On July 26, 1847, freed African American slaves in Liberia declared their independence from the American Colonization Society and established the First Republic of Liberia on July 27, 1847. This made Liberia the first African republic and one of the first post-colonial nations in Africa.

The freed slaves, known as Americo-Liberians, had been resettled in West Africa by the American Colonization Society (ACS), which aimed to provide a homeland for freed African Americans. Liberia’s constitution was modeled after the U.S. Constitution, and Joseph Jenkins Roberts became its first president.

The founding of Liberia was significant in African history, as it represented self-governance by formerly enslaved people, though tensions arose between the Americo-Liberians and the indigenous African populations.