Liberia was settled by freed American slaves in 1821 and became
an independent republic in 1847. Americo-Liberians, descendants
of the freed slaves, dominated the country until 1980, when Sgt.
Samuel Doe led a violent coup that led to the killing of President
William Tolbert. By a fraudulent election, in 1985, Doe became
Liberia's first indigenous president. In 1989, Liberia was invaded
from Côte d' Ivoire by rebel forces of the National Patriotic
Front of Liberia (NPFL), led by Charles Taylor, who proclaimed
himself president. Doe was assassinated in 1990 by another group
of rebels led by Prince Yormie Johnson, who also sought the presidency.
The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) intervened
to negotiate a peace settlement among the two rebel groups and
the government. ECOWAS also sent a Nigerian-led West African
peacekeeping force to Monrovia and installed an interim government
led by Amos Sawyer. With military aid from Libya and Burkina
Faso, Taylor's forces began a siege of Monrovia in 1992 and engaged
in fighting with ECOWAS forces. A number of cease-fires were
established in 1993 and 1994, but clashes between factions persisted.
African Music Archive (http://www.uni-mainz.de/%7Ebender)
Established in 1991, the archive at the Institute of Ethnology and African Studies, Johannes-Gutenberg-University, Mainz, Germany has a collection of modern African popular music recordings and videos. The collection includes a history of its 716 recordings from Liberia and other West African countries. Has links to numerous other African music, musician, and ethnomusicology sites and information on courses offered.
American Colonization Society Collection. Library of Congress, American Memory (http://www.loc.gov/rr/print/coll/007.html)
A searchable online collection of documents and maps of Liberia from the American Colonization Society (ACS) organized in 1827 to resettle free black Americans in West Africa.
American Society for Colonizing the Free People of Color of the United States (http://www.toptags.com/aama/events/acs.htm)
"An account of efforts to establish a colony in Sierra Leone or Liberia for free African-Americans."
The Channel for the Contemporary History of Liberia (http://members.aol.com/Liberia99/)
Site contains a discussion of contemporary Liberian history and folklore.
Constitution of the Republic of Liberia, 1839 (http://www.toptags.com/aama/docs/libcon.htm)
"Full text of the Constitution of the Commonwealth of Liberia, adopted by the Board of Directors of the American Colonization Society, January 5, 1839."
Emigrants to Liberia (http://ccharity.com/liberia/index.htm)
"Site gathers links to sites with primary documents on the first Liberian emigrants. Includes 19th century censuses, ships’ passengers lists, etc."
The History of Liberia. World History Archives (http://www.hartford-hwp.com/archives/34/index-g.html)
Site contains extensive documents on the retrospective and contemporary political and economic history of Liberia.
Liberia . U.S. Library of Congress. African-American mosaic (Liberia) (http://www.loc.gov/exhibits/african/intro.html)
Site features LC’s exhibit, “The African-American Mosaic” which has photos (including the first President and First Lady of Liberia) and a history of the colonization of Liberia.
Liberia Net (http://lcweb2.loc.gov/frd/cs/)
"The gateway on highlights of Africa’s oldest Republic, including a pictorial review of Liberian people and places."
Liberia: Menus and Recipes (http://www.bomihills.org/Liberia.html)
Site contains Liberian recipes.
Liberian Letters. University of Virginia (http://etext.lib.virginia.edusubjects/liberia)
"Site provides full text of two collections of letters written by former slaves from Virginia who settled in Liberia: Samson Caesar’s letters to David S. Haselden and Henry F. Westfall 1834-1835, and letters from the former slaves of Terrell, 1857-1866."
Liberian Recipes (http://www.bomihills.org/Liberia.html)
Site contains information on Liberia and Bomi Hills, including a selection of Liberian recipes.
The Liberian Studies Association (http://faculty.uncfsu.edu/doyler/lsapg.htm)
"Site contains general information about the association, conferences, publications, and a discussion list on Liberian issues. To subscribe to LIBERIAN STUDIES ASSOCIATION send an e-mail to listserv@uga.cc.uga.edu. In the body of the message type: SUBSCRIBE LSA-L Firstname Lastname.
Mande Studies Association (http://www.swt.edu/anthropology/mansa/)
"Founded in 1985, MANSA was organized to increase and encourage communication between scholars interested in the Mande peoples of West Africa." Site includes information about the association’s publications and activities, its by-laws, a selection of photographs on Mande culture and daily life, cultural maps, etc.
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