Negotiating Modernity: Colonialism, Christianity, Western Education in the Making of Modern Liberia
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Abstract
The founding of Liberia in 1822 marked a significant historical turning point in West Africa, shaped largely by the settlement of free African Americans under the auspices of the American Colonization Society (ACS). Central to the ACS vision was the transformation of Liberia into a “civilized” Christian Republic, where Western education would function as a primary vehicle for social, cultural, and political change. existing scholarship has extensively examined the role of Western education in constructing Americo-Liberian dominance and redefining indigenous identities, the specific contribution of Christianity to the diffusion of education and the restructuring of traditional Liberian society remains underexplored. This paper seeks to explore the role of Christian Churches and various missionary denominations in promoting Western education in Liberia from, and by analysing the resulting impact on indigenous educational systems, cultural practices, and social institutions. It argues that Christian missionary education, supported by colonial and post-colonial state policies, functioned not only as a tool of literacy and religious conversion but also as a mechanism for cultural transformation and suppression of indigenous traditions. By situating Liberia within the broader African missionary experience, the study highlights how Christianity and Western education collectively reshaped Liberian society over two centuries.
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