Constitution of Liberia (1847)

The oldest African republics charter, modeled closely on the US Constitution.

Overview

Adopted in 1847 by the settler republic founded by freed African Americans, the Liberian Constitution consciously mirrored the American one, with a strong presidency, bicameral legislature, and bill of rights. It restricted citizenship to people of color, a provision retained until repealed in 1904 expansion and later revisions. Suspended after the 1980 coup, it was restored in the 1984 revision preceding the 1986 resumption. It survived the civil wars as a symbol of state continuity, with the truth and reconciliation process later pressing constitutional reform. It remains a distinctive transplant of American constitutionalism onto African soil.