President of Liberia. A descendant of American slaves, he was born in Harper to a prominent father who was a Methodist minister and House Speaker, Senator, and army General. Tubman completed high school and joined the army, soon obtaining a commission. While in the army he studied law, becoming an attorney in 1917, and serving in several offices, including Maryland County Court Recorder, Internal Revenue Collector for Maryland County, and Maryland County Attorney. In 1923 he was elected to Liberia's Senate, serving until 1931, when he resigned to defend Liberia against League of Nations charges that it condoned slavery. He returned to the Senate in 1934, and in 1937 was appointed an Associate Justice of Liberia's Supreme Court. In 1943 he was elected President. Under Tubman Liberia aided the Allies during World War II, and he was reelected six times, serving until his death in London, England from surgical complications. Liberia's longest tenured President, he implemented the unification policy that combined Liberia's Monrovia-centric economy and education system with outlying areas, an effort to end historical tension between descendants of Africans and descendants of American slaves. Tubman is regarded as the father of modern Liberia, responsible for construction of roads and schools, foreign economic investment, and resource development, including Liberia's extensive iron ore deposits. Nicknamed "Shad" and "Old Daddy," he was viewed as increasingly autocratic, especially after a 1950s assassination attempt, but he is considered a Liberian hero, and his birthday is a national holiday.
President of Liberia. A descendant of American slaves, he was born in Harper to a prominent father who was a Methodist minister and House Speaker, Senator, and army General. Tubman completed high school and joined the army, soon obtaining a commission. While in the army he studied law, becoming an attorney in 1917, and serving in several offices, including Maryland County Court Recorder, Internal Revenue Collector for Maryland County, and Maryland County Attorney. In 1923 he was elected to Liberia's Senate, serving until 1931, when he resigned to defend Liberia against League of Nations charges that it condoned slavery. He returned to the Senate in 1934, and in 1937 was appointed an Associate Justice of Liberia's Supreme Court. In 1943 he was elected President. Under Tubman Liberia aided the Allies during World War II, and he was reelected six times, serving until his death in London, England from surgical complications. Liberia's longest tenured President, he implemented the unification policy that combined Liberia's Monrovia-centric economy and education system with outlying areas, an effort to end historical tension between descendants of Africans and descendants of American slaves. Tubman is regarded as the father of modern Liberia, responsible for construction of roads and schools, foreign economic investment, and resource development, including Liberia's extensive iron ore deposits. Nicknamed "Shad" and "Old Daddy," he was viewed as increasingly autocratic, especially after a 1950s assassination attempt, but he is considered a Liberian hero, and his birthday is a national holiday.
Bio by: Bill McKern
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See more Tubman memorials in:
Records on Ancestry
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