LEADING EVENTS IN LIBERIAN HISTORY

1777	Virginia Legislative Committee (Thomas Jefferson, Chn.) to devise scheme.
1816	December 23. Virginia asked United States to secure a territory.
	Similar plans by Maryland, Tennessee and Georgia.
	December 21. Colonization Society considered.
	December 21. Society organized with Judge Washington as President.
1818	February 2. Two agents sailed from London for Sierra Leone.
	Interview with King Sherbro. Burgess and Mills.
	October 22. Burgess reached United States; Mills dead.
1819	March 3. Congress determined to unite with Society.
1819	Samuel Bacon and John P. Bankson—agents.
1820	February. The Elizabeth sailed: Agent Crozier and 88 colonists.
	—Three agents and twenty colonists dead; Daniel Coker and others at Sherbro Island.
	—To Sierra Leone.
1821	March. Andrus and Wiltberger (Soc.), Winn and E. Bacon (U. S.).
	—Cape Mesurado=Montserrado. Failure. Bacon returned; Andrus and Winn dead. Wiltbergerremained in Africa.
	To Sierra Leone.
	Fall. Dr. Ayres (Soc.) to Sierra Leone: Then by Alligator (Capt. Stockton) to Cape Mesurado.
	Ayres and Stockton—King Peter and five chiefs. Buy land for $300.
	Differences; but colonists persevere.
	Wreck palaver: Boatswain’s intervention.
1822	June 4. Dr. Ayres sailed; colonist in charge.
	July. Final removal to mainland.
	August 8. Jehudi Ashmun arrived. (Landing 8th to 14th.)
	August 18. Martello tower begun.
	August 31. Night watch established.
	September 1. King George removed his town.
	September 15. Mrs. Ashmun died; only one person well.
	November 7. Notice of planned attack.
	November 11. Battle.
	November 22. Parley.
	November 23. Day of humiliation, thanksgiving and prayer.
	November 29. Capt. Brassey’s visit.
	December 1. Second battle.
	December 2. Night cannonading; Prince Regent(Capt. Laing); Midshipman Gordon and men remain.
	December 8. Columbian schooner; (Capt. Wesley).
1823	March 15. Remaining five children returned by natives.
	March 31. U. S. S. Cyane (Capt. Spencer).
	April 21. Richard Seaton remained: died in June.
	May 24. Oswego arrived: Dr. Ayres and 61 colonists.
	Intrigue and rebellion rife.
	December; Dr. Ayres left.
1824	February 20. Liberia, Monrovia,—official names.
	March 22. Ashmun farewell address; April 1 embarked for Islands.
	July 24. Ashmun-Gurley meeting on Porpoise; Ashmun returns with him.
	August 13. Gurley and Ashmun reach Monrovia: Gurley there until August 22. New plan of government drawn.
1825	New lands acquired; Grand Bassa, New Cess.
1826	New lands acquired; Cape Mount, Junk River.
1826	Trade Town war.
1827	August 27. The Norfolk, with 142 recaptured slaves.
1828	March 25. Ashmun left colony.
	August 25. Ashmun died at New Haven, Connecticut.
	October 28. New government adopted.
	Digby incident; trouble with King Bristol; Lott Carey killed by explosion of powder.
	December 22. Richard Randall, new agent, arrived.
1829	April 19. Randall died; Dr. Mechlin, agent.
1831	James Hall with 31 colonists from the Maryland Colonization Society, stop at Monrovia.
1832	Dey-Golah war (Bromley).
1833	Edina founded.
1833	James Hall with 28 colonists; settle at Cape Palmas, “Maryland in Africa.”
1834	Mechlin to the United States; John B. Pinney succeeded him.
1835	Pinney home; Dr. Ezekiel Skinner, agent.
1835	Pennsylvania Colonization Society; Port Cresson massacre.
1836	Anthony D. Williams, agent.
1836	January. Thomas Buchanan arrived; in charge of Bassa settlements.
1837	Gov. I. F. C. Finley arrived; in charge of Mississippi inAfrica.
1838	Greenville established.
	September 10. Gov. Finley murdered.
	New Constitution drawn up by Prof. Greenleaf, Harvard College; “Commonwealth of Liberia.”
