Liberia Independence Day

Liberia Independence Day

July 26This especially important Liberian holiday is celebrated with a parade, a party for the diplomatic corps in Monrovia, and a grand ball in the evening. Similar events are held throughout the country. The day commemorates the signing of the Declaration of Independence in 1847 by the various settlements of the country, establishing the first independent black republic in Africa.
The nation that is now Liberia was settled in the early 1800s by freed American slaves under the auspices of the American Colonization Society. The capital city, Monrovia, is named after U.S. President James Monroe. The first settlers arrived on Providence Island in 1822. Other settlers followed, and they united in 1838. After independence, elections were held, and Joseph Jenkins Roberts was elected the first president in January 1848.
CONTACTS:
Liberian Embassy
5201 16th St. N.W.
Washington, D.C. 20011
202-723-0437; fax: 202-723-0436
www.embassyofliberia.org
SOURCES:
AnnivHol-2000, p. 123
NatlHolWrld-1968 p. 124