THE REPUBLIC OF LIBERIA: THE CREATED, EXPLOITED, & NEGLECTED CHILD OF AMERICA.

• Author: Abrafi, Dorinda

1. INTRODUCTION

   The Trump Administration has given the people of Liberia a year to leave their homes and return to Liberia. (1) In 1821, the Republic of Liberia was formed as an additional American colony to deal with the problem of freed slaves in America. (2) Slave owners were encouraged by the United States government to offer freedom to their slaves under the condition that they relocate to Liberia once freed. (3) From the time of Liberia's formation, there has been tension between the Americo-Liberians and the native people. (4) The people of Liberia have witnessed this tension lead to a civil war that lasted over a decade and claimed the lives of over 200,000 civilians. (5) This war also resulted in thousands of Liberians becoming refugees. (6)

   The United Nations stepped in, placing over a thousand Liberian refugees in the United States. (7) Over a decade later, nearly ten thousand Liberian refugees would be deported back to Liberia by March 2019. (8) However, Liberia is not stable enough to handle the return of these refugees. (9) The United States has a duty to establish a stronger government in Liberia before deporting Liberian refugees. (10) The United States must provide stability within the Liberian government for it to be capable of handling the influx of refugees that will return to the country. (11)

   This Note studies the history between Liberia and the United States and the United States' responsibility to implement a strong government in Liberia before the deportation of Liberian refugees. (12) Part II will discuss the history of Liberia, the cause of the war, and the refugee crisis that resulted from the war. (13) Part III will examine the current fragile state of Liberia and the conditions to which the refugees are returning. (14 ) Part IV will analyze the United States' capacity to implement a Liberian government stable enough to sustain Liberians and properly utilize future aid packages. (15) Finally, Part V concludes by bringing attention to the importance of creating a solid foundation within the government to prevent Liberia's history from repeating itself. (16)

2. HISTORY

   1. A Slave Colony

      In the late 1700s, the idea of returning slaves to Africa started to develop as some Americans did not believe that the black and white races would be able to co-exist peacefully in the same society. (17) Eventually, these ideas led Presbyterian minister Robert Finley to create the American Colonization Society (ACS) in 1816 with a group of influential white men. (18) Finley did not believe that gaining freedom would be enough for slaves to become part of American society. (19) He believed that freed slaves should be returned to Africa in order for them to live up to their full potential as human beings. (20) Finley primarily held this belief because he viewed the high number of freed slaves as a threat to the quality of life for the white man. (21) He argued that removing freed slaves from the country would be taking precaution against future issues such as interracial marriage and the financial dependency of the freed slaves. (22)

      The members of the ACS all joined with drastically different motives. (23) Some of the members genuinely wanted to assist the freed blacks in securing their welfare; some joined hoping that by transporting freed slaves back to Africa, it would end slavery; and others believed that this strategy was a way of maintaining slavery by removing the free blacks who could potentially start a slave rebellion. (24) The ACS received public funding through the help of President James Monroe. (25) The funding compensated slave owners for freeing their slaves, whom would then be relocated back to Africa. (26) During this time, ACS encouraged slave owners to offer their slaves freedom if the slaves agreed to be transported back to Africa once freed. (27) Slave owners in the North supported the ACS, but slave owners in the South strongly criticized the ACS's mission. (28)

      In 1818, two representatives from the ACS arrived in West Africa in search of finding a suitable location for the colony that the ACS wanted to establish. (29) In 1821 the ACS purchased Cape Mesurado off the coast of Africa after it signed a constitution with Sierra Leone that required the new colony to be administered under the laws of the United States. (10) The society's first transfer of freed slaves docked at the shores of Sierra Leone in 1820. (31) The new settlers named the colony Liberia in 1824 and named the capital Monrovia after President James Monroe, who had provided ACS with the funding for the colony. (32) After creating Liberia, the ACS described the country: "Liberia is a photograph of the United States. The lights are negative: the forms and outlines the same, though in miniature ... The still ocean of the tropics reflects to her a dark-browed image of herself." (33)

