Historical country records

Liberia historical timeline

Liberia

Date or termOfficeholder or eventCategory
15 Dec 1821Cape Mesurado Colony created by American Colonization SocietyLeaders
15 Aug 1824Cape Mesurado expanded into Colony of LiberiaLeaders
5 Apr 1839Commonwealth of LiberiaLeaders
26 Jul 1847independence (Republic of Liberia)Leaders
15 Dec 1821 - 25 Apr 1822Eli AyresColonial Agents
25 Apr 1822 - 4 Jun 1822Frederick James (acting)Colonial Agents
4 Jun 1822 - 8 Aug 1822Elijah Johnson (1st time) (acting)Colonial Agents
8 Aug 1822 - 2 Apr 1823Jehudi Ashmun (1st time) (acting)Colonial Agents
2 Apr 1823 - 14 Aug 1823Elijah Johnson (2nd time) (acting)Colonial Agents
14 Aug 1823 - 26 Mar 1828Jehudi Ashmun (2nd time)Colonial Agents
26 Mar 1828 - 8 Nov 1828Lott Carey (acting)Colonial Agents
8 Nov 1828 - 22 Dec 1828Colston Waring (acting)Colonial Agents
22 Dec 1828 - 19 Apr 1829Richard RandallColonial Agents
19 Apr 1829 - 27 Feb 1830Joseph Mechlin, Jr. (1st time)Colonial Agents
27 Feb 1830 - 12 Apr 1830John Anderson (acting)Colonial Agents
13 Apr 1830 - 4 Dec 1830Anthony Williams (1st time)Colonial Agents
4 Dec 1830 - 24 Sep 1833Joseph Mechlin, Jr. (2nd time)Colonial Agents
24 Sep 1833 - 1 Jan 1834George McGill (acting)Colonial Agents
1 Jan 1834 - 10 May 1835John PineyColonial Agents
10 May 1835 - 12 Aug 1835Nathaniel Brander (acting)Colonial Agents
12 Aug 1835 - 25 Sep 1836Ezekiel SkinnerColonial Agents
25 Sep 1836 - 1 Apr 1839Anthony Williams (2nd time)Colonial Agents
5 Apr 1839 - 3 Sep 1841Thomas BuchananGovernors
3 Sep 1841 - 3 Jan 1848Joseph Jenkins RobertsGovernors
3 Jan 1848 - 7 Jan 1856Joseph Jenkins Roberts (1st time)Presidents
7 Jan 1856 - 4 Jan 1864Stephen Allen BensonPresidents
4 Jan 1864 - 6 Jan 1868Daniel Bashiel WarnerPresidents
6 Jan 1868 - 3 Jan 1870James Spriggs Payne (1st time)Presidents
3 Jan 1870 - 26 Oct 1871Edward James RoyePresidents
26 Oct 1871 - 4 Nov 1871Chief Executive Committee - Charles Benedict Dunbar (b. c.1831 - d. 1878) - Reginald A. Sherman (b. 1838 - d. 1894) - Amos Herring (b. c.1794 - d. ...)Presidents
4 Nov 1871 - 1 Jan 1872James Skivring SmithPresidents
1 Jan 1872 - 3 Jan 1876Joseph Jenkins Roberts (2nd time)Presidents
3 Jan 1876 - 7 Jan 1878James Spriggs Payne (2nd time)Presidents
7 Jan 1878 - 20 Jan 1883Anthony William GardnerPresidents
20 Jan 1883 - 7 Jan 1884Alfred Francis RussellPresidents
7 Jan 1884 - 4 Jan 1892Hilary Richard Wright JohnsonPresidents
4 Jan 1892 - 12 Nov 1896Joseph James CheesemanPresidents
12 Nov 1896 - 11 Dec 1900William David ColemanPresidents
11 Dec 1900 - 4 Jan 1904Garretson Wilmot GibsonPresidents
4 Jan 1904 - 1 Jan 1912Arthur BarclayPresidents
1 Jan 1912 - 5 Jan 1920Daniel E. HowardPresidents
5 Jan 1920 - 3 Dec 1930Charles D.B. KingPresidents
3 Dec 1930 - 3 Jan 1944Edwin J. BarclayPresidents
3 Jan 1944 - 23 Jul 1971William V.S. TubmanPresidents
23 Jul 1971 - 12 Apr 1980William R. Tolbert, Jr.Presidents
12 Apr 1980 - 9 Sep 1990Samuel K. DoePresidents
9 Sep 1990 - 22 Nov 1990Conflicting claims - Prince Johnson (b. 1959) - Charles Taylor (b. 1948) - David Nimley - Amos Sawyer (b. 1945)Presidents
22 Nov 1990 - 7 Mar 1994Amos SawyerPresident of the Interim Government of National Unity
7 Mar 1994 - 1 Sep 1995David KpomakporChairmen of the Council of State
1 Sep 1995 - 3 Sep 1996Wilton SankawuloChairmen of the Council of State
3 Sep 1996 - 2 Aug 1997Ruth Perry (f)Chairmen of the Council of State
2 Aug 1997 - 11 Aug 2003Charles TaylorPresidents
11 Aug 2003 - 14 Oct 2003Moses BlahPresidents
14 Oct 2003 - 16 Jan 2006Gyude BryantChairman of the National Transitional Government
16 Jan 2006 -Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf (f)President

Maryland

Date or termOfficeholder or eventCategory
12 Feb 1834Maryland-in-Africa colony of the Maryland State Colonization SocietyLeaders
2 Feb 1841State of Maryland in LiberiaLeaders
29 May 1854independence (Independent State of Maryland in Liberia)Leaders
18 Mar 1857incorporation into LiberiaLeaders
12 Feb 1834 - Feb 1836James HallGovernors
Feb 1836 - 1 Jul 1836Oliver Holmes, Jr.Governors
1 Jul 1836 - 28 Sep 1836Three-Man CommitteeGovernors
28 Sep 1836 - 9 Jun 1851John Brown RusswurmGovernors
9 Jun 1851 - 8 Jun 1854Samuel Ford McGillGovernors
8 Jun 1854 - Apr 1856William A. ProutGovernors
Apr 1856 - 18 Mar 1857Boston Jenkins DraytonGovernors

Mississippi-in-Africa

Date or termOfficeholder or eventCategory
1835Mississippi-in-Africa colony of the Mississippi and Louisiana State Colonization societiesLeaders
1842incorporation into LiberiaLeaders
Jun 1837 - 10 Sep 1838Josiah FinleyGovernor

Port Cresson/Bassa Cove

Date or termOfficeholder or eventCategory
Dec 1832Port Cresson colony of the Black Quakers of the New York and Pennsylvania Colonization SocietiesLeaders
Jun 1835colony destroyed by Bassa nativesLeaders
Jul 1835Bassa Cove colonyLeaders
1 Apr 1839incorporation into LiberiaLeaders
Dec 1832 - Jun 1835Edward Hankinson (1st time)Chief magistrates
Jul 1835 - Jan 1836Edward Hankinson (2nd time)Chief magistrates
Jan 1836 - 4 Aug 1837Thomas BuchananChief magistrates
4 Aug 1837 - Jun 1838John MatthiasChief magistrates
Jun 1838 - 1 Apr 1839Wesley JohnsonChief magistrates