Ja uary , to Ja uary , ,

2 6 1 76 n . died February , 8 at Mo rovia

n n n n n in n . . A. Stephe Alle Be so , bor Maryla d , U S ,

1 81 6 n 1 s 1 n 1 st 1 864 , served Ja uary t, 856, to Ja uary , ,

n died at Gra d Basa , Liberia .

n Bashi l n n 1 8 1 81 5 . . A Da iel e War er , bor April , , U S .,

n 1 st 1 864 n 1 st 1 868 served Ja uary , , to Ja uary , , died

30 1 . November , 880, at Monrovia

n n n n n James Spriggs Pay e , birth u k ow , served Ja uary

1 st 1 868 n l st 1 870 1 883 . , , to Ja uary , , died

t n n n Edward James Roye , time of bir h u k ow , served

n 1 st 1 870 1 9th 1 87 1 Ja uary , , to October , (deposed) , 1 died 871 .

- n S . 1 9 (Vice preside t) James Smith , served October th , 1 871 n 1 st 1 72 . , to Ja uary , 8

n n 1 st 2 Joseph Jenki s Roberts , served Ja uary , 1 87 , ’ to Janu ar 1 t 1 7 y s , 8 6. Second term .

n n 1 st 1 6 James Spriggs Pay e , served Ja uary , 87 , to

n 1 s 1 t 87 . Ja uary , 8 Second term .

t n n n st 1 An ho y William Gard er , served Ja uary 1 , 878, o n 1 st 1 t Ja uary , 883 , died 1 883 . 1 72 PRESIDENT E JAM ES R OY E

D R R EED

F o m r er Pre si d e n t of th e Co lle g e o f We s t Afri c a

E x - M AY OR F ULLER OF M ONROV IA

CHAPTER XXXVII

DIFFERENT PARTS O F THE GOVERNMENT

( 1 ) The Cabi net

The Cabinet an d Executive usually con sists of the

n the of of Preside t , Secretary State , the Secretary the

n i s . . Treasury (the prese t ofﬁcer J L Morris , whose pic t n the n n ure appears amo g illustratio s ) , the Attor ey

n the n of Ge eral , Secretary of the I terior , the Secretary

an d an d the t - n War Navy , Pos master Ge eral . There is

an f n also o ﬁcial private secretary to the Preside t .

(2 ) The S ena te

n The Se ate is composed of eight members , two from

n or n n each of the four cou ties provi ces , Mo tserrado ,

n and n . Basa , Si o , Maryla d The Senators are selected

an for four d two years .

(3) The Hou se of Representati ves

The House of Representatives con sists of thirteen members , four from Montserrado and three from each of n the other cou ties . Each member of the House receives about $500 per year while servin g in that

sit. n capacity ; they for two years , a d are elected bien niall y .