The American Colonization Society and the Creation of the Liberian State

This study traces the historical roots of Liberia's political, economic, and social instituions. The author aims to apply a new historical perspective to the nation's history, and by identifying some of its critical problems, provide an empirical guideline for the present and future generations of Liberia. The text proposes that Liberia's institutions, though shaped by other factors as well, were largely extensions of the institutional values inherent in the American Colonization Society (ACS). The first two chapters address the social backgrounds of the ACS and pre-Liberian society. This provides a comparative understanding of the above forces before their effects on Liberia. The next four chapters investigate the establishment and development of Liberia and how the ACS, together with other important factors such as the African reality and the world economy, affected the evolution of its institutions.