Document-Based Questions - Debra J. Housel, M.S. Ed. 2008

Liberia, Named for Freedom
Interesting Places

Liberia is a mix of Western and African cultures. Its name comes from the Latin word liber, which means “free.” The American Colonization Society wanted slaves returned to Africa. So the group bought land on Africa’s west coast. They called it Liberia. In 1822 the first settlers arrived by ship. These freed slaves and freeborn African Americans came from the United States. The U.S. Navy started to patrol the waters off the coast of Africa in 1815. Their goal was to stop slave ships. When a ship was found to be carrying slaves, it was seized. The captives and crews of these ships were put ashore in Monrovia, the capital city of Liberia.

The territory grew as more people came. In 1847, Liberia broke its ties with the American Colonization Society. For a long time it was one of the most stable nations in Africa. But a civil war erupted in the 1990s. More than 200,000 people died. Even more fled. The fighting ruined the nation’s cities. It wrecked electric power and water systems. Before the war, Monrovia had nice homes, offices, and stores. Now the people live in small wooden huts with tin roofs. The war ended in 1997. But more strife occurred in 2003. The nation is struggling to recover.

The official language is English. But that’s not the only language people speak. English is used in government and business. Schools teach it. But each ethnic group has its own language. The government runs some schools. Religious groups run others. A law states that children must go to school for 12 years. But not all children do. There are too few schools and teachers. And parents are more apt to send their sons than their daughters. As a result, just a little over half of the adults can read and write.

Liberia has natural resources that many African nations lack. It has water, minerals, and forests. Best of all, its climate is good for growing crops. But the civil war hurt the nation’s economy. A lot of businesses left. They did not return. Now many people who want a job cannot get one. There are few places to work. So people just grow and make things for their own needs. They do not make things to trade with other nations.

But Liberia does export some crops. The main one is rubber. It also grows cacao beans and coffee beans. Cacao beans are used to make chocolate. Both wet and dry rice grow in Liberia. So every rural home grows rice to eat. Cassava, an edible root, thrives there, too. Most people grow it, too. This root does not have many nutrients. But it can be left in the ground until it is needed. That’s important in a place where there are lots of bugs and no refrigeration.

Liberia, Named for Freedom

This is a student’s school report.

Liberia, Named for Freedom

1. Liberia’s civil war ended in

a. 1815.

b. 1822.

c. 1847.

d. 1997.

2. One of the crops that Liberia sells to other nations is

a. cassava.

b. cacao beans.

c. wet and dry rice.

d. wild herbs.

3. Many of the people living in Liberia are descendants of

a. Egyptians.

b. African royalty.

c. freed slaves.

d. the Japanese.

4. Most U.S. sailors liked to work on the anti-slave trade ships. True or False? Explain.

5. When the U.S. Navy found a slave ship, what happened to the slave ship’s captain and officers? What happened to the ship’s crew? What happened to the ship?

6. Should the Liberian government insist that the people give up their ethnic languages and speak only English? Why or why not?