-• Governors of Liberia 



In January, 1 846, it was resolved by the American Colonisa- 

 tion Society through its Board of Directors that " the time had 

 arrived when it was expedient for the people of the Common- 

 wealth of Liberia to take into their own hands the whole 

 work of self-government, including the management of all their 

 foreign relations." 



Fortunately for this experiment, the British Government 

 at that time was not anxious to increase its territorial responsi- 

 bilities on the West Coast of Africa, or there is little doubt 

 that had it decided during 1 846 to annex Liberia the United 

 States would not have offered any very determined opposition. 

 But there were as yet no steamships plying between Britain 

 and the West Coast of Africa ; the British Government was 

 in no hurry to act precipitately, and during this fortunate lull 

 Governor Roberts strengthened the hold of his country over 

 the Grain Coast by further purchases from the natives. In 

 this year eighty miles of the Kru coast (and later on the Kru 

 towns of Setra Kru and Grand Sesters) were purchased from 

 the natives. During this year also a determined attack on the 

 slave trade was made, especially in the region of Cape Mount, 

 where Canot was settled, ostensibly as an innocent trader. The 

 British cruisers co-operated whole-heartedly with the actions 

 of Governor Roberts, and seem to have landed the slaves they 

 liberated from the Spanish vessels on the coast of Liberia. 

 Here they were " apprenticed " to Liberian subjects, the adults 

 for seven years and the children till the age of twenty-one, 

 the girls being mostly sent to the mission schools already 

 established. 



The additional purchases of territory, however, and this 

 apprenticeship system both attracted the unfavourable notice 

 of the British Government. It was alleged with some degree 

 of truth that the forcible apprenticeship of these released slaves 



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