J U L Y 2 0 0 6
V O L 2 / I S S U E 2
Liberia can now boast of some stability. As the
saying goes “let bye gone be bye gone” let us
forgive one another, and be our brothers keeper.
We Liberians are decent people. We must think
about putting Liberia on the map once again to
be number one in Africa. If we cannot accom-
plish this, then where are we heading?
written by Anthony B. Carter
L
iberia-formerly called the Grain coast owes
its establishment to the American coloniza-
tion society, founded in 1816 to resettle freed
American slaves in Africa. Claims over the
Grain Coast were disputed not only by the in-
digenous Dey, Kru and the Gola people that
occupy the land at the time, but also by the
European states that did not recognize Liberia
jurisdiction over the interior.
In 1821 an indigenous ruler granted a track of
land on Cape Mesurado, at the mouth of Saint.
Paul River, to U.S. representatives and the first
Americo- Liberians, led by Jehudi Ashmun be-
gan the settlement.
In 1824, an American man known by the name
of Ralph Randolph Gurley, named the Grain
Coast, Liberia (land of freedom) and the Cape
Mesurado settlement Monrovia. The first consti-
tution was drawn up in 1847 and Liberia be-
came an independent Republic. Joseph Jenkins
Roberts was elected as the first president.
As our nation grew, it eventually received rec-
ognition from Great Britain, France and the
United States. Succeeding sixteen presidents
since J.J. Roberts, William V. S. Tubman in
1943 worked to improve the living standard of
Liberians with an open-door economic policy
and extensive foreign investment. Dr. William
Richard Tolbert Jr. succeeded Tubman as presi-
dent of Liberia. He ruled until 1979 when a
paralyzing rice riot led to a bloody coup on
April 12 1980, by the People Redemption Coun-
cil headed by Master Sergeant Samuel Kanyon
Doe. The regime legitimized indigenous people
holding top government positions. President
Doe was later accused of rigging the 1985 gen-
eral ele