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Archive 1
  • It appears much of the text is largly copied from [1], as featured on the External links section. Does the author have permission to use this information ? MadMax 19:30, 3 May 2006 (UTC)

After independance

I've expanded the opening section, but there's more that can be done. The real gap is from independance in 1847 until the 1980's. How can we talk about the history of Liberia without saying anything about Firestore? I'll come back to this as I find the time, but I do not own this article. -- Donald Albury(Talk) 11:49, 3 July 2006 (UTC)

Pre-Liberian inhabitants?

Who lived in the region that would become Liberia before the freed slaves arrived? Presumably there were already African inhabitants before the slaves? Who were they and what happened to them? Some information on this would be great. The Singing Badger 02:47, 29 March 2006 (UTC)

I have read this article and I find that the entire Americo-Liberian/ native African dynamic in Liberia's history has been skipped over.—Preceding unsigned comment added by 71.28.104.21 (talk • contribs)

Find some reliable published sources, and add the information. There are a lot of gaps in this article. -- Donald Albury(Talk) 20:43, 9 August 2006 (UTC)

Unique - but as stated??

"is unique in Africa as it started neither as a native state nor as a European colony," - What about Ethiopia? What about Egypt?Kdammers 06:04, 5 September 2006 (UTC)

Ethiopia and Egypt qualify as 'native states'. Ethiopia has a very long history as an independent country, interrupted only by the Italian occupation of 1936 to 1941. Egypt, although long part of the Ottoman Empire, was effectively autonomous until Britain established its protectorate in the 19th century. Since Egypt was a protectorate and not a colony, Egypt as a country continued through to today. Similarly, Morocco was independent until 1906 - 1912, when France and Spain divided it into protectorates, which ended in 1956. -- Donald Albury 11:17, 5 September 2006 (UTC)

Incorporation of Maryland County

The annexation of Maryland County really belongs in the post-independence section. I just cleaned up a couple of factual issues, but formatting is beyond me. — Preceding unsigned comment added by Jon13210 (talk • contribs) 03:18, 10 September 2006 (UTC)

Maryland state

Per this reference and this this reference, Marland was founded as Maryland-in-Africa in 1834, became the State of Maryland in Liberia on 2 Feb 1841, declared itself independent of Liberia (as the Independent State of Maryland in Liberia) on 29 May 1854, and was incorporated into Liberia again (as Maryland County) on 18 Mar 1857. As I can find no references for the colony being called Maryland in Liberia prior to 1841, I will edit the article to match the sources. -- Donald Albury 13:14, 10 September 2006 (UTC)

The "declaration of independence" in 1854 was independence from the Maryland State Colonization Society, not from Liberia. Cite: same sources as below.
Regarding hyphenation, I would direct you here: http://memory.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/r?ammem/gmd:@filreq(@field(NUMBER+@band(g8880+lm000010))+@field(COLLID+lmmap))
The actual name of the colony seems to have been fluid in the early years, known alternatively as "Cape Palmas" or "The Maryland Colony," but I would direct one here: http://www.mdhs.org/library/Mss/ms000571.html
These are the notes made in the preservation process of the Maryland Historical Society's colonization records. It reads, in pertinent part,

These volumes contain a similar set of letters, all of them written by John H. B. Latrobe, who served as the Colonization Society's first Corresponding Secretary and became President in March 1837. Volume 1 consists largely of letters to Dr. Hall while the latter was Governor of Maryland in Liberia.

