Brief History of Liberia
https://thisisliberia.com/blog/f/a-brief-but-powerful-history-of-liberia
Written by Kweighbaye Kotee
Liberia’s story is unlike any other on the African continent. Tucked along the West African coast, it’s a place where history, freedom, and identity collide in both beautiful and complicated ways. Known as "The Land of the Free," Liberia was founded in the early 1800s by formerly enslaved African Americans who were looking for what so many of us still are—freedom, dignity, and a fresh start.
In 1822, the American Colonization Society (ACS) helped establish a settlement for freed Black Americans along what was then calle
d the Grain Coast. The idea was controversial. On one hand, it was an opportunity for African Americans to escape centuries of racism and systemic violence in the United States. On the other, it was a plan rooted in the reluctance of white Americans to integrate freed Black people into American society. Still, more than 15,000 freed and free-born Black people made the transatlantic journey, bringing with them their culture, language, faith, and vision for something new.
In 1847, Liberia became the first independent republic on the African continent. Its first president, Joseph Jenkins Roberts, was a Black man born in Virginia. The government structure was modeled after the United States, including a constitution, Senate, and Supreme Court. The new nation adopted English as its official language and designed a flag reminiscent of the American flag—with red and white stripes and a single white star.
The settlers, later known as Americo-Liberians, built a society deeply influenced by their American upbringing. They established schools, churches, and businesses. However, their governance and institutions often excluded the Indigenous population, who had lived on the land for generations. This created a deep and lasting divide. For more than a century, Liberia was governed almost exclusively by Americo-Liberians, and political power was concentrated within the True Whig Party—a one-party system that lasted from 1878 to 1980.
In 1980, that structure was violently upended. Samuel K. Doe, a young army officer of Krahn ethnicity, led a coup that overthrew President William R. Tolbert, Jr., marking the first time an Indigenous Liberian took power. What followed, however, was far from stable. Doe’s rule was marked by corruption, human rights abuses, and ethnic favoritism. Tensions exploded in 1989, when Charles Taylor launched a rebellion against Doe’s government, igniting Liberia’s first civil war.
The civil wars that followed (1989-1996 and 1999-2003) were brutal. They decimated the country, displaced nearly a million people, and claimed the lives of over 250,000 Liberians. Armed factions tore through communities, child soldiers were forced into violence, and warlords controlled vast regions of the country. These were dark years—but even then, the spirit of the Liberian people remained unbroken.
A peace agreement in 2003 brought the conflict to a close, and the world watched as Liberia began the long, painful process of healing and rebuilding. In 2005, Liberians elected Ellen Johnson Sirleaf as president—making her the first elected female head of state in Africa. Her presidency marked a new chapter. Under Sirleaf’s leadership, Liberia secured debt relief, attracted international investment, and took steps toward post-war recovery.
She was followed in 2018 by George Weah, a global football icon and Liberia’s most celebrated athlete. Weah’s election was seen as a hopeful sign of continued democratic progress. And in 2024, former vice president Joseph Boakai was elected president, signaling the country’s growing political maturity and peaceful transitions of power.
But Liberia’s story isn’t just about its presidents or politics. It’s about its people. Liberia is home to over 16 ethnic groups, each with distinct languages, traditions, and worldviews. It’s a place where Christianity and Islam exist alongside Indigenous spiritual practices. Where stories are passed down in villages and modern art thrives in the capital. Where Kolokwa—a unique Liberian English—is spoken with rhythm, humor, and soul.
It’s a country rich in natural resources—rubber, timber, iron ore, and gold—but even richer in culture, resilience, and pride. From its palm-lined beaches to its forested interior, Liberia is a land of beauty and contradictions. It is a country that has suffered deeply but never stopped dreaming.
As someone of Liberian descent, this history is deeply personal to me. My father was from the Gio ethnic group, one of the many Indigenous groups in Liberia. During the civil war, the Gio and Mano people were targeted under Samuel Doe's regime, which led to widespread violence, persecution, and displacement. My family fled as the war was erupting—first to Ivory Coast, then eventually received asylum to come to the United States. That journey was filled with fear and uncertainty, but also hope—the same kind of hope that so many Liberians have carried through generations.
Liberia’s story holds the complicated legacy of slavery, the unshakable hope of return, and the ongoing struggle for equity, unity, and peace. And while its history is marked by struggle, it is also shaped by joy, creativity, and a fierce determination to thrive.
This is the Liberia I know. A place of heart, history, and hard-won resilience.