History of Liberia
| Liberia gets it origin from the US when its citizens created a colony for slaves of African and American origin. In the year 1461, explorers from Portugal created a contact with the land and called it the Pepper Coast for its abundant growth of the spice. |
The Dutch created a port for trading in 1602, but razed it to the ground in a year’s time. The British had also set up trading ports in 1663 in the Pepper Coast until 1821 when American slaves, who were freed, started arriving.
The American Revolution period saw racism originate when whites could not reconcile themselves to live with the blacks as they considered them inferior. Hence, new plans were conceived for the slaves to live as free people in the colony. The growing rise of the African slaves triggered 5 more colonies to spring up along the coast; color of the skin played a huge role in indicating the people. Shortly the people with near white skin were termed as Americo-Liberians.
Relationship between US and Liberia had remained strained right from the onset of the colonization itself, wars were fought, exploitations took place and Liberia bore the brunt of military threats and commerce that was dubious. Agriculture flourished in Liberia, and it had ties with Europeans for exporting its produce. Even natural resources were in abundance, like the rubber plantations that was the largest in the world.
Liberia has seen a huge list of presidents’ right from 1847 until now. However, the place continues to be in the news always for the wars and riots that take place till date.
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