James Spriggs Payne

James Payne

James Spriggs Payne (born December 19, 1819 in Richmond (Virginia) , † January 31, 1882 in Monrovia ) was the fourth and from 1876 to 1878 the eighth President of Liberia from 1868 to 1870 . An airport in Monrovia is named after him today (James Spriggs Payne Airport).

biography

Payne was the son of a devout Methodist and grew up in a very religious environment, which had a lasting impact on his strong Christian faith. He was still a child when his parents decided to emigrate to Liberia on an American Colonization Society ship to start a new life.

Apart from religion, he was also interested in politics and economics. He became a successful author in these areas, which is why the Liberian government appointed him a member of a commission to prepare the process of Liberia's final separation from the American Colonization Society .

During his presidency he fought the slave trade along the coast of Liberia. In addition, he managed to increase the country's foreign trade. Above all, however, he was characterized by his domestic political sensitivity, which enabled the development of relations between the Liberian government and the representatives of the country's indigenous people. He was far-sighted enough to recognize that the hitherto politically mostly ignored natives would play a major role in the future development of the young republic. Therefore, he campaigned for their right of co-determination and made sure that educational institutions, for example, were also available to them.

Web links

• Biography (English)