Its motto is “The Love of Liberty Brought Us Here”. The birth of Liberia in 1822 brought to reality a message of hope, hope for a better life in the country.
Between 1822 and the outbreak of the American Civil War in 1861, more than 15,000 freed and free-born Black people who faced social and legal oppression in the U.S., along with 3,198 Afro-Caribbeans, relocated to Liberia.
The City of Monrovia was named for U.S. President James Monroe. Liberia declared independence on July 26, 1847, which the U.S. did not recognize until February 5, 1862.
Liberia was the first African republic to proclaim its independence and is Africa’s first and oldest modern republic. Liberia celebrated its 200th anniversary in 2022.
Higher education in Liberia is provided by a number of public and private universities. The University of Liberia is the country’s largest and oldest university. Located in Monrovia, the university opened in 1862.
Today, Liberia has six colleges, including a medical school and the nation’s only law school, Louis Arthur Grimes School of Law. Liberians value education and fully support all efforts to expand higher-education opportunities.