Liberia’s First-Ever Còùp d’étàt (1871)

Liberia’s First-Ever Còùp d’étàt (1871)

Liberia’s First-Ever Còùp d’étàt (1871)

Liberia’s first coup d’étàt occurred in October 1871 and it was directed against President Edward James Roye, the country’s fifth president.

What caused it?

Roye had secretly negotiated the infamous Loan of 1871 with British financiers. The loan had very harsh terms that èndàngered Liberia’s financial sovereignty. When details became public, citizens and lawmakers accused his administration of financial mismanagement and còrrùption. Tènsions rose further when Roye attempted to extend his presidential term by proclamation, bypassing the Constitution.

The Liberian Legislature and political elites moved against him, declaring his actions unconstitutional. Roye was forcibly removed from office, arrested, and imprìsòned – marking Liberia’s first còùp d’étàt.

Roye later dìèd mysteriously in 1872, reportedly while trying to escape custody.
His overthrow became one of the earliest warning signs of political instability in Liberia’s history and remains one of the most dramatic moments in the nation’s political past.