1821 – 1862

From Cape Mesurado to the Republic

Every milestone below opens the chapter that examines it — the agreement of December 1821, the settlement of the Cape, the Commonwealth, the constitution of 1847 and the recognitions that followed.

1. 1821The Cape Mesurado AgreementArrival and Agreement

   Eli Ayres and Robert F. Stockton conclude the December 15 agreement with King Peter and the Dei leadership at Cape Mesurado — the founding document whose meaning, purchase, lease or political alliance, is still disputed.

   Chapter 3 · December 15, 1821 (free)
2. 1822Settlement at Providence IslandArrival and Agreement
3. 1824Monrovia Named; First ConstitutionColonial Government
4. 1825Coastal TreatiesColonial Government
5. 1833New SettlementsColonial Government
6. 1839The Commonwealth of LiberiaColonial Government
7. 1841First Black GovernorToward Independence
8. 1845The Sovereignty QuestionToward Independence
9. 1847Independence and the ConstitutionThe Republic
10. 1848Roberts InauguratedThe Republic
11. 1848European RecognitionThe Republic
12. 1857Union with MarylandRecognition
13. 1862United States RecognitionRecognition