William Tubman

William Vacanarat Shadrach Tubman (29 November 1895 – 23 July 1971) was a Liberian politician. He was the 19th president of Liberia and the longest-serving president in the country's history,^[1] serving from his election in 1944 until his death in 1971.

Tubman is regarded as the "father of modern Liberia" in that during his presidency sufficient foreign investment was attracted to modernize the country's economy and infrastructure. During his tenure, Liberia experienced a period of prosperity. He also led a policy of national unification in order to reduce the social and political differences between his fellow

.

Early life and family background

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William Tubman was born on 29 November 1895, in

Tubman sought the help of her friend and mentor, Henry Clay of Kentucky, president of the American Colonization Society. This organization, made up of both abolitionists and slaveholders, had proposed colonization in Africa as a solution for freedmen, rather than allowing them to remain in the United States. Their presence was considered to unsettle slaves in the South, and in both the North and South, lower-class whites resented competing with them for jobs. Clay assured her that sending her former slaves to Liberia would be a safe and suitable option.^[5] After arriving in Liberia, this group of freedmen took "Tubman" as their surname and settled together. They named their community Tubman Hill after their benefactress.^[6]

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Education

William Tubman, the second son,^[3] went to primary school in Harper, followed by the Methodist Cape Palmas Seminary,^[7] and Harper County High School.^[4] Beginning in 1910, when he was 15, he participated in several military operations within the country through 1917, being promoted from private to officer.^[4]

Planning to become a preacher, at age 19 Tubman was named as a Methodist lay preacher.^[3] After studying law under various private tutors, he passed the bar examination and became a lawyer in 1917.^[8]

Early career

Tubman was soon appointed as a recorder in the Maryland County Monthly and

While the United States, its ally, began to base military operations in the country after it entered World War II, Liberia did not declare war on Germany and Japan until 27 January 1944.^[13] In April 1944, Liberia joined the Allied cause by signing the Declaration by United Nations.

Choosing to sever diplomatic relations with Germany and expel German citizens from Liberia was a difficult decision for Tubman for economic and social reasons: (1) German merchants were integral to the Liberian economy; (2) Germany was Liberia's major trading partner; and (3), most of the doctors in Liberia were Germans. Under the above declaration, Tubman agreed to expel all German residents and oppose the Axis powers.^{[citation needed]}

Foreign relations

Liberian policy is committed to the concept of a free enterprise system, democracy, and a pragmatic search for solutions to problems of multinational existence. We envisage a synthesis composed of individual states retaining their own way of life, but united by mutual exchanges of peoples, goods and ideas, by pacts of non-aggression, non-interference in the internal affairs of other states, and of perpetual peace.

— William Tubman^[14]

In foreign policy, Tubman aligned his country with the US, which he hailed as "Our strongest, closest, and most reliable friend."

In 1951 United States and Liberia signed a mutual agreement of defense.^[19]

Following that in 1957 The U.S. erects a Voice of America relay facility, one of several U.S. communications facilities to be placed on Liberian soil during the Cold War.^[19]

In 1961, following a

We wage no war against socialism if it is kept within the territories and among people that are so inclined, but we shall fight till death any attempt to impose and force upon us what we consider a mystical illusion.

— Tubman[21]

A U.S Peace Corps program began in Liberia which would run until 1990 when Civil war broke out.

Tubman's government was critical of communism, and avoided establishing diplomatic relations with most of the communist countries (Yugoslavia, which was regarded highly by the Liberian government, was the lone exception);^[22] however, Liberia did exchange trade and goodwill missions with the Soviet Union and other Eastern European states.^[23]

Economic development

When Tubman was appointed to the Supreme Court in the 1930s, Liberia was seriously underdeveloped, lacking basic infrastructure of roads, railways, and sanitation systems.^[24] Tubman said that Liberia had never received the "benefits of colonization", by which he meant the investment by a wealthy major power to develop the infrastructure of the country.^[25] He established an economic policy, known as the "porte ouverte" ("open door"), to attract foreign investment.^[9] Working to facilitate and encourage foreign businesses to locate in Liberia, he encouraged development. Between 1944 and 1970, the value of foreign investments, mainly from the United States,^[24] increased by 200%.^[9] From 1950 to 1960, Liberia experienced an average annual growth of 11.5%.^[9]

With the expansion of the economy, Tubman gained revenues for the government to construct and modernize infrastructure: the streets of Monrovia were paved, a

By early 1960, Liberia began to enjoy its first era of prosperity, thanks in part to Tubman's policies and implementation of development.[9] It was during this time that Tubman became regarded as a pro-Western, stabilizing influence in West Africa, at a period when other countries were achieving independence—often amid violence. During the 1960s, Tubman was courted by many Western politicians, notably U.S. President Lyndon B. Johnson.

In the past, the bulk of Liberia's production depended on

In his personal life, Tubman courted Amy Ashwood Garvey, and had a long-term relationship with her.^[28]

Role in the Cold War

As World War II gave way to the Cold War, the United States viewed Liberia as an ideal post from which to fight the spread of communism through Africa. Under Tubman, Liberia voted with the U.S. on most key matters at the United Nations, although it sometimes sided with other African states, particularly on decolonization and anti-apartheid issues. Tubman gradually extended ties to the Soviet bloc, but he supported the United States on the Vietnam War, as did his successor, William R. Tolbert.^{[citation needed]}

Assessment

Tubman was criticized for being too influenced by the United States and its interests in the area including its opposition to communism, and for repressing political opposition.

His former ally and later political opponent S. David Coleman and his son John were hunted down and killed by Liberian soldiers for allegedly plotting to overthrow him. The Coleman funeral was poorly attended, as people were afraid of being seen as Coleman sympathizers. That same year the constitution was changed to allow Tubman to stay in office for more than two terms.^[19]

In 1961 Tubman declared a state of emergency after riots and a strike took place. In July 1965, Raymond J. Horace and three other individuals involved in the 1955 attempted assassination of Tubman were released from prison. As a result of labor unrest, Tubman was granted emergency powers by the parliament for twelve months.^[29]

By the time Tubman died, Liberia had the largest mercantile fleet in the world.^[30]

See also

• History of Liberia
• Americo-Liberians
• President of Liberia
• William Tolbert
• Tubmanburg

References

External links

• William V.S. Tubman University
• William V.S. Tubman Photograph Collection,
  Indiana University Libraries

Political offices
Preceded by Edwin Barclay	President of Liberia 1944–1971	Succeeded by William Tolbert

William Tubman test of Wikipedia at Wikimedia Incubator