Joseph Jenkins Roberts (1809-1876)

1st President.

Dates in Office: 1848-1856.

Party: Independent.

Age in Office: 39

Birth-Death: 1809-1876

Location Born: Norfolk, Virginia

Office: Governor of the Commonwealth

Religion:

Major Public Policy: To define the country’s territorial boundary, form a united population, establish a stable, sovereign government, mainly asking European countries to recognize Liberia as a sovereign nation capable of interacting with other countries as co-equals. President Roberts was engrossed in making the case to the world that black people were capable of self-government, seeking peace with the indigenous tribes, signing treaties with them to resolve inter-tribal and intragroup conflicts.

 Positive Impact: Great Britain, Spain, and others recognized Liberia’s sovereignty and independence. He gained additional territory and integrated some indigenous tribes. He brokered peace between Little and Grand Bassa, headed by Kings Dour-wee and Zio, respectively.

 Negative Impact: The First Constitution didn’t extend citizenship to the indigenous people of Liberia. American immigrants received better treatment than the indigenous tribes. The relationship between the settlers and the indigenous was not peaceful. In 1946, the indigenous people were allowed the right to vote. Attempt to resolve conflicts between chiefs of the Vai and Gola tribes didn’t work.

2nd President.
Dates in Office: 1856-1864
Party : Independent.
Age in Office: 40
Birth-Death: 1816-1865
Location Born:

Major Public Policy: Like Joseph Jenkins Roberts, Allen Benson continued to define the country’s territorial boundary, form a united population, establish a stable, sovereign government capable of interacting with other countries as co-equals. He purchased additional land via treaties with the natives expanding Liberian territory about 600-mile (1000 km) coastline. In 1864, President Benson imposed the Ports of Entry Law restriction, outlawing illegal foreign trade on Liberia borders.

Positive Impact: Additional countries including the United States recognized Liberia’s sovereignty and independence. President Benson was able to make some progress in uniting the natives and the settlers and restricting illegal trade. The Republic of Maryland colonists joined Liberia.

Negative Impact: The relationship between the settlers and the indigenous remained low. The trade restriction widely affected indigenous trade relations with business partners outside the territory that the Liberia Government controlled, decreased Liberia revenue, and increased tribal revolts. Financial problems caused by increasing warfare and economic decline, wane the administration efforts to do more to bring the country together.

3rd President.
Dates in Office: 1864-1868
Party: Republican Party
Age in Office: 49
Birth-Death: 1815-1880
Location Born: Baltimore County, Maryland, USA
Office: Vice President. He also served as a senator and representative, and the author of the Liberian national anthem.
Religion:
Major Public Policy: To integrate the indigenous population and the settlers and restrict foreign vessels from doing business across Liberian territory outside Robertsport, Monrovia, Marshall, Grand Bassa, Greenville, Sinoe, and Cape Palmas ports.  Finding an additional source of revenue to support new immigrants from the West Indies temporarily was also a major concern to the Warner Administration.

Positive Impact:  He traveled to the hinterland and signed treaties with local tribes to end the bellicose stalemate between them.

Negative Impact: The central government had limited control over the interior population. The Ports of Entry Law enacted in 1865 reduced revenue and increased tribal or indigenous conflicts.

4th President.
Dates in Office: 1868-1870. Party: Republican Party.
Age in Office: 49
Birth-Death: 1819-1882
Location Born: Richmond, Virginia
Office: Vice President
Religion: Methodist
Major Public Policy: to end the slave trade taking place along Liberia’s coast and enhance native-government relations. He increased exports to balance imports by modernizing the agricultural economy. The American Colonization Society (ACS) ceded colonies and relinquished control to Liberia.

Positive Impact: He ended the slave trade, stopped the Cape Palmas war including the Gallinas disturbances, sought to expand trade, and encouraged Denmark to recognize Liberia sovereignty and independence.

Negative Impact:  Prices of Liberia exports-coffee, rice, palm oil, sugarcane, and timber sagged. ACS curtailed its financial supports to the settlers thus worsening the country precarious financial situation.

