Who founded The Republic of Liberia?
Forty years before the Civil War, freed slaves returned to the very location from which their ancestors had departed. They created a permanent settlement that became known as Monrovia, after James Monroe, the American president, that echoed the architecture and layout of their old homes in the antebellum South. Arriving ships brought American customs, dress, holidays, the English language (now the country’s official language), and Christianity. By local standards, the returning freed slaves and their descendants were rich. The new arrivals soon became the ruling elite over the indigenous tribes. Armed clashes and battles ensued, but the Americo-Liberians prevailed and created a democratic government. The Republic of Liberia (“the land of the free”) was founded in 1847.
