Hostname: page-component-78c5997874-s2hrs Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-20T03:55:41.931Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Brief Sketch on the Life and Character of the Late Hon. Benj. J. K. Anderson, M.A. PH.D. K.C.1

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  09 May 2014

Tim Geysbeek
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Extract

Benjamin Anderson (1835-1910), Liberia's great explorer of the nineteenth century, was at the forefront of encouraging the government to establish a viable economic and political presence in the deep interior. Anderson migrated from Baltimore, Maryland, when he was sixteen years old, and became a three-time Secretary of the Treasury, Secretary of the Interior, mathematics professor, official surveyor, diplomat, military officer, and accomplished cartographer. He is most noted for having traveled to the fabled town of Musadu in today's Guinea. Musadu seemed to hold much promise to enrich the young colony because of its supposed natural resources such as gold, a strong political base, and connections to the interior trade routes that extended to the Niger River and beyond.

Primary source information about Anderson's life comes from his own writings, scattered publications, and archival materials. The most complete contemporary account—published here—is an obituary that an unknown author wrote shortly after Anderson died. The obituary was located in the Frederick Starr Papers (Box 9, Folder 9) in the Department of Special Collections at the University of Chicago's Regenstein Library in 2000. It is typed on 8 ½″ × 14″ paper with “Republic of Liberia, Montserrado County, Superintendents Office” pre-printed on the back of each sheet. This paper's title is the same as the original title of the obituary. The document gives several interesting bits of information about Anderson's life that are not found in any other sources, and contains considerable data that can be independently confirmed.

Type
Research Article
Information
History in Africa , Volume 34 , 2007 , pp. 43 - 54
Copyright
Copyright © African Studies Association 2007

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

Footnotes

1

I thank Grand Valley State University's Department of History and its Faculty Development Center for providing funds so I could present this paper at the Annual Conference of the Liberian Studies Association, Durham, North Carolina, 2004.

References

“Affairs in Liberia.” 1872. African Repository 48/10: 309–11.Google Scholar
Anderson, Benjamin J. K. 1870. Narrative of a Journey to Musardu, the Capital of the Western Mandingoes. New York: S.W. Green, Printer, with Appendix to Benj. Anderson's Journal to Musardu.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Anderson, Benjamin J. K. 1879a-f. “Narrative of the Expedition Despatched To Musahdu, By the Liberian Government in 1874, Under Benj. Anderson Esqr.” The Observer [a] 2/11 (11 09 1879); [b] 2/12 (25 Sept.); [c] 2/14 (23 Oct.); [d] 2/15 (13 Nov.); [e] 2/16 (2 Nov.); 2/17 (11 Dec.); [f] 2/18 (25 Dec.).Google Scholar
Anderson, Benjamin J. K. 1885. “Letter from Hon. Benjamin Anderson (9 July 1884).” African Repository 61/1: 29–30.Google Scholar
Anderson, Benjamin J. K. 1892. “Report of Benjamin Anderson & Son.” Liberia 1: 25–30.Google Scholar
Anderson, Benjamin J. K. 1903. “Mr. Anderson's Second Reply.” The Liberia Recorder 6/2 (28 11): 7–8.Google Scholar
Anderson, Benjamin J. K. 1912. Narrative of the Expedition Despatched to Musahdu by the Liberian Government under Benjamin J.K. Anderson, Sr. Esquire in 1874. Ed. rederick Starr. Monrovia: College of West Africa Press.Google Scholar
Anderson, Benjamin J. K. 1971. Narrative of a Journey to Musardu, the Capital of the Western Mandingoes [1870] Together with Narrative of the Expedition Despatched to Musahdu … in 1874. Ed. Fisher, Humphrey J.. London: Frank Cass.Google Scholar
Anderson, Benjamin J. K. 2003a. “Benjamin Anderson, 1868-69.” In African-American Exploration in West Africa: Four Nineteenth-Century Diaries, ed. Fairhead, James, Geysbeek, Tim, Holsoe, Svend E., and Leach, Melissa, Bloomington, 157–239.Google Scholar
Anderson, Benjamin J. K. 2003b. “Benjamin Anderson, 1874.” In African-American Exploration in West Africa: Four Nineteenth-Century Diaries, ed. Fairhead, James, Geysbeek, Tim, Holsoe, Svend E. and Leach, Melissa. Bloomington, 240–78.Google Scholar
Azevedo, Warren. 1995. “Phantoms Of The Hinterland: The “Mandingo” Presence In Early Liberian Accounts.” Liberian Studies Journal 20/1: 59–97.Google Scholar
Barclay, Arthur. 1911. Message of the President of the Republic of Liberia, Nineteen Hundred and Ten, 1-32. Monrovia: Government Printing Office. In the Svend E. Holsoe Collection, Indiana University.Google Scholar
Blyden, Edward W. 1874. Onward to the Interior.” African Repository 50/12: 357–61.Google Scholar
Blyden, Edward W.. 1900. “An Interesting Letter from Dr. Blyden” (7 11 1899, to Dr. Camphor). The New Africa 2/1: 8–10.Google Scholar
Bourzeix, Pierre. 1887. La République de Libéria. Paris: Alcan Lévy.Google Scholar
Brown, Robert T. 1980. Immigrants to Liberia 1843-1865: Alphabetical Listings. Philadelphia.Google Scholar
Büttikofer, J. 1890. Reisebilder aus Liberia. Leiden.Google Scholar
Chavers, J.H. 1864. “Report of the Secretary of Treasury,” 7 12. Monrovia: T.W. Howard; in U.S. Consulate Despatches, 1863-1906, No. 170, Micro. 4391, Reel 1.Google Scholar
D., , H.B., 1878. “The Streets of Monrovia.” Observer I/6 (26 09).Google Scholar
Dennis, Henry W. 1852. Report to Rev. William McLain. Papers of the American Colonization Society, Incoming correspondence. Microfilm no. 177B, Frame 0629, 04.Google Scholar
Dunn, D. Elwood, and Holsoe, Svend E.. 1985. Historical Dictionary of Liberia. Metuchen, N.J.Google Scholar
“Educational Work in Liberia.” 1883. African Repository 59/7: 90–91.Google Scholar
Fisher, Humphrey. 1971. “New Introduction.” In Narrative of a Journey to Musardu the Capital of the Western Mandingoes together with Narrative of the Expedition Despatched to Musahdu by the Liberian Government, by Anderson, Benjamin J.K.. London: Frank Cass, v–xxiii.Google Scholar
Gershoni, Yekutiel. 1992. “The Formation of Liberia's Boundaries Part I: Agreements.” Liberian Studies Journal 17/1: 25–45.Google Scholar
Geysbeek, Tim. 1999. “The Impeachments and Trials of President James S. Payne and Secretary Benjamin J. K. Anderson: the Documentary Evidence.” Liberian Studies Journal 24/1: 27–55.Google Scholar
Geysbeek, Tim. 2004. “The Anderson-d'Ollone Controversy of 1903-04: Race, Imperialism, and the Reconfiguration of the Liberia-Guinea Boarder.” History in Africa 31:185–213.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
“A Gross Injustice.” 1903. Sierra Leone Weekly News 19/45: 4–5 (11 07); repub-lished in The Liberia Recorder 5/22-23 (29 August 1903): 7/9, Liberia 28 (February 1906): 83-85, and on the web at Geysbeek (2004:200).Google Scholar
Gwee, Maxwell C.F. Sr. 1980. “Tourist Map of Monrovia.” Ministry of Lands and Mines, Republic of Liberia. Enschede, Netherlands.Google Scholar
Heard, William H. [1898] 1969. The Bright Side of African Life. New York.Google Scholar
“Honor to Whom Honor is Due.” 1910. African League 12/4.Google Scholar
Johnston, Harry Sir. [1906] 1969. Liberia. New York.Google Scholar
“List of Emigrants [Liberia Packet].” 1852. African Repository 28/4: 118–19.Google Scholar
Lynch, Hollis R. 1967. Edward Wilmot Blyden: Pan Negro Patriot 1833-1912. London.Google Scholar
Lynch, Hollis R.. ed. 1978. Selected Letters of Edward Wilmot Blyden. Millwood, New York.Google Scholar
“Map of Liberia.” 1892. London. In Liberia 3 (11 1893).Google Scholar
“The Monrovia Academy.” 1856. Maryland Colonization Journal 8/8: 120.Google Scholar
“Monrovia in 1866.” African