The emphasis is mine, but "Dr. Hall" refers to Dr. James Hall, who governed the colony from its founding in 1834 until February 11, 1836. Cite: On Afric's Shore & "Papers of the Maryland State Colonization Society" microfilms @ Maryland Historical Society.
The document also references an 1837 document as the "Constitution and Laws of Maryland in Liberia."
Unfortunately the original documents can be viewed only on microfilm, save for a few pdf's scattered about the net. I've rooted through only a few of the film rolls.
Also, this reference from Google books...
http://books.google.com/books?vid=OCLC07874806&id=eH4v32dswI8C&pg=RA4-PA11&lpg=RA4-PA11&dq=%22maryland+in+liberia%22&as_brr=1
Though it seems unlikely to have been published, as indicated, in 1834, this work references the colony as "Maryland in Liberia" from its founding.
I suspect that some original uses of "The State of Maryland in Liberia" actually meant "The (U.S.) State of Maryland('s activites in) Liberia." — Preceding unsigned comment added by Jon13210 (talk • contribs) 16:13, 10 September 2006 (UTC)
This is why it is so important to cite your sources when you add material. Without seeing these sources, I had nothing to go on except for the sources I had found. The article needs to acknowledge the discrepancies between sources. I wish we knew where the worldstatesmen.org site got its information. Also note that, according to worldstatesmen.org, Liberia became independent in 1847 (and was recognized as such by the United Kingdom in 1848, and by France in 1852), so it seems anomalous for Maryland in Liberia to be declaring independence from the Maryland Colonization Society in 1854. So, did Maryland in Liberia not be come a part of Liberia before it became independent? Worldstatesmen.org says it did, but I see now that the kaery.ellone-loire.net site shows a name change from Maryland-in-Africa to State of Maryland in Liberia in 1841 without actually stating that Maryland joined Liberia. Unfortunately, all we can do is note the discrepancies and hope we find more complete sources.
On another note, there's a big gap in the history between independence and the late 20th-century civil war that needs to be filled in. The whole Firestone rubber plantation thing needs to be covered, and I suspect there are other interesting episodes that I don't know about. I have intended to research it, but other things keep seeming to have a higher priority for me. Sigh! -- Donald Albury 18:34, 10 September 2006 (UTC)

Just learned about how to cite sources in the article. Sorry for the omission. Regarding your question about Maryland's independence and relationship with Liberia proper. The nomenclature is definitly a little confusing as the name "Maryland in Liberia" does not indicate incorporation into Liberia. In fact, any reference to the specific title "Maryland in Liberia" describes the pre-annexation period, as its name after annexation was "Maryland County." There's even a map in the Hall book dated 1839 with the area around Cape Palmas labeled "Maryland in Liberia."

Up until 1854 the colony was operated by the Md. State Colonization Society as an entity wholly separate from Liberia proper. Worldstatesman I think simply says Md. in Liberia declared independence without indicating from whom. Liberia's declaration of independence from the Amer. Colonization Society in 1847, while important in the history of the Md. colony, was irrevelant to its status as an entity of the Md. State Colonization Society. At some point the Md. Colonization Society restyled the colony as a commonwealth, intended to encourage it to support itself financially and reduce the burden on the cash-strapped colonizatin society. This could be where some indication of a minor name change occurs, though I've not seen documents to that effect. The scant authoritative writing on the subject almost uniformly settles on the name "Maryland in Liberia" for its entire existence from 1834 to 1857.

And now that I look back over some things, it appears the official name from the outset was "Maryland in Liberia." I guess you can't get much more authoritative than the original deed when the Md. Colonization Society bought the land from the indigeneous Greboe people. It's more interesting for the list of what they paid for the land than its reference to a name, but there it is. I humbly submit that we consider this one settled and move on to expanding the article. http://www.mdarchives.state.md.us/megafile/msa/speccol/sc4800/sc4872/000060/html/m60-0472.html

I should add some of this to the article itself, i know. My knowledge ends at the Md. colony's annexation in 1957, but I'm putting together a project about the Maryland colony and will add pre-1957 stuff as I have time. John Sanders 3:20pm EDT Sept. 10 2006 — Preceding unsigned comment added by Jon13210 (talk • contribs) 19:55, 10 September 2006 (UTC)

Looking back at the worldstateman site, I see that I was reading too much into it. Sorry about the misunderstanding. I got into this because I said 'keep' in a deletion discussion on an article called Colonial Heads of Port Cresson and Bassa Cove, which turned out to be a copy of this. As I had supported keeping the article, I felt obligated to do something with it, and the best choice seemed to be to put the information here. Any way, it is interesting that the Maryland society tried to hold into its colony after Liberia became independent. And as I sit here, I have this nagging thought about readin something about River Cess County also having some sort of independent existence at some point, but I can't remember any details. -- Donald Albury 01:25, 11 September 2006 (UTC)

Yeah, it's pretty interesting. At one point at least Mississippi, Maryland and a joint venture between New York and Pennsylvania were all operating west African colonies independent of Liberia proper. Mississippi's became what is now Sinoe County but I can't remember what the others became. I'm pretty confident Maryland's was the only to declare independence from America and exist as an sovereign nation before joining Liberia. Anyway, thanks for checking out my sources. I was a little worried I was about to get lost in an edit war and lose interest in Wikipedia before I even got started. Hey, who cleans out this talk page so it doesn't get to be miles long? John Sanders 10:00EDT Sept 10, 2006 — Preceding unsigned comment added by Jon13210 (talk • contribs) 02:01, 11 September 2006 (UTC)

WWI

I read in World Book that it sent troops to France during the war but not here. I would add it but it doesn't tell how many were sent. — The preceding unsigned comment was added by 209.206.165.25 (talk) 04:16, 12 April 2007 (UTC).