      1. Americo-Liberians Become the New Slave Masters Under New Government Structure

      In Liberia's early years, ACS governed the country. (34) The new settlers recreated the society that they had escaped in America by ensuring that only the settlers experienced the rights and privileges that were accessible to freed blacks in America. (35) In 1847 the settlers, who considered themselves to be Americo-Liberians, elected Joseph Jenkins Roberts to be the first President of Liberia. (36) The country adopted a Constitution and a flag that resembled the United States' Constitution and flag. (37)

      As time went on, it became apparent that the AmericoLiberians viewed themselves to be superior to the natives. (38) The Americo-Liberians took on the role of their previous slave masters and treated the natives the way that they had been treated when they were slaves. (39) The country started to face substantial financial difficulties, which contributed to the present tension caused by mistreatment of the natives by the Americo-Liberians. (40) To continue showing loyalty to the United States, Liberia broke its neutral status and declared war on Germany during World War I (WWI). (41)

   2. Liberia Pays for Its Loyalty to the United States

      Prior to this, Germany had been a major trade partner to Liberia, essentially carrying their economy. (42) As a result of Liberia's decision, Germany ended its trading with Liberia further damaging the already struggling economy. (43) The United States viewed this vulnerable time for Liberia as a time to strengthen their ties with the country and use it as a tool to reach the rest of Africa. (44)

      During WW1, the automobile industry grew rapidly and created a high demand for rubber. (45) Firestone Tire & Co. took notice of the high quantity of rubber available in Liberia and set its eyes on a part of Liberia where rubber thrived because the British had left it untouched. (46) Liberia's government entered into an agreement with Firestone with some support from the United States government. (47) Under this agreement, Firestone leased one million acres of land from Liberia for ninety-nine years at a discounted rate and gained property rights for any resources or minerals mined on the land. (48) In return, Firestone would "loan Liberia $5 million for a 40-year period." (49) After this agreement, the League of Nations began investigating the Liberian government and discovered that some of Firestone's workers were natives whom were being forced to work by the Liberian government. (50)

      The United States tightened its relationship with Liberia as it entered World War II (WWII). (51) Liberia allowed the United States troops to create a base in its country. (52) As WWII turned into the Cold War, the United States continued to maintain its relationship with Liberia for the sake of gaining access to the country's resources. (53) During the Cold War, Liberia received USD280 million in governmental aid from the United States. (54 ) The tension between the natives and the Americo-Liberian government reached a breaking point when William R. Tolbert became president. (55) President Tolbert's decision to increase the price of rice started a chain of events that would lead to Liberia's first civil war. (56)

   3. The Beginning of the Fourteen-Year War

      The natives continued to riot in response to President Tolbert's increase of rice pricing. (57) The tension in the country escalated in 1980 when Samuel K. Doe led a coup that brought an end to 133 years of Americo-Liberian ruling. (58) Doe became the first native president without any American or European ancestry. (59) Once Doe gained power, he placed the country under martial law. (60) The Liberian natives supported Doe's actions because of the mistreatment that they faced under the AmericoLiberians. (61)

      It was not long, however, until Doe proved to be just as traumatizing as, if not more than, the presidents that preceded him. (62) The United States disregarded the violent way in which Doe came to power and nonetheless continued to maintain its relationship with Liberia. (63) The United States, aware of Doe's violent treatment of his people, continued to support him until it received global criticism for supporting a brutal dictator. (64)

      By 1989, the United States started to lose interest in Liberia. (65) In the same year, Charles Taylor formed a group of rebels to invade Liberia through the Ivory Coast with the intention of overthrowing Doe's government. (66) Taylor's attempt to overthrow Doe started Liberia's deadly seven-year war. (67) However, the United States decided to remain silent during the war between Doe and Taylor, only refusing to assist Doe, who was once considered their biggest ally. (68)

      As violence continued, the people of Liberia held on to the belief that the United States would intervene with a solution to the issues they were facing under Doe. (69) However, the only action taken by the United States government was to remove their citizens out of Liberia. (70) Eventually, Taylor assassinated Doe and became president in 1997, but by that time the war had caused...