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The history
of Liberia as a political entity begins with the
arrival of the black American settlers - the Americo-Liberians,
as they came to be known, to Africa - who established
a colony of "free men of color" on its
shore in 1822 under the auspices of the American
Colonization Society. The historical roots from
which a majority of present-day Liberians derive
their identity, however, are found in the varied
traditions of the several ethnicities of indigenous
Africans whom the settlers confronted in their
struggle to gain a foothold in Africa and, later,
extend their control into the interior.
Two events
were of particular importance in releasing Liberia
from its self-imposed isolation. The first was
the grant in 1926 of a large concession to the
American-owned Firestone Plantation Company; that
move became a first step in the modernization
of the Liberian economy. The second occurred during
World War II, when the United States began providing
technical and economic assistance that enabled
Liberia to make economic progress and introduce
social change.
On 12 April
1980, a successful military coup was staged by
a group of noncommissioned Krahn officers led
by Master Sergeant Samuel Kanyon Doe, and they
executed the President of nine years William R.
Tolbert, Jr. in his mansion, after torturing him
for a period of several days. Constituting themselves
the People's Redemption Council, Doe and his associates
seized control of the government and brought an
end to Africa's "first republic".
After the
exile of Taylor, Gyude Bryant was appointed Chairman
of the transitional government in late 2003. The
primary task of the transitional government was
to prepare for fair and peaceful democratic elections.
With UN and ECOMOG troops safeguarding the peace,
Liberia successfully conducted presidential elections
in the fall of 2005. Twenty three candidates stood
for the October 11, 2005 general election, with
the early favorite George Weah, internationally
famous footballer, UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador
and member of the Kru ethnic group expected to
dominate the popular vote. No candidate took the
required majority in the general election, so
that a run-off between the top two vote getters,
Weah and Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf, was necessary.
The November 8, 2005 presidential runoff election
was won decisively by Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf, a
Harvard-trained economist. Both the general election
and runoff were marked by peace and order, with
thousands of Liberians waiting patiently in the
Liberian heat to cast their ballots.
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