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Improving the structuring of this article; 'Article too long'?!

Friends, I’m impressed by the vastness of this wiki-article (printed out some thirty pages long), and by the amount of information stored and stacked in it. I am, however, discouraged by the lacking of a clear, clarifying division and subdivision of the article, structuring the abundance of information in a convenient, practicable way. I hereby propose to try making a re-arrangement into more structured chapters, sub-chapters etc, without throwing away any information at all from the now existing article. Any suggestions on that? Supposing I will succeed in my attempt, I will ofcourse only display the result when I have made-over the whole article. There's no telling how long that is going take me. Corriebertus (talk) 12:26, 12 July 2008 (UTC)

Yes, I quite agree with Calliopejen1 (31 July 2008): this article is ‘too long’, maybe improvements in other respects are conceivable as well. I happen to be working very hard on all these sorts of ‘improvements’ on this article. The ‘rough work’ on this effort of mine is now done (at my desk). Very soon now, I’ll hopefully be transplanting my ‘improved (and shorter) version’ into Wikipedia. Corriebertus (talk) 16:57, 1 August 2008 (UTC)

Please provide a link to the "improved (and shorter) version" for us to review and comment on before transplanting it over the current article. --Richard (talk) 18:49, 2 August 2008 (UTC)
I have to correct myself, to prevent misunderstandings. The length of the article is, to my opinion, only the second gravest ‘shortcoming’ of it. The gravest is the lack of structure. I’m still working on it; it’s only some tedious but necessary technicalities holding me up now. In the re-editing process I promise to also reduce the length of the article considerably. ----Corriebertus (talk) 20:24, 10 August 2008 (UTC)

I've started to copy (duplicate) - slightly corrected - one of the last paragraphs: 'Allegations .... labor rights abuses by Firestone', to a new wiki-article. Next step, I will shorten this paragraph in "History of Liberia' much. Corriebertus (talk) 14:39, 2 August 2008 (UTC)

I removed the paragraph altogether. I think the "labor rights abuses" paragraph does not belong in this article as it is too recent to tell how relevant it is to the "History of Liberia". Please refer to WP:UNDUE. I would want to have more info on what the current status of the lawsuit is and more evidence that this was a truly notable event rather than, for example, a politically-motivated maneuver.
I have my doubts as to whether the lawsuit warrants its own article but I will leave that discussion for another day.
--Richard (talk) 18:49, 2 August 2008 (UTC)
Hello Richard. I hadn’t found this message from you before today. I’m happy with your later improvements on “labor rights abuses”, after 2 August, 18:00. I agree with you that this whole story about a lawsuit etc., doesn’t seem very strong or important. But if a wiki colleague has judged it of importance, we can’t coldheartedly throw it overboard altogether. At least, I myself don’t see that as my job. So we reduced it now, to a short message, and a link. In a few years’ time, someone can really decide about the (non-) importance of it. No one can tell: next week, month, year, this whole business can turn out to be extremely important… Corriebertus (talk) 20:21, 4 August 2008 (UTC)

The article ‘History of Liberia’ needed cleaning up, summarizing, and structuring. Since launching of the article in 2002 it has grown luxuriantly by hundreds of valuable and interesting contributions, but not many contributors seem to have found the time to keep the article as a whole readable, consistent and surveyable.

The part up until 1980, I’ve thoroughly summarized, from some 9,800 to some 3,900 words. The bits of information that didn’t make it into this summarized version are now for almost 100 percent to be found and consulted in the linked articles pertaining each separate Liberian presidency, like Arthur Barclay (1904-1912), Stephen Allen Benson (1856-64), etc., and the article American Colonization Society.

The history from 1980 up until today, I’ve mainly cleaned up and organized thoroughly – at some points it had become sort of a mess. This cleaning up has, I think, already improved this part of the story to such a degree, that I did not pursue far going summarizing it as well. This part is now more complete on essentials, but nevertheless reduced from some 4300 to 3150 words. The bits that didn’t make it into the new version are in many, not in all cases, still present in linked articles like Samuel Doe, First Liberian Civil War, etc..

The source for all information in this revised version is Wikipedia, except when indicated differently in a ‘reference’ note. 95 Percent comes straight out of the existing article ‘History of Liberia’. In quite a few cases, I’ve also consulted the linked wiki-articles that are now indicated in top lines of some paragraphs, such as Main article: Samuel Doe or See also: American Colonization Society. For the period until 1847, I’ve consulted also linked Wiki-articles like Thomas Jefferson, American Revolution, Sierra Leone, Paul Cuffe etc.. For 1847-1980, sometimes bits of information come from the articles pertaining each Liberian presidency, now neatly summed up in a separate paragraph, and linked articles like Firestone, Flag of convenience, True Whig Party, etc.. For ‘First Liberian Civil War’, bits come from articles like Charles Taylor, NPFL, ECOWAS, ECOMOG, Dr. Sawyer, etc.. For Rule Charles Taylor and ‘Second Civil War’, 1997-2003, bits come from articles like LURD, SCSL, MODEL, UNMIL, Moses Blah, Bryant, etc.. Corriebertus (talk) 15:43, 19 August 2008 (UTC)

Source for expansion/citations

The book could provide sources for the early years of the country. Aboutmovies (talk) 09:44, 19 October 2008 (UTC)

Call for editors to collaborate on a new African history Wikiproject

All editors with a specific interest in African history are invited to help start a new African history Wikiproject. This is not a substitute for the Africa Wikiproject, but editors with a specific interest in African history (as opposed to a general interest in Africa) would collaborate on improving the quality of African history on Wikipedia. For more details click here or here here.

Ackees (talk) 15:52, 11 August 2009 (UTC)

This article has been undergoing copyright review as part of a contributor copyright investigation (see subpage here). Many instances of copyright problems have been detected and cataloged at that investigation subpage. For one example, text added here:

Liberian society and political structure was arranged in layers. The most powerful were "Americo-Liberians" which were actually mixed African and European ancestry. They were lighter skinned than the indigenous native blacks. The Americo-Liberians sent their children to America for high school and college. While this ruling elite lived and prospered achieving respect they could never attain in America, they failed to include native Liberians into their power base. In fact, they took their land, taxed them, and controlled their trade.

Infringes on this source:

Liberian society and political structure was arranged in layers. The most powerful were "Americo-Liberians" which were actually mixed African and European ancestry. They were lighter skinned than the indigenous native blacks. The Americo-Liberians sent their children to America for high school and college. While this ruling elite live and prospered achieving respect they could never attain in America, they failed to include native Liberians into their power base. In fact, they took their land, taxed them, and controlled their trade.

There can be no question of reverse infringement here; this particular source dates to 2004.

While some of the text has already been rewritten or exported to other articles, remnants will need additional edits or removal to prevent the article's constituting an unauthorized derivative work. Contributors are welcome to further rewrite any content revised or removed, but are asked, please, not to restore that content. In accordance with Wikipedia's copyright policy, there are strict limits to how we may use previously published text. --Moonriddengirl (talk) 17:58, 7 March 2010 (UTC)

Content removed from [2]. --Moonriddengirl (talk) 21:32, 8 March 2010 (UTC)
Extensive content removed from [3]. --Moonriddengirl (talk) 12:13, 24 March 2010 (UTC)

"European" settlement

Just wondering why the word "European" is in quotation marks in the first paragraph. I'm fully prepared to believe and accept that there's a reason for it, but I couldn't think of it off the top of my head; without further explanation, the quotation marks might be confusing for others, too. CommanderFalafel 13:43, 6 February 2006 (UTC)

I was wondering the same thing. Since this was asked over a year ago, and no one has provided an answer, I'm removing the quotation marks. 145.120.11.72 19:15, 25 February 2007 (UTC)

The explanation is that, technically, the arrival of freed American slaves is not an "European" settlement and thus the sentence
No further known European settlements occurred along the Grain Coast until the arrival of freed American slaves after 1817.
isn't quite correct as written.
I noticed User:145.120.11.72's removal of the quotes and started pondering over what the correct wording should be. I don't have an answer but I think I understand the problem at least.
From 1461 to 1663, there were a number of European settlements. No problem with that.
In 1817, there was a settlement by freed American slaves. Fine.
However, you cannot say
No further known European settlements occurred along the Grain Coast until the arrival of freed American slaves after 1817.
because the 1817 settlement was not a "European" settlement.
You could say
No further known settlements by non-African colonists occurred along the Grain Coast until the arrival of freed American slaves starting in 1817.
I'm going to change the wording to say that but I'm open to discussing further improvements.
--Richard 23:32, 25 February 2007 (UTC)

I know this is an aged discussion thread here, but if I may: "European", quoted, seems to be a stand-in for Western, that is, non-native, settling of the area, and while I would say that it would be appropriate to use such quotes in that context...I think clarifying it, if it hasn't been already, as free black Americans and American missionaries, would be ideal. The general term Western, and especially "European" has a certain connotation of primarily white, when clearly Liberia has been primarily settled by black transplants from the "West". 71.172.40.191 (talk) 14:26, 27 January 2014 (UTC)

Date of enfranchisement?

The article currently states: The social tensions led President Tubman to enfranchise the indigenous Liberians either in 1951 or 1963 (accounts differ). I don't understand why the accounts would differ. Surely there would be a specific and ascertainable date when the indigenous Liberians were given the franchise. But if there is a dispute about that, we should explain what the dispute is about, and right now the article doesn't explain that. --Metropolitan90 (talk) 00:57, 6 October 2008 (UTC)

Perhaps it refers to partial, conditional, enfranchisement at the earlier (1951) date? Perhaps someone more knowledgeable can comment, but I'd imagine that the 1951 would be, at the minimum, male enfranchisement above the age of 21 (following the American age pattern at least), likely propertied or otherwise, shall we say, "invested" in society? When 1963 comes around, any of those restrictions are removed, and thus from that year on we have universal enfranchisement, regardless of property, gender, or any other requirements? Furthermore, any searches seem to indicate that there has been also been some sort of push regarding the Liberian Diaspora and voting rights. Speculation here, but only to help guide others more knowledgeable: Is there any suggestion that the 1951 law, provided it does immediately grant universal suffrage, refer solely to those living within Liberia? With the 1963 laws, is it likely that foreign votes from those eligible within this diaspora were at last permitted to cast ballots? 71.172.40.191 (talk) 14:35, 27 January 2014 (UTC)
According to the bottom of page 131 of "Liberia: The Violence of Democracy" By Mary H. Moran[1], it would appear that if I had to guess, the 1951 law was for what you might consider the tribal elites (presumably full franchise was at least in theory existent amongst the Americ-Liberians, irrespective of gender and wealth, though I could be wrong), and it was only through pressure, presumably from others in the Pan-Africa movement, in particular the so-called "Monrovia Group" which Tubman headed and hosted in 1961, that the various indigenous populations were granted voting rights not long after. Furthermore, according to Collective Insecurity: The Liberian Crisis, Unilateralism, and Global Order By Ikechi Mgbeoji (Pages 9 and 10)[2], it would appear that while Tubman wanted the full franchise even from the start, the internal political realities of Liberia prevented him from doing so. Thus it appears that he extended voting rights, at least somewhat, in response to Didhwo Twe's opposition to Tubman in the 1951 Presidential Election. Of course, the election itself was marred with corruption, but it appears that it still shook Tubman regarding tribal agitation, and not long after he gave them the slightest olive branch he could manage, before as I mentioned, being forced by Pan-Africans as well as the internal realities of a tribal society waking up to the pseudo-apartheid situation where lighter-skinned black Liberians of American and European extraction ruled over the darker-skinned blacks of the tribal interior and the other indigenous settlements. After two such elections (1951 and then 1959 it would appear), he had little choice but to eventually give in as pressure mounted to equalize the rights of the indigenous peoples and the Americo-Liberian elites.
Mind you, I am quite the layman with this, but those seem to be the conclusions I can draw from what I was able to dig up. Perhaps someone with more knowledge can fully digest the material and figure how to incorporate it into the appropriate section?
71.172.40.191 (talk) 14:51, 27 January 2014 (UTC)

References

  1. ^ http://books.google.com/books?id=7sAa75hpdiMC&pg=PA131&lpg=PA131&dq=Liberian+enfranchisement&source=bl&ots=zjaVCNOzu3&sig=DoSfx2Oy9G2h2ZvcFMbRvIGpNrE&hl=en&sa=X&ei=xW3mUsL-KcWvsQTG7oGwCg&ved=0CFMQ6AEwBg#v=onepage&q=Liberian%20enfranchisement&f=false
  2. ^ http://books.google.com/books?id=SjWIxr22qVUC&pg=PA182&lpg=PA182&dq=Liberian+enfranchisement&source=bl&ots=BfokYAxajL&sig=XgbUqoQH_xZcqcoTKvGThHg48bk&hl=en&sa=X&ei=xW3mUsL-KcWvsQTG7oGwCg&ved=0CD8Q6AEwAw#v=onepage&q=Liberian%20enfranchisement&f=false

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