The complicated relationship between Colonisation and Liberia: Before Independence.

Often when colonialism and its effects on the African context are discussed, it is common to picture invaders whose backgrounds are so far removed from the indigenous population the will seek to oppress However, it is best those preconceived notions get challenged, as the reality of the situation can be far more complex as is the case with the history of Liberia as a nation. Whilst not necessarily considered a colonized country, it would be an injustice not to recognise that those who ruled Liberia for over 100 years would share the same complexion as the people they would suppress, yet also sharing a history of experience inequality.

Before we can dissect the specific history and how indigenous Liberians became second class citizens in their own country it's important to understand the history that led to this outcome: and that starts in America. How African Americans ended up in modern day Liberia can be attributed to two main notions of thought. The first being of northerners who sympathised with the struggles of slavery yet did not want to be burdened with establishing true equality between the races, and the second that came from African Americans themselves who felt tired of being treated as second class citizens in a land they did not consent to living on in the first place. However its an important distinction to make in the first place that this was not a popular notion within African American spaces - many did want to partake in the fight for equality and felt they had every right to live in America as their white counterparts - which is why there were never more than 5000 African Americans who departed to the ‘homeland’.

The African Colonisation Society (ACS) would be responsible for transporting and establishing settlements in West Africa. Key supporters such as Daniel Coker, James Forten, and Allen reflect what exactly attracted the small percentage of free African Americans to join the society in the first place; many lived on the borders of being some of the most privileged people for their background, yet also being stifled by the race in a country so contentious with it. So it appears a natural conclusion that The Elizabeth would set sail in January 1820, carrying approximately 80 passengers who were determined to carve their mark in the world on their own terms, albeit not for the best reasons.

Arriving on the Guinea coast would be a different reality entirely. There were many diseases which proved to be a great threat to sustaining a large enough population to build a settlement; illnesses such malaria showcased just how long African Americans had departed from the continent, as they had little to no immunity. But more importantly the relationship between the African American settlers and the indigenous populations would be contentious. One of the goals the settlers had when they arrived to West Africa, would be to dispel the slave trade - which was a lucrative method of securing precious goods for the local tribes. But a more substantial issue was the legality of the land the settlers had decided to occupy. It goes without saying that there was little consideration as to who inhabited the land before the settlers arrived, and it was fairly obvious that they had no interest in sharing the customs and practices of the indigenous. The story would be told that the settlers managed to buy the land from King Peter, a local Dey Chief, for goods such as tobacco, beer, rum, muskets and more, which he would be executed for. It was supposed to convey the intelligence of the settlers to trick the native out of their own land yet fails to contextualise that none of the tribes at the time would have a western understanding of land ownership - a sentiment that was common among many populations that would be colonised.

However whilst acquiring the land to start their settlement would prove difficult, gaining independence from the ACS would prove to be a whole other feat on its own. American supporters of the transportation movement felt that the colonists should be governed by ‘experienced hands’ which would be unpopular for a group of peoples whose sole purpose was to garner freedom for themselves. Liberia would eventually gain it's independence in 1847 nearly 2 decades after the initial voyage. By this point in time they had already begun to form independent cities improving upon the standard of living such as Monrovia (named after John Monroe), governmental buildings that could operate and create legislature, and an expansive economy that would trade with it's neighbours lucrative goods.

Joseph Jenkins Roberts was to be the first president not just of Liberia, but on the entire continent of African descent, and whilst on the surface a beacon of hope for the continents history, would prove to be a long battle on the road to equality…..