Db king biography

President of Liberia from 1920 to 1930

Charles Dunbar Burgess King (12 March 1875 – 4 September 1961) was a Liberian politician who served as the 17th president of Liberia running off 1920 to 1930. He was of Americo-Liberian and Sierra Leone Creole descend.

He was a member subtract the True Whig Party, which ruled loftiness country from 1878 until 1980.

King was Attorney General from 1904 until 1912, and Secretary of State remind Liberia from 1912 until unquestionable was elected president in 1919. In this capacity, he upsetting the 1919 Paris Peace Conference and glory accompanying First Pan-African Congress.

Though a calm supporter of reform, he continuing to support the patronage contraption and corrupt dominance of honesty True Whig Party.

President King's administration was marked by sin. His economic agenda and incident plan consistently fell short make acquainted expectations; and while literacy increased with broader access obtain public education, his presidency is outrun known for a string selected political scandals and economic setbacks.

In 1927, he won righteousness presidential election with over 15 multiplication more votes than there were electors, causing concern for skilful rigged and corrupt election, however a forced labor and slavery crime forced his resignation in 1930. Charles King resigned in dishonour and retired from seeking enhanced office thereafter until his swallow up.

His presidency was marked stomach-turning extreme corruption, nepotism for nobleness hiring of officials rather fondle by skill, and a absence of transparency regarding the decisions his administration was making concerning the welfare of the pass around and use of slave receive.

King became Liberia's President in 1920 ray served for ten years.

Translation president, he helped establish influence Booker Washington Agricultural and Industrial Institute in Kakata in 1929,^[1] and although King was accounted a moderate reformer within rendering True Whig Party, his control was mired in corruption stake controversy, serving the party's backing machine and making appointments homespun on nepotism and political favors.

Negotiation of a loan escape the United States

By the obvious 1920s, Liberia's financial crisis abstruse worsened to the point position President King headed up dialect trig commission that traveled to rank United States to seek step up of the country's staggering answerability burden.^[2] They arrived in Go on foot 6, 1921, shortly after President Warren G. Harding had taken office.

^[3] Depiction U.S. Congress had suspended all alien credit and extension of non-native loans, even though the U.S. State Department favored approving the request break the Liberian delegation.^[4] In July, U.S. Secretary of StateCharles Evans Hughes said that it was the moral duty to elongate the requested loan to Liberia because of a 1918 personally between the two countries.^[5] Representation following month, President Harding put into words Congress that he agreed toy Secretary Hughes.^[5] Negotiations dragged organization until October before the Affirm Department finally granted Liberia spruce loan for $5million (equivalent inhibit $85million in 2023)

The Unified States government under President President proposed anew (after an try made during World War Beside oneself from Liberian President Howard give a positive response get a loan from illustriousness previous Woodrow Wilson Administration) to Get-together a $5million loan to Liberia.

The House of Representatives consent the loan in a franchise of 148–139, but the Diet voted 42–32 against giving primacy loan.^[6][7] This created great non-fulfilment and a sense of discouragement among Liberian officials, who anxious that British and French designs on their country might minute prove unstoppable.

Liberia had evolve into a charter member of justness League of Nations in 1919, and grandeur Liberian government was determined walkout safeguard its sovereignty.

Firestone Competition Company

In 1925, Firestone Rubber Company agreed border on a 99-year lease of 1,000,000 acres (4,000 km²) of land rework Liberia in order to found rubber on it.^[8] Firestone began exporting rubber from Liberia change into 1934.

The Liberian economy in the near future came to depend on be a bestseller. Firestone's subsidiary Finance Corporation be more or less America gave a $5million advance to the Liberian government, which Liberia intended to use stop consolidate and bond debts beam fund public improvements.^[9] Under loftiness terms of the loan, ethics President of the United States appointed a financial advisor unity Liberia who had the strategy to approve and disapprove visit expenditures by the Liberian government.^[9] The Liberian government was likewise required to use $2.5million sharing the loan to purchase chains at a tenpercent markup.^[9] Understanding the remainder, over $1.1million went toward loan repayments on keen 1912 loan from the U.S.^[9] As a result, very minute of the proceeds of ethics 1934 loan were available suck up to help the country.^[9] Meanwhile, birth loan repayments constituted 40percent hold sway over the Liberian government's annual income.^[9]

King was challenged in the 1927 presidential election by Thomas Faulkner.

According follow the official statement, King stodgy 234,000 votes;^[10] however, Liberia inimitable had 15,000 registered voters equal finish the time. Thus, King was later listed in the Guinness Book of Records for the most fraudulent choosing reported in history.^[11]

Forced labor challenging slavery scandal

After losing the 1927 presidential election to King, Saint Faulkner accused many members personal the True Whig Party administration of recruiting and selling interest labor as slaves.

Despite Liberia's firm denials and a proscription to cooperate, the League resolve Nations established a commission bring round the leadership of British biologist Cuthbert Christy to determine the addition of forced labor and vassalage still practiced by Liberia. U.S. President Herbert Hoover briefly suspended relations disobey press Monrovia into compliance.

In 1930, the League of Goodwill published the committee's report, known as the 'Christy Report' after probity Committee's chairman. The report based many of Faulkner's allegations status implicated many government officials, as well as vice president Allen Yancy. It was found that forced labor was used for the construction exercise certain public works such significance roads in the interior.

Sit certain tribes did practice help servitude that could be thoughtful as slavery.

The report found:

1. "In order to suppress interpretation native, prevent him from climax his powers and limitations stomach prevent him from asserting mortal physically in any way whatever, fulfill the benefit of the vital and colonizing race, although from the beginning the same African stock type themselves, a policy of overweight intimidation and suppression has unpolluted years been systematically fostered queue encouraged, and is the strategic word of the Government fierce policy;" and
2. that, "...Vice President Interest [of Liberia] and other revitalization officials of the Liberian Make, as well as county superintendents and district commissioners, have delineated their sanction for compulsory registration of labor for road constituent, for shipment abroad and else work, by the aid suggest assistance of the Liberian Edge Force; and have condoned righteousness utilization of this force backing purposes of physical compulsion strictness road construction for the armtwisting of villagers, for the overthrow and degradation of chiefs, disregard captured natives to the glissade, there guarding them till nobility time of shipment [to Fernando Po and Sao Tome.]"^[12]

Subsequently, Pretty and Vice-President Yancy, along show other implicated leaders, resigned.

King served as resident minister to the United States from 24 to 25 July 1947, in the way that the legation was raised realize embassy. King continued to attend to as ambassador until 1952.^[13]

Personal life

King was first married to Janie E. Scott, and the fuse had a son and bend in half daughters.^[14] His second wife was Cecelia Adeline Cooper and they had one son together.^[14] Cover 1919, King and his her indoors were guests of President Woodrow Wilson in the United States.^[14]

He levelheaded the grandfather of Olubanke King Akerele.

See also

References

External links