True Whig Party facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts

Quick facts for kids True Whig Party Liberian Whig Party

Abbreviation	TWP
Leader	Reginald Goodridge
Historic leaders	Edward James Roye Anthony W. Gardiner William Tubman William Tolbert Clarence Lorenzo Simpson
Founded	1869 (1869) (first incarnation)
Dissolved	April 1980 (first incarnation)
Preceded by	Opposition Party
Merged into	Coalition for the Transformation of Liberia
Headquarters	Monrovia, Montserrado County, Liberia
Ideology	Black conservatism Centralization Protectionism Whiggism (until 1940s)
Political position	Right-wing
Colors	Green Yellow
Historical ethnic affiliation	Americo-Liberians
Seats in the Senate	0 / 30
Seats in the House	0 / 73
Party flag

The True Whig Party (TWP), also known as the Liberian Whig Party, is a very old political party in Liberia. It is one of the oldest parties in all of Africa. It was started in 1869 by people called Americo-Liberians. These were mainly people whose families had come from America.

The TWP was the main political power in Liberia for a very long time. It ruled from 1878 until 1980. During this time, Liberia was mostly run as a one-party state. This means the TWP was almost always in charge. Other parties were allowed, but they rarely won elections.

The party's ideas were first inspired by the Whig Party in the United States. Many of its supporters were from the Americo-Liberian community. This group had a lot of influence in Liberian politics and society. A famous leader of the TWP was President William Tubman. Many people saw him as the person who helped create modern Liberia.

The TWP lost its power after a major event in 1980. This event was a military takeover. Many of the party's leaders were killed or had to leave the country. After this, the TWP was no longer the main party. It continued to exist but had much less influence. The party later joined with other groups for elections. However, it has not won many votes in recent years.

The True Whig Party's Story
The True Whig Party Today
Party Ideas and Beliefs
Elections the TWP Has Been In
See also

The True Whig Party's Story

The True Whig Party started in a town called Clay-Ashland in 1869. It was a new version of an older group called the Opposition Party. At that time, only a small group of people could vote in Liberia. These were mostly Americo-Liberian settlers and their families. The TWP mainly represented these people.

The TWP was first formed by "darker-skinned" Americo-Liberians. They were against the "lighter-skinned" elite. This elite group was often linked to the Republican Party. The TWP first came to power when Edward James Roye won the election in 1869. He became president the next year. Over time, most Americo-Liberians started to support the TWP. This happened as the Republican Party became less powerful.

After Anthony W. Gardiner became president in 1878, the TWP ruled Liberia for over 100 years. Even though other parties were allowed, the TWP mostly ran the country by itself. It had a strong hold on Liberian politics.

In the 1930s, the party faced a problem. There were reports about workers being sent to another country. These workers were under conditions that were very unfair. This led to an investigation by the League of Nations. The United States and Britain stopped trading with Liberia for five years. Because of this, President Charles D. B. King had to step down. Despite this, many countries still saw the TWP as a stable force. The US and Britain later invested a lot of money in Liberia. This happened when William Tubman was president from 1944 to 1971.

Liberia Under William Tubman

Under President William Tubman, the TWP supported the United States in its international policies. The party also encouraged foreign companies to invest in Liberia. It pushed for more industries and started a big plan to modernize Liberia's roads and buildings. This led to a time of good economic growth in the 1960s. Many people believed Tubman helped make Liberia a modern and important country in Africa. Some people said Tubman's government was too strict. However, Liberia was seen as a stable and successful nation. This was important because other African countries were having civil wars and political problems.

Changes Under William Tolbert

After Tubman passed away in 1971, William Tolbert became the new leader and president of the TWP. Tolbert wanted Liberia to be more independent. He did not want the country to rely so much on international businesses and governments. He started some new social changes. He also promised to control foreign businesses more strictly. Tolbert gave official recognition to other political parties. He also tried to make economic things fairer between Americo-Liberians and native ethnic groups. He also started to build relationships with the Soviet Union and other African nations.

However, some of these changes were stopped later. This happened after some violent events and riots. Tolbert ordered the arrest of some opposition leaders. Other parties also accused Tolbert of using his power unfairly. They said he used his family and friends to stay in power. Some older members of the TWP were also upset. They did not like that Tolbert was giving government jobs to native Liberians. They felt this took away their own power.

The End of Dominance

The party lost power when President Tolbert was killed in a military takeover on April 12, 1980. A group of soldiers led by Samuel Doe took control. They were against Tolbert's actions against political opponents. They also thought he allowed too much corruption. Many important TWP officials were killed. Others had to leave the country. The new government then limited the TWP's activities. The party lost its official status. Most of its members left. However, some TWP members decided to keep the party going. It became a small party without official recognition.

After the takeover, native Liberian groups started to have more political power. This was because they were the largest part of the population. This further reduced the TWP's support. The TWP had mainly been supported by the Americo-Liberian population. Doe's government also changed Liberia's foreign policy. It went back to supporting the US. This made it harder for opposition groups to gain international support. In 1985, all political opposition, including the TWP, was banned. This happened after an attempt to overthrow Doe.

The True Whig Party Today

In 1991, a new group called itself the "National True Whig Party of Liberia." The TWP chairman, Momo Fahnbulleh Jones, said he would take legal action. He wanted the new party to change its name.

The TWP was officially restarted in 2005. Peter Vuku became its new leader.

The TWP took part in the 2005 general election. It was part of a group called the Coalition for the Transformation of Liberia (COTOL). This group won eight seats. But it broke up the next year. Some members left to join the ruling Unity Party. The TWP tried to run as its own party in the 2011 election. It supported President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf for a second term. However, the party had problems with its leadership. It did not nominate any candidates for legislative seats and did not compete.

In 2013, TWP members had a disagreement over the Edward J. Roye Building. This building in Monrovia was built as the party's headquarters. The Liberian government had taken over the building. TWP members were angry. They said they still owned the building. They also said that a former leader had ordered it to be returned to the TWP.

In 2015, the TWP chose Reginald Goodridge as its new chairman. The party was successfully registered to run in the 2017 election. However, it only received a very small percentage of the votes.

On August 31, 2020, a new political group was formed. It was called the Rainbow Alliance (RA). The TWP was one of seven parties in this alliance. Reginald Goodridge was the temporary chairman of the RA. The RA ran candidates in the 2020 Senate elections but did not win. The RA held its first big meeting in October 2022. Goodridge was chosen as its main leader. The RA did not run a candidate in the 2023 presidential election. It also did not win any seats in the 2023 legislative elections.

Party Ideas and Beliefs

The True Whig Party first tried to copy the ideas of the American Whig Party. This is where it got its name. The TWP was also known for promoting conservative ideas. This included black conservatism during Tubman's time. In its early years, the party favored protecting local businesses. Later, under Tubman, it encouraged more open trade and investment. This was called the "open door" policy. It was meant to attract money and help the economy grow.

In terms of foreign policy, the TWP generally supported Western countries, especially the United States. This was because many of its supporters were Americo-Liberians. Even though Liberia did not declare war on Germany and Japan until 1944, the party supported the Allies in World War II. Under Tubman, the party was also against communism during the Cold War. It supported America's foreign policy during the Vietnam War. It also had friendly relations with Israel.

Under William Tolbert's leadership, the TWP changed its ideas. Tolbert wanted Liberia to be more politically independent. He moved away from a strong pro-Western stance. He built partnerships with other African countries. He also started relationships with the Soviet Union and China. He tried to bring more native Liberians into government. These changes in ideas caused problems for some TWP supporters and politicians.

Elections the TWP Has Been In

The True Whig Party has taken part in many elections throughout Liberia's history.

Presidential Elections

Election	Party candidate	Result
1869	Edward James Roye	Elected Y
1877	Anthony W. Gardiner	Elected Y
1879		Elected Y
1881		Elected Y
1883	Supported Hilary R. W. Johnson	Elected Y
1885	Hilary R. W. Johnson	Elected Y
1887		Elected Y
1889		Elected Y
1891	Joseph James Cheeseman	Elected Y
1893		Elected Y
1895		Elected Y
1897	William D. Coleman	Elected Y
1899	William D. Coleman	Elected Y
1901	Garreston W. Gibson	Elected Y
1903	Arthur Barclay	Elected Y
1905		Elected Y
1907		Elected Y
1911	Daniel Edward Howard	Elected Y
1915	Daniel Edward Howard	Elected Y
1919	Charles D. B. King	Elected Y
1923		Elected Y
1927		Elected Y
1931	Edwin Barclay	Elected Y
1939	Edwin Barclay	Elected Y
1943	William Tubman	Elected Y
1951		Elected Y
1955		Elected Y
1959		Elected Y
1963		Elected Y
1967		Elected Y
1971		Elected Y
1975	William Tolbert	Elected Y
2005	Supported Varney Sherman (COTOL)	Lost
2011	Supported Ellen Johnson Sirleaf (UP)	Elected Y