Americo-Liberian
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| Republic of Liberia |
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History · Politics · Demographics |
Americo-Liberians are a Liberian ethnicity of African American descent. Most of them trace their ancestry to free-born and formerly enslaved African-Americans who immigrated in the 1800s to become founders of Liberia and other colonies along the coast in places that would become Cote d'Ivoire and Sierra Leone.
Some 13,000 persons crossed the Atlantic to create new settlements on the Grain Coast of West Africa between 1817 and 1867 with the aid of the American Colonization Society. The early settlers practiced their Christian faith, sometimes in combination with traditional African religious beliefs. They spoke an African American Vernacular English, and few ventured into the interior or mingled with local African peoples. Americo-Liberian society, culture and political organization remain heavily influenced by that of the United States, particularly the southeastern United States.
Although they make up only about 5% of the Liberian population, Americo-Liberians dominated national politics until Samuel Doe led a military coup in 1980.
