Agents and governors of Liberia

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This article lists the agents and governors of Liberia, consisting of fourteen agents and two governors of the American Colonization Society from 1822 until Liberian independence in 1847. The last governor, Joseph Jenkins Roberts, also served as the first president of Liberia after independence was gained in 1847.

The colors indicate the race of each agent or governor.

Status

Symbols

^† Died in office

No.	Portrait	Name (Birth–Death)	Term of office			Race	Title
			Took office	Left office	Time in office
Cape Mesurado Colony
1		Eli Ayers (1778–1822)	15 December 1821	25 April 1822[†]	131 days	White	Colonial Agent
2		Frederick James Acting Colonial Agent	25 April 1822	4 June 1822	40 days	Black
3		Elijah Johnson (1789–1849) Acting Colonial Agent	4 June 1822	8 August 1822	65 days	Black
4		Jehudi Ashmun (1794–1828) Acting Colonial Agent	8 August 1822	2 April 1823	237 days	White
(3)		Elijah Johnson (1789–1849) Acting Colonial Agent	2 April 1823	14 August 1823	134 days	Black
(4)		Jehudi Ashmun (1794–1828) Acting Colonial Agent	14 August 1823	15 August 1824	1 year, 1 day	White
Colony of Liberia
(4)		Jehudi Ashmun (1794–1828)	15 August 1824	26 March 1828	3 years, 224 days	White	Colonial Agent
5		Lott Cary (vice-agent) (1780–1828)	26 March 1828	8 November 1828	227 days	Black
6		Colston Waring (vice-agent)	8 November 1828	22 December 1828	44 days	Black
7		Richard Randall (1796–1829)	22 December 1828	19 April 1829[†]	118 days	White
8		Joseph Mechlin Jr. (unknown–1839)	19 April 1829	27 February 1830	314 days	White
9		John Anderson	27 February 1830	12 April 1830	44 days	White
10		Anthony D. Williams (vice-agent) (1799–1860)	13 April 1830	4 December 1830	235 days	Black
(8)		Joseph Mechlin Jr. (unknown–1839)	4 December 1830	24 September 1833	2 years, 293 days	White
11		George McGill (vice-agent)	24 September 1833	1 January 1834	99 days	Black
12		John B. Pinney (1806–1882)	1 January 1834	10 May 1835	1 year, 130 days	White
13		Nathaniel Brander (vice-agent) (1796–unknown)	10 May 1835	12 August 1835	94 days	Black
14		Ezekiel Skinner (1777–1885)	12 August 1835	25 September 1836	1 year, 63 days	White
(10)		Anthony D. Williams (vice-agent then lieutenant governor) (1799–1860)	25 September 1836	1 April 1839	2 years, 189 days	Black
Commonwealth of Liberia
1		Thomas Buchanan (1808–1841)	1 April 1839	3 September 1841[†]	2 years, 154 days	White	Governor
2		Joseph Jenkins Roberts[A] (1809–1876)	3 September 1841	3 January 1848	6 years, 121 days	Black

^[A] Became the first president of Liberia in January 1848

• Americo-Liberians
• History of Liberia
• Mississippi-in-Africa
• Republic of Maryland (Maryland-in-Africa)

• Dunn, Elwood (2001). Historical Dictionary of Liberia. The Scarecrow Press, Lanham, Maryland and London.
• Karnga, Abayomi (1926). History of Liberia. D.H. Tyte & Co.
• Cahoon, Ben (2000). "Leaders of Liberia". www.worldstatesmen.org. Archived from the original on 9 April 2008. Retrieved 21 March 2008.