History Liberia

 Historical dates

Ist millennium BC:The Krous settle in Liberia. Mandes from the south settle in the teritory.
15th century: Muslim Mandes from the north settle in the west of the country.
From 1460:The Portuguese travel along the coast exporting local goods. They start trading slaves.
17th to 19th century: The start of the slave trade.
1816: The American Colonization Society (an Anglo-Saxon philanthropic society) help slave trade victims to return to Africa.
1821: Victims finally settle on the land of cape Mesurado on the mouth of Saint-Paul river (the city of Monrovia is established) and progressively along the coast.
July 1847: Liberia becomes an independent Republic. Joseph Jenkins Roberts (the first black governor of Morovia) is President until 1956. The American-Liberians continue to extend their powers, but they have to face indigenous protests and disapprobation from the European states.
1892-1911: United States, France and Britain sign an agreement. Borders are laid out in Liberia. (till today)
14th August 1917: Liberia declares war to Germany, granting additional territorial access to the Allies.
1926: Rubber production is the country's main economic activity.
1931: Indigenes worked for the American-Liberians. The scandal was denounced by the League of Nations, the government stepped down.
1936: The new government prohibits forced labour. Indigenes however, do not have the right to vote.
1943: Tubman's regime (American-Liberian) is elected in May. He authorises the US to use Liberian territory as a military base.
1945: Tubman grants indigenes the right to vote. He implements an education, territory management and infrastructure improvement program.
1951: Though indigenes have the right to vote, the Reform Party has no freedom of expression. Tubman is reelected.
1958: A law prohibiting racial discrimination is passed. The True Whig Party becomes the single party. Liberia is prospering.
1971: William Tolbert takes over Tubman on his death. He distances himself from the US and wants Liberia to integrate the independent African community.
1979: The increase in rice prices sparks off riots.
1980: Coup d'Etat led by Chief Sergeant Samuel K. Doe. Tolbert and his collaborators are executed. This marks the end of the American-Liberian minority regimes. Doe suspends the Constitution and becomes all powerful.
1984: Revolts instigated by the repressive regime force Doe to institute a new constitution. He remains in power in 1985 by rigging the elections.
1985: The civil war begins and spreads to the whole territory. Charles Taylor is leading the opposition.
1990: Charles Taylor controls 90% of the country, excluding the capital. Samuel Doe is assassinated by Prince Johnson's partisans who founded the NPLF, another opposition movement. Attempts to restore peace are futile and opposition movements keep sprouting. Some war leaders seize portions of the territory.
1993: No one is leading and the situation is bogged down. 150,000 civilians are killed and the United Nations embargo the country.
1995: Glimmer of negotiations with the consent of Abuja, opposition leaders are convened.
April 1996: Fighting breaks out again. The West African Community imposes the organisation of elections and disarmament.
July 1997: Charles Taylor becomes President with 75% of the votes. (there is suspicion over the legitimacy of the elections). He wins over the trust of Western countries. The toll of this war: 200,000 dead and 1/4 of the population take refuge or are displaced.
2003: Taylor steps down and hands over power. Gyude Bryant becomes President and leads the transition government until January 2006.
Today: The country lays in ruins; it is progressively disarming and attempting to redress the economy. New dissensions between former rebel leaders are resurfacing. The situation is unstable.