1842 – Joseph Jenkins Roberts Fights for Liberian Autonomy

On May 13, 1842, Joseph Jenkins Roberts, a free Black man from Virginia and prominent settler in Liberia, delivered a pivotal speech advocating for self-governance. Roberts, who would later become Liberia’s first president, argued for greater autonomy from the American Colonization Society (ACS), which controlled Liberia’s affairs. His leadership helped transition Liberia from a colony to a republic in 1847. Roberts promoted education, trade, and diplomacy, working to ensure Liberia’s recognition by global powers. May 13 reflects a key moment in the evolution of Black leadership on the African continent and the early efforts to build a sovereign Black republic. Roberts’ legacy is complex—praised for diplomacy, yet criticized for reinforcing settler dominance over indigenous populations—but his role in shaping Liberia is undeniably historic.