1839	A. D. Williams gives up agency; Thomas Buchanan, governor.
1839	Tradetown war.
1840	Boporo-Golah war=Gatumba’s war: Gen. Roberts.
	Difficulty with Rev. John Seyes, in charge of the Methodist Episcopal Mission.
	English settlement threatens complications.
1841	September 3. Gov. Buchanan died. Joseph Jenkin Roberts, governor.
1842	France attempts to secure Liberian foothold; Cape Mount, Bassa Cove, Butu, Garawé.
1843	February 22. Treaty with Golah.
1844- 1845	Strengthening of Liberian position, by purchase and treaty.
1844- 1845	6% ad valorem duty established; in Maryland as well; agreement between Roberts and Russwurm.
1844	Roberts visited the United States; American squadron visited Liberia.
1845	The Little Ben seized; the John Seyes seized from Benson; United States inquiry.
1846	January. American Colonization Society decides to grant self-government.
	Continued land-purchasing from natives.
	Release and “apprenticeship” of slaves.
	October 7. Vote on Independence; opposition in Grand Bassa.
1847	July 8. Day of Thanksgiving.
	July 26. Declaration of Independence; Constitution.
	August 4. Flag hoisted; recognition by Great Britain.
	October. Joseph Jenkin Roberts elected president; installed January 3, 1848.
1848	England, France, Prussia recognition. President Roberts visited Europe.
1848	Lord Ashley raised £2,000 for purchasing lands of Mattru, Gumbo, Gallinhas, Manna, etc.British admiralty presented The Lark.
1849	Roberts re-elected president; Robertsport founded at Cape Mount.
	February 26. English treaty ratified.
	Portugal, Sardinia, Austria, Denmark, Sweden and Norway, Brazil, Hamburg, Bremen, Lubeck, Haiti,recognized republic.
	March. New Cesters slavers cleaned up and region annexed.
	September 19. Ralph Gurley arrived at Cape Mount; report printed in1850.
1850	Two German trading houses established; Vai, Dey and Golah quarrelling.
1851	British Consul appointed; Mr. Hanson.
	Roberts: third term.
	Edward Wilmot Blyden arrived.
	Interior troubles; Boporo. Grando war at Grand Bassa. Native troubles in Maryland.
	Governor Russwurm died; S. M. McGill, governor of Maryland.
1852	Roberts visited France and England.
1853	Roberts: fourth term.
1854	William A. Prout; governor of Maryland.
1854	October 3. President visited Europe; proposed annexation of Sierra Leone.
1856	Stephen Allen Benson, president.
	Napoleon III equipment for 1,000 armed men and the Hirondelle.
	J. B. Drayton, governor of Maryland.
	December 22. Cape Palmas battle.
1857	January 18. Sheppard Lake disaster, Grebo war.
	February 18. J. J. Roberts and J. F. Gibson signed treaty.
	February 28. Annexation of Maryland.
	Roberts appointed president of Liberia College.
1858	Regina Coeli incident.
1858	Seymore and Ash expedition; (R. G. S. 1860).
1860	John Myers Harris’ boats seized: rescued by a British gunboat—The Torch.
1862	Roberts sent to Europe; appointed Belgian consul.
	President Benson in England; question decided.
	Harris’ schooners again seized; Monrovia conference; Vai and Harris war; Commodore Schufeldt.
	October 22. Treaty with the United States.
1864	Daniel Bashiel Warner, president.
1865	Ports of Entry Law: Robertsport, Monrovia, Marshall, Grand Bassa, Greenville, Cape Palmas.
1865	Three hundred West Indian immigrants; A. Barclay.
1868	James Spriggs Payne, president.
1868	Anderson’s trip to Musahdu.
1870	Edward James Roye, president. Went to England.
	England agrees to Boundary Commission.
	Vai attack Harris; Sierra Leone demands.
1871	£100,000 loan placed in England.
	October. President Roye proclaimed term extended; attempted bank seizure.
	—26th. Legislative manifesto.
1872	J. J. Roberts again president.
1872	Paid indemnity of 1869.
1874	Anderson’s second expedition to Musahdu.
1875	Grebo war; natives burned Bunker Hill and Philadelphia (near Harper).
1876	James Spriggs Payne, president.
1876	Chigoes introduced.
1877	Colonists from Louisiana; mainly along lower St. Paul’s R.; some subsequently returned.
1878	Revived demand for £8,500 indemnity.
1878	Anthony William Gardner, president.
1879	Order of African Redemption founded.
	April. Entered International Postal Union.
	Sierra Leone boundary commission wrangle.
	German steamer Carlos wrecked on Nana Kru coast; Victoria punitive expedition; £900.
1879- 1887	J. Buttikoper visits Liberia; zoological research.
1882	March 20. Sir Arthur Havelock and gunboats; Mafa R. boundary, £8,500 indemnity.
1882	September 7. Sir Arthur Havelock returned.
1883	Corisco wrecked at Grand Cestos R.; Liberians punished natives.
	Senegal wrecked and plundered.
	March. Sierra Leone took land up to Mano River.
	January 20. Gardner resigned; Vice-President A. F. Russell in chair.
1884	Hilary Richard Wright Johnson, president.
1885	November 11. Boundary dispute settled; Mano R. boundary.
1885- 1891	Efforts at adjusting loan of 1871.
1891	October 26. French claim Cavalla R. boundary.
1892	Joseph James Cheeseman, president.
1892	December 8. Cavalla R. boundary accepted, after protest.
1893	Third Grebo war.
1893	Kru declaration of adhesion.
1896	November. Vice-President William David Coleman takes presidency.
1896	Grebo trouble.
1897	German consulate offers protectorate.
1898	Liberia admits £70,000 to £80,000 on Loan of 1871.
1899	February 10. Hostain’s and d’Ollones’ expedition; affecting Franco-Liberian boundary.
1900	Coleman expedition to subdue interior; resignation.
1900	Garretson Wilmot Gibson, president.
1902	French boundary negotiations.
1903	French treaty fixing boundary; Liberia paid £4,750.
	Anglo-Liberian boundary demarcated; Mano R.; Kanre-Lahun in Liberia.
	Missions to chiefs one hundred miles up the Cavalla River, also up the St. Paul’s.
1904	Arthur Barclay, president.
	Congress of kings—Golah, Boporo, Mpesse.
	March. Effort to fix French boundary from Tembi Kunda to Cavalla R.
	May 19. German Government complains of Liberian judiciary.
	August. Changes in Liberian Development Chartered Co.; also in January, 1906.
1905	January. Permission given for British force to pacify the Kissi district.
	February. President Barclay visited Cape Mount and treated with Vai.
	July 27. Vice-President J. D. Summerville died.
1906	Arthur Barclay, president.
	January 5. Agreement with Liberian Development Co., for a loan of £100,000.
	Lomax in Kanre-Lahun district.
1907	May 7. Amendment to Constitution lengthening presidential term to four years.
	Summer: Commission sent to adjust difficulties with Great Britain and France.
	August 29. President Barclay reaches London; Great Britain demands reforms as conditionto discussion of disagreement.
	September 18. President Barclay yields to French demands and accepts treaty.
	Severance of relations between Liberian government and Liberian Development Co.
	Tripartite Agreement; Liberia, Erlanger Co., Liberian Development Co.; Liberia takes overresponsibility for loan of 1906.
	Trouble at River Cess.
1908	Arthur Barclay, president; four years term.
	January. Major Mackay Cadell appears in Liberia.
	January 14. Consul-general Braithwaite Wallis issues reform demand.
	British offer to exchange Behlu district for Kanre-Lahun.
	May. Liberian Commission bring appeal to the United States.
	July. Ex-President W. D. Coleman died at Clay-Ashland.
	War-vessel Lark purchased for £40,000; British Government presents gunarmament worth £1,600.
1909	February 11. Mackay Cadell’s frontier force in mutiny.
	May 8. United States commission of inquiry arrived at Monrovia.
	Trouble at River Cess and Grand Bassa.
1910	March 21. German cable line opened.
1910	New Cess trouble; Grebo uprising.
1911	January. Behlu and Kanre-Lahun exchange consummated; delimitation ordered.
	May. French demand customs control of both sides of Cavalla River.
	September 26. American loan arrangement presented.
	November 1. Free navigation of the Mano R. admitted.
1912	January 1-2. Daniel Edward Howard, president; inauguration.
	January 1. Loan went into operation.
	February 7. Edward Wilmot Blyden died.
	Arrival of American military helpers—Major Ballard and Captains Brown and Newton.
	September. Lomax and Cooper trials; acquittals.