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Liberia Independence Day
Liberia Independence Day
Every 26 July is Independence Day in Liberia, commemorating the 1847 declaration of independence by the US colony of Liberia.
Beginning in 1822, freed slaves from the US began colonizing what today is the nation of Liberia on the west African coast. The colonists ultimately set up a government modeled on the US Constitution and declared their independence in 1847. The US did not oppose and try to put down the “rebellion”.
However, there was long tension in Liberia between the descendants of settlers and those of the original tribes inhabiting the region. This tension played a big role in the civil war that raged in Liberia for 14 years, beginning in 1989. Finally, a free election put Charles Taylor in office as president in 1997, and democratic rule was reaffirmed.
On 26 July, Liberia remembers its declaration of independence and its establishment as the first free black republic on the continent. There are parades, parties, a grand ball for the nation’s leaders in Monrovia, and a host of other patriotic events.
Consider supporting organizations that are actively serving and elevating the local people of Liberia: