Liberia <*- 



on the obstinate Spanish slave-trade settlements at New Cess 

 River, just beyond Basa. These were again destroyed, and 

 on this occasion 3,500 slaves were released. 



In the year 1849 Portugal, Sardinia, Austria, Denmark, 

 Sweden and Norway, Brazil, Hamburg, Bremen, Lubeck, and 

 Haiti followed the Powers of Western and Central Europe 

 in formally recognising the Liberian State. Alone amongst 

 the then Great Powers of the world, the United States withheld 

 its own act of formal recognition : for the extraordinary reason 

 that in 1 849 it was feared if Liberia was recognised as an 

 independent State, the United States would have to receive at 

 Washington a " man of colour " as the Liberian envoy to the 

 Great Republic. Such was the preposterous colour prejudice 

 then in vogue, that this disability lasted until the great war 

 between North and South in 1862. It was not till that year 

 that the United States formally acknowledged the independence 

 of this little State created by American philanthrophy. 



At this period of emergence into the status of a Sovereign 

 Power Liberia was estimated to extend between 4° 41' and 6° 48' 

 N. Lat. and between 8° 8' and 11° 20' W. Long. Its length 

 of sea coast from Cape Mount to Grand Sesters was 286 

 miles. The average width of the country was 45 miles, and 

 its approximate area 12,830 square miles. Amongst the Negro 

 population professing allegiance to the republic were 6,010 

 Liberians of American origin. The annual value to which the 

 exports had risen was stated at 500,000 dollars (^100,000). 

 The population of Monrovia (in 1850) was estimated at 1,300. 

 The public debt (that is to say, the adverse balance between the 

 receipts and expenditure of the Liberian Government at the 

 commencement of 1850) was 8,000 dollars (/^i,6oo). 



In 1849 Robertsport was founded at Cape Mount. In 

 the same year the Rev. Ralph Gurley was requested by the 



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