Liberia was founded in 1820 as a haven for people of African descent from the ravishes of the trans-Atlantic trade in enslaved Africans. Having declared its independence in 1847, Liberia served as a beacon of black self-determination during the era of colonialism. In addition to 16 local ethnic groups, it’s population includes immigrants and their descendants from throughout the African Diaspora.

Beginning in the late 1970s, however, Liberia plunged into a cycle of political instability, including 14 years of war and plunder. The violence that engulfed the country laid waste to roads, running water and other infrastructure.

The installation of a democratically elected government in January 2006, along with the presence of United Nations peacekeeping troops, is providing Liberia an opportunity to recover and rebuild.  

Following decades of destruction, Liberia faces a task perhaps more daunting that economic development: The forging of a new national identity that incorporates its diverse groups, while honestly examining its legacy of internecine violence. Liberia★pedia is committed to furthering that goal.

We aim to serve as a critical site of “social remembering” that helps to facilitate the construction of national narratives, preservation of collective memory and articulation of a national culture. Other collections will be added later, so visit often. And, please take a minute to sign our guestbook.

© C. Patrick Burrowes, 2009

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