nPostednon November 29, 2016
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nInnHarriet Tubman,nthe U.S. has a true hero.
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Well,nthe African country of Liberia has a Tubman as a hero, too! WilliamnVacanarat ShadrachTubman, born on this date in 1895, has been callednthe “father of modern Liberia.”
Well,nthe African country of Liberia has a Tubman as a hero, too! WilliamnVacanarat ShadrachTubman, born on this date in 1895, has been callednthe “father of modern Liberia.”n
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n(Actually,nthe last name Tubman is more common in Liberia than one might guess,nbecause, in the mid-1800s, a slave owner in Georgia named EmilynTubman tried to free her slaves and to pay for them to travel tonLiberia where they could live in freedom. It was actually quite hardnto do – Emily Tubman had to appeal to the Georgian legislature fornpermission to free each slave, and when permission was denied, shenhad to work to get a special ruling to free them! When the group ofn69 freedmen finally traveled to Africa to seek new lives, they tooknthe last name “Tubman” to honor their former mistress.)
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nWilliamnTubman grew up to be a lay pastor, a lawyer, a court recorder, a taxncollector, a teacher, and a colonel in the militia – and all thatnbefore he was 28! In 1923 he was elected as the youngest senator innthe history of Liberia. He also served as a spokesperson on behalf ofnhis nation to the League of Nations and as a justice in the LiberiannSupreme Court. In 1943, at the age of 48, Tubman was electednpresident.
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nRightnaway he had a difficult decision to make. You see, Germany was at thentime being run by Hitler and the Nazi Party, and it had plunged thenworld into a horrific war. But Germany and Germans were deeplyninvolved in Liberia’s economy. Liberia relied on German merchants, onntrade with Germany, and on German doctors – most of thendoctors in the entire country were from Germany!
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nEvennthough it was the harder thing to do, Tubman ruled that Liberia sidednwith the United States and the other Allies fighting against Germany,nand he expelled all Germans living in his nation. Eventually Liberiandeclared war on Germany and Japan.
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nAfternthe war, Tubman worked to create friendly relations among all the newnnations emerging in Africa; in 1961, these efforts resulted in thenfounding of the African Union.
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Tubmannis a hero for Liberians partly because he worked hard to reduce thenproblems between Americo-Liberians (former slaves transported tonAfrica from the U.S.) and indigenous Liberians (native peoples). Henis a hero partly because he instituted policies that brought inninvestments from other nations, leading to vastly increasednprosperity for Liberians. And he is a hero because he he investedngovernment monies into developing roads, railway systems, sanitationnsystems, hospitals, and literacy programs. Instead of relying on justnone product, rubber, Tubman made sure that multiple kinds ofnindustries developed the nation’s resources, including making Liberian#1 in Africa for iron production.
Tubmannis a hero for Liberians partly because he worked hard to reduce thenproblems between Americo-Liberians (former slaves transported tonAfrica from the U.S.) and indigenous Liberians (native peoples). Henis a hero partly because he instituted policies that brought inninvestments from other nations, leading to vastly increasednprosperity for Liberians. And he is a hero because he he investedngovernment monies into developing roads, railway systems, sanitationnsystems, hospitals, and literacy programs. Instead of relying on justnone product, rubber, Tubman made sure that multiple kinds ofnindustries developed the nation’s resources, including making Liberian#1 in Africa for iron production.n
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| National heroes often appear on stamps and money! |
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nHere’snthe not-so-heroic part: n
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nLiberianhad no term limits for the presidency. Here in the U.S., GeorgenWashington set a precedent of stepping down after two 4-year terms;nin 1947, after having Franklin Delano Roosevelt elected president anrecord-breaking four times, an amendment was added to thenConstitution mandating a maximum of two terms. But not so in Liberia.
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nAsnI said, Tubman became president in 1943, and he stayed in officenuntil his death in 1971. That’s 28 years with just one president –na period of time in which the U.S. would have from four to sevenndifferent presidents. Tubman controlled the majority party and did notnvolunteer to let go of his power, and probably acting in fear afternan assassination attempt, he repressed those who opposed him. n
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nSoneven though Tubman did a lot of good things for his country, henbecame more and more authoritarian. Definitely not a good thing!
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nAfternTubman died, his Vice President took over, but there was politicalndissent, an overthrow, two civil wars. Most of Tubman’s good worksnwere undone by all of that – a lot of people died, a lot of peoplendisplaced, a devastated economy! Even though there was a peacenagreement in 2003 and democratic elections in 2005, still, more thanna decade later, 85% of Liberians lived below the poverty line.
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| Here, a Liberian boy walks down a street littered with shell casings from bullets! Yikes! |
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nAlsonon this date:
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AuthornC.S. Lewis’s birthday
AuthornC.S. Lewis’s birthdayn
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nLiberation Day in Albania
nLiberation Day in Albania
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nPhysicistnChristian Doppler’s birthday
nPhysicistnChristian Doppler’s birthday
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nClassifiednDay
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nAuthornLouisa May Alcott’s birthday
nAuthornLouisa May Alcott’s birthday
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nGiving Tuesday
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nPlannahead:
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nPlannahead:
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nChecknout my Pinterest boards for:
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nNovembern holidays
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nNovembern birthdays
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- Historicaln anniversaries in November
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nAndnhere are my Pinterest boards for:
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- Historicaln anniversaries in December
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