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Liberia:
Past and Present of Africa's
Oldest Republic

 

 

 

Cape Mesurado 1890

                             

 Visit my blog: Liberian Perspectives. Updated July 24, 2010

 

 

 

 


 

Trustee R.M. McGill 1846
 

 

 
National Symbols:
 

The flag
The seal
The anthem: text
The anthem: sound
  

 


Religion and superstition:

History  of ritutal killings in Liberia;
Ritual killings continue to be a plague.
Update May 17, 2010

But  not only  in Liberia.
Africa
 Update July 4, 2010
Asia
South America
 

 

 

Recommended  Reading

 


The Pepper Coast before 1822

According to the traditions of many African tribes their ancestors were persons of small size. Although no trace of their existence was ever discovered in West Africa they are well-known to the peoples of this subregion. The Sousou in what is now Guinea call them ‘Doki’, the Ouolofs in Senegal call them ‘Kondrong’ while in Liberia they are called ‘Jinna’.

It is generally believed that before 1822 there were 16 different tribes living in what was called the ‘Pepper Coast’, ‘Grain Coast’ or ‘Malaguetta Coast’.
One of them was (...)
more

The creation of Liberia (1822-1847)
 

In the beginning of the 19th century, groups of free-born blacks, freed slaves and mulattoes from the United States of America emigrated to the west coast of Africa. In 1847, 25 years after the first successful colonisation, they proclaimed an independent Republic, which they named Liberia. At that time they numbered about 3,000: men, women and children.  
(more) 

             
About the author    contact

PRESENT

Click on map to zoom in on
Google map of Liberia

Liberia Makes
History Again!

 

The Truth and Reconciliation Committee
Ellen Johnson Sirleaf 1st  elected female African President
     

 

 

         Update June 12, 2010  shopping icons
'Ellen Johnson Sirleaf is the best president the country
            has ever had'
           The Economist, May 20, 2010
 


 

    

Charles Taylor 1st African Head of State on War Crimes Tribunal

The Taylor trial proceedings are streamed over the internet, and can be seen at The Speical Court for Sierra Leone, Hague Link 1 and Hague Link 2

Former Liberian President Charles Taylor (front L) sits in the courtroom of the International Criminal Court before the hearing of witnesses in his trial in The Hague January 7, 2008.
Picture from The Analyst
 
The trial of Charles Taylor
For the most recent news and expert commentary:
  • Trial proceedings
  • Trial background
  • Daily, weekly and monthly summaries

A project of the
Open Society Justice Initiative.
 

Liberia and the UN

Security Council resolution 1521
     (2003)
 

* Travel Ban list.
  Last updated May 21, 2008

Embargoes/sanctions

UNMIL
 

Liberia and the international donor community
 
Governance and Economic
     Management Assistance
     Program (GEMAP)

shopping icons
 Debt relief
 

Liberia and the World Bank
Budgets
     2005/2006 through 2008/2009
Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper (PRSP) 2008/2009 thru 2010/2011

 


Liberia and Foreign Investments
 
Overview

 
Mittal Resumes Full Operation
in Bassa.

 
Senate approval of $1bn deal with Mittal paves the way for the rehabilitation of the iron ore sector!

 

shopping iconsHuman Rights
Update June 12, 2010
 
United Nations

UNMIL: Report on the Human Rights Situation January - June 2009

UNHCR: World Report 2010 - Liberia
 

Human Rights Watch

Liberia: Events of 2009
 

Amnesty International USA

2009 Annual Report for Liberia

Liberia Human Rights
  

US Department of State

2009 Human Rights Report: Liberia
March 11, 2010

US Human Rights Report 'Erroneous'
says Pres Ellen Johnson Sirleaf

April 22, 2010
 

Liberia Human Rights Campaign
 

 

Partly Sunny
The Weather in Monrovia

 

 

 

Publications quoted /
additional reading

 

 

 

 


The Colony of Liberia before 1847
based on U.S. newspapers (1817-1847)


Images of 19th century colonists ('Americo- Liberians') and the stories behind them.
 


Liberia after 1847

Liberia in 1856 as seen by Rev. Harvey Newcomb:


Political History   

One dollar banknote Liberia 1862, signed by Vice-President Daniel Bashiel Warner.

 

 


Economic History

The original publication of the
"Open Door Policy of Liberia -
An Economic History of
Modern Liberia" (1983)
now as  pdf-file available.


The study covers the prelude,  introduction, growth and zenith of
foreign investments in Liberia.
   
After the Doe Administration and the civil war Liberia had to start from scratch. The lessons of the past should not be forgotten.
  • Volume 1 (460 pp.)
    Chapter 1: The Pepper Coast Before 1847
    Chapter 2: The origin of the Closed Door and Open Door Policies 1847 - 1947
    Chapter 3-10: Agriculture, Mining, Forestry (Firestone, Lamco etc.)
    Chapter 10-13: Analysis of impact (Fiscal contribution, transfer of technology, transport and communication)
    Chapter 13: The change from a subsistence economy into a developing economy 1900 - 1979
    Chapter 14: Conclusions and Recommendations
     

  • Volume 2  (234 pp.)
    (Annexes, Bibliography, Footnotes, Index)

Buy the book:
Ebay/Allibris-books 
Amazon.com

*****

Foreign investments:

The subsistence economy:

President Tubman and Queen Juliana during a State visit to the Netherlands in 1956.

Liberia and the Netherlands:

Colony of Liberia coin issued 1833 American Colonization Society

 

 


Money

Monetary development 

The decision of President Edwin Barclay (1930-1944) to adopt the US dollar as the sole legal tender in Liberia
as from December 31, 1943 very clearly symbolizes the political orientation of the first African Republic as well as it's financial and economic dependence. (more)

 

1743 map by Professor Johann Matthias Haas (or Hasias), Heirs of Homann
   
The Colony of Maryland
(1831-41) became Maryland in Liberia (1841-57) which was admitted into the Republic of Liberia on February 28, 1857, ten years after the creation of the first African republic.
  

Maps Liberia

Colony of Liberia

Maryland in Liberia

 

Republic of Liberia

 

Monrovia

Robertsport

Territorial Changes and Urban Growth

8½" solid brass ring known as 'waterspirit' or 'nitien', sometimes called Kru money. Weighs nearly 9 lbs.
Collected 1975 near Tchien, Grand Gedeh County
 

 

 


Culture

Ritual object or 'Kru money'? 
The origin of these objects is not known with certainty. They were used among the Kru and the Grebo in southeastern Liberia. They call them 'Dwin', 'tien' or 'nitien', meaning water spirits, or 'Gods of water'. (more)

Liberian Music
   

Songs of the African Coast: Liberian Café Music
 
 

ARTHUR ALBERTS: Songs of the African Coast: Cafe Music of LiberiaArthur Alberts recorded music throughout Africa and in 1950 released the landmark 78 rpm set Tribal, Folk and Cafe Music of West Africa. The music on this release included a mix of genres as well as detailed notes by leading academics. The recording showed the intricate connections between African and American music. Read more on the website of cdbaby.com and listen to all the tracks.
 

Liberia Land of Liberty with President Tubman
 
Tubman Goodtype Songs of Liberia by
Congress-Woman Malinda Jackson Parker

 


Bibliography

More sites on Liberia



 19th century scenery at the Kru coast    


 
 
 
      

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