5th President.
Party: True Whig Party.
Dates in Office: 1870-1871
Birth-Death: 1815-1872
Location Born: Newark, Ohio, USA
Age in Office: 55
Religion:
Office: Chief Justice. He also served as a Speaker of the House of Representatives.
Major Public Policy :  To build roads and schools. To raise money to launch his flagship projects by borrowing money from an unscrupulous English financial shark. 

Positive Impact: He built the Booker T. Washington Institute.

Negative Impact:  He borrowed money from an unscrupulous English financial shark. The interest rate of the loan was extraordinarily high and unreasonable. President Roye signed the loan agreement without the Liberian Legislative consultation or consent. The country removed him from office for extending his term of office beyond the limited that the constitution allowed.

6th President.
Dates in Office: 1871-1872
Party: True Whig Party.
Age in Office: 46
Birth-Death: 1825-1892
Location Born: Charleston, South Carolina, USA
Office: Vice President. He also served as Liberia’s secretary of State, and Grand Bassa County superintendent.
Religion:
Major Public Policy:  To build roads and schools. To reduce the political tensions resulting from the resignation of his predecessor and to tackle the economic woes affecting the country. 
Positive Impact:  He continued to implement Edward Roye’s policies.
Negative Impact:   James Skivring Smith’s efforts borne no effects. He served only two months in office.

7th President.
Party: Republican Party
Dates in Office:1872-1876
Age in Office: 63
Birth-Death: 1809-1876
Location Born: Norfolk, Virginia

Office: Former 1st President. He also served as a major general in the Liberian Army, ambassador to France and Great Britain, and first president of Liberia College, the University of Liberia.
Religion:
Major Public Policy: To resolve the perennial economic difficulties by increasing trade with and investment, improving public education, and creating closer relations with Liberia’s native peoples, and discouraging inter-group conflicts or wars.
Positive Impact: He continued to preserve the territorial integrity of Liberia.
Negative Impact: Economic difficulties, including export and import imbalances weakened the ability and capacity of the administration to implement its policies of smoothing inter-tribal and tribal and Congo group relations.
Positive Impact: He continued to preserve the territorial integrity of Liberia.

8th President.
Party: Republic Party.
Dates in Office: 1876-1878
Age in Office: 57
Birth-Death: 1819-1882.
Location Born: Richmond, Virginia
Office: 4th President
Religion: Methodist
Major Public Policy: To continue to handle the internecine and sporadic warfare in the country which continued to threaten the unity of the country and exacerbate the country’s financial situation.
Positive Impact: The president successful negotiated treaties with indigenous warring factions to seize the conflicts and wars between tribes on the one hand and between the government and the indigenous people.
Negative Impact: The economic impact of internecine warfare paralyzed the capacity of the government to manage the country most effectively.

9th President.
Party: True Whig Party.
Dates in Office: 1878-1883
Age in Office: 63
Birth-Death: 1820-1885
Location Born: Southampton County, Virginia, USA
Office: Vice President. He also served as Liberia’s first attorney general and a lawmaker.
Religion:
Major Public Policy: To resolve the Gallinas territorial conflicts with the British Empire, handle the perennial economic difficulties, and inter-group conflicts or wars.
Positive Impact: He continued to preserve the territorial integrity of Liberia.
Negative Impact: The British annexed and incorporated the Gallinas territory into Sierra Leone.

11th President.
Party: True Whig Party.
Dates in Office: 1884-1892
Party: True Whig Party.
Age in Office: 45
Birth-Death: 1837-1901
Location Born: Liberia
Religion:
Office: Secretary of the Interior.
Major Public Policy: To protect and preserve the territorial encroachments from the British and France as well as protect Liberia and discourage any attempt for the various colonies to disintegrate and modernize the mainly agricultural economy of the country.
Positive Impact: He renegotiated the Blyden-Havelock Treaty that finally ended the vague and puny borderline dispute between the British Colony in Sierra Leone and the Liberian Government. The Gallinas’ territory located between the Sewa River and the Mano River became part of Sierra Leone and the Mono River legally became the boundary between Liberia and Sierra Leone. The treaty also ordered the English to reimburse Liberia for the 4,750 pounds that the country paid to purchase the territory earlier from local chiefs. The French seizure of the land west of the Cavalla River, was also resolved. Trade and revenue increased.
Negative Impact:  Liberia succumbed to the British encroachment and annexed Gallinas’ territory for a sum. The price and volume of export crops such as coffee, rice, palm oil, sugarcane, and timber felt. The administration did little to integrate rural and Monrovia.

12th President.
Party: True Whig Party.
Dates in Office: 1892-1896
Age in Office: 49
Birth-Death: 1843-1896
Location Born: Edina, Grand Bassa County, Liberia
Religion:
Office: Former 1st President. He also served as a major general in the Liberian Army, ambassador to France and Great Britain, and first president of Liberia College, the University of Liberia.
Religion:
Major Public Policy: To resolve the perennial economic difficulties by increasing trade and investment, improving public education, creating closer relations with Liberia’s native peoples, and discouraging inter-group conflicts or wars.
Positive Impact: He continued to preserve the territorial integrity of Liberia.
Negative Impact: Economic difficulties, including export and import imbalances, weakened the ability and capacity of the administration to implement its policies of smoothing inter-tribal and tribal and Congo group relations.

13th President.
Dates in Office: 1896-1900
Party: True Whig
Age in Office: 54
Birth-Death: 1842-1908.
Location Born: Fayette County, Kentucky, USA
Office: Vice President. He also served as a Senator and Speaker of the House of Representatives.
Religion:
Major Public Policy: To improve the country’s educational system, finances, and the interior.
Positive Impact: He reopened Liberia College, exerted more influence and control of the interior, reorganized the customs service, and enhanced revenue through resource extraction or exploration of ore, minerals, and iron to name a few examples.  The government increased control in the interior especially north of the Saint Paul River.
Negative Impact:  His internal policies came under severe scrutiny and criticism of his party, foes and allies. The country finally lost Musadu to the French colony.

14th President.
Party: True Whig Party.
Dates in Office: 1900-1904
Age in Office: 68
Birth-Death: 1832-1910.
Location Born: Maryland, USA
Age in Office: 68
Religion: Episcopalian
Office: Secretary of State. He also served as Justice of the Peace, and Secretary of the Interior.
Major Public Policy: To grant the rights to the Union Mining Operations to excavate the hinterlands for gold and other minerals, explore fauna and flora species, and work with Great Britain to survey the Northern boundary of the country.
Positive Impact: The Joint Liberia-Britain Commission to survey the northern border of Liberia.
Negative Impact: The British coerced the concession of a Liberian territory to Sierra Leone. The economic condition in Liberia remained severe.

15th President.
Party: True Whig Party.
Dates in Office: 1904-1912
Age in Office: 50
Birth-Death: 1854-1938)
Location Born: Bridgetown, British West Indies
Religion:
Office:
Major Public Policy: To obtain a $500,000 loan from an English Merchant to tackle the chronic financial hardships in Liberia and to continue to protect the territorial integrity of Liberia both within and from British and French encroachments.
Positive Impact: The United States granted Liberia a 40-year loan of $1.7 million.
Negative Impact:  The terms of the $500,000 English loan provided that British agents takeover the collection from head or hut taxes imposed on the indigenous people.  The USA loan also required Liberia to allow American, British, French and German to take over the receivership of the Government revenue until 1926.

16th President.
Party: True Whig Party.
Dates in Office: 1912-1920
Age in Office: 51
Birth-Death: 1861-1935
Location Born: Buchanan, Grand Bassa County, Liberia
Religion:
Office: Secretary of the True Whig Party
Major Public Policy: To protect Liberia’s sovereignty and territorial integrity from attack or encroachments from aggressive world war I era powers such as Germany. To exercise neutrality in World War I. To ask Woodrow Wilson’s administration to loan the country $5million to meet her financial obligations. Her major trading partner, Germany, had discontinued doing business with Liberia.
Positive Impact: Liberia seized and liquidated the German effect. Despite German contention, Liberia permitted the French, a German enemy, to operate its wireless station in Monrovia. The Liberian Legislature ratified the treaty of Versailles to end the war. 
Negative Impact: Woodrow Wilson refused to lend Liberia the loan that it asked. The government was compelled to renegotiate its financial obligations including late payment of employee salaries.

17th President.
Party : True Whig Party.
Dates in Office: 1920-1930
Age in Office: 45
Birth-Death: 1875-1961
Location Born: Monrovia, Liberia
Religion:
Office: Foreign Minister.
Major Public Policy: To negotiate and sign the Firestone Rubber Company, negotiate loan agreement with the United States.
Positive Impact: The $5 million loan from Firestone Corporation of America improved the economy. Firestone employed most Liberians. The loans consolidated some of the bond debts the government-owned. The loan also funded public load improvements.
Negative Impact: The government forcibly recruited the natives to work on the rubber plantation. It also was accused of rigging the 1977 presidential elections between King and Thomas J. R. Faulkner.

18th President.
Party: True Whig Party.
Dates in Office: 1930-1944
Age in Office: 48
Birth-Death: 1882-1955
Location Born: Liberia
Religion:
Office: Secretary of state of Liberia
Major Public Policy: To repeal the Port of Entry Law of 1864 that restricted the economic activities of foreigners in Liberia.

Positive Impact: The removal of trade restrictions increased concession agreements between Liberia and the Dutch, Danish, German, and Polish investors. Liberia adopted the United States Dollars as a sole legal tender in Liberia. Liberia’s strategic location and its natural rubber products encouraged the US to sign a Defense Pact with Liberia to build Robertsfield Airport capable of receiving and refueling warheads and of using bases in Liberia to store military supplies.
Negative Impact: The Forced Labor Scandal of the previous president continued to cast dark clouds on Liberia as a sovereign nation capable of self-government. Tribal insurrections also continued to threaten the country’s survival.

19th President.
Party: True Whig Party.
Dates in Office: 1944-1971
Age in Office: 49
Birth-Death: 1895-1971.
Location Born: Harper, Liberia
Religion: Methodist
Office: Supreme Court Justice.
Major Public Policy: National Unification and Economic Open Door.
Positive Impact: Liberia became a prosperous nation and envy to the world including African countries especially between 1960 and 1950.  Tubman encouraged and signed concession contracts with investors from a wide range of countries, including Sweden, the United States and Germany. The government-built roads and railroads were connecting cities and towns and improving relationships between the hinterland and the coaster dwellers.  The foreign companies created numerous employment opportunities for Liberians.
Negative Impact: The astronomical increase in Liberian economic outputs was, however, unevenly distributed. It had little effects on human capital, level of education, social inclusion, healthcare, and equality under the law. The settlers-the Congo families- benefited the most, at the disadvantage of the indigenous people. Moreover, under the True Whig Party, the only party that could function in the country, government officials frequently abused powers and unfairly or brutally crushed any opposition perceived to pose any political threat to the president or officials of the government. Besides, without the right to form a union, common Liberians could not bargain for fair wages; their right to do so was trampled upon and denied them by their government. In order words, although direct foreign investment tremendously improved the country vertically. Liberia, was however, without good governance; social development, including investing in people and removing barriers so that all citizens, without discrimination, can reach their full potential, was not distributed horizontally.

20th President.
Party : True Whig Party.
Dates in Office: 1971-1980
Age in Office: 58
Birth-Death: 1913-1980.
Location Born: Bensonville, Liberia
Religion: Baptist
Office: Vice president.
Major Public Policy: Elevated the level of implementation of the Open-Door and Unification policies of his predecessor that continued to improve the living condition of every Liberian from mat to mattress, modernize and transformed Liberian governmental institutions, embarked on massive infrastructural developments, and developed a none align Liberian foreign policy posture.
Positive Impact:  For the first time in 125 years, the government reformed the single-party rule and allowed multiple party systems including the registration of the Progressive Alliance of Liberia, stopped the one month annual salary payment that each working citizen and resident used to pay to the True Whig Party. He also increased the appointed to positions of responsibility ingenious educated Liberians, promoted youth causes and improved the educational systems. He initiated and improved relations with countries of Africa, the Middle East, North America, South America, Asia, East and Western Europe. Moreover, Liberia hosted the Organization of African Unity summit, and resolved numerous fratricidal African conflicts. President Tolbert was also the bellwether of the formation of the Mano River Union and Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS). 
Negative Impact: His opponents and foes criticized the Tolbert government for not doing enough to reduce the inequality between the Congo people and the indigenous people.

21st President.
Party: National Democratic Party of Liberia.
Dates in Office: 1986-1990
Age in Office: 35
Birth-Death: 1951-1990
Location Born: Tuzon, Liberia
Religion:
Office: Master Sergeant
Major Public Policy: Samuel K Doe Government intended to do justice to the country, reducing the inequality between the Congo and the natives and rooting out corruption and favoritism or nepotism.
Positive Impact:  President Doe opened ports to a wide range of developed countries including Canada, China, and Europe. Numerous foreigners invested in the country. He revised the Liberian Constitution that guarantees a multiparty system.
Negative Impact:  Suppression, elimination, and torture, threatening oppositions or opponents continued unabated. Corruption became unbridled, including the inequality and repression of other ethnic tribes, including the Gio, Dan, and the Mano tribes. Most people believed that President Doe rigged the 1985 elections.

22nd President.
Party: National Patriotic Party of Liberia.
Dates in Office: 1997-2003
Age in Office: 49
Birth-Death: 1948-present
Location Born: Arthington, Liberia
Religion:
Office: Warlord. He also served as Minister of General Services Agency
Major Public Policy: Tylor ascension to the presidency was the beginning of dissident or insurgent activities that he created. The fear from opposition set the agenda for his administration until the Civil War consumed the country. He exploited diamond mining operations in Sierra Leone to defense, arm, and strengthen his Administration against his enemies.
Positive Impact: His bellicose disposition and venue acquired from the diamond in Sierra Leone and timbers in Liberia supported his bloody insurrection and Civil conflict. A conservative estimate of those who died in the Civil War was 200,000 excluding the million Liberians and residents that got internally displaced or escaped to other countries as refugees.
Negative Impact: The United Nations accused him of committing atrocities everywhere including Sierra Leone. He was forced to resign. He exiled to Nigeria. He was also charged and found guilty by the International tribunal with war crimes against humanity. The crimes he committed against humanity included terrorizing the civilian population and collective punishments, acts of terrorism, unlawful killings, rape, use of child soldiers, abductions, forced labor, and Pillage He’s serving a 50-year prison term.

23rd President
Dates in Office: 2003-2003
Party: Independent
Age in Office: 56
Birth-Death: 1947-2013
Location Born: 56
Religion:
Office: He served as Ambassador to Libya.
Major Public Policy: to continue the policy of Charles Taylor.
Positive Impact: He discontinued the pursuit of warfare. He ceded power to the Transitional authorities.
Negative Impact:

24th President.
Party: Unity Party.
Dates in Office: 2006-2018
Age in Office: 68
Birth-Death: 1938-present
Location Born: Liberia
Religion: Methodist
Office: Minister of Finance
Major Public Policy: To seek aid and debt quickly to begin to tackle the onerous tasks of reducing the 80% unemployment problems in the country. To establish a Truth and Reconciliation Committee to address the specter of corruption, nepotism and heal ethnic tensions.
Positive Impact: The Government secured millions of dollars of foreign investment and pledged to eradicate corruption. She fought to reduce ethnic tensions.
Negative Impact:  The critics accused her government of nepotism and corruption. She appointed most of her family members to positions of trust. Moreover, the Ebola virus outbreak in 2014 killed about 4,800 persons. It set her administration progress backward; it crippled most of the economic developments including training, education and employment.

25th president
Party: Congress for Democratic Change.
Dates in Office: 2018-
Age: 52
Birth-Death: 1966-
Location Born: Monrovia, Liberia
Religion:
Office: Senator from Montserrado County and former Football Star.
Major Public Policy: Concentrates on fighting corruption, reforming the economy, combating illiteracy and improving living conditions.
Positive Impact: The Pro-Poor policy is being focused on equitable distribution of national wealth, increasing productivity through agricultural processing and marketing, production of rice, cassava and vegetables, developing quality infrastructure and a skillful labor force, investing in infrastructures such as roads, affordable energy, air and seaports, telecommunication, housing, water, sanitation, education, and healthcare.
Negative Impact:  Time will tell. Too early to make any final report or judgment about the success or failure of his policy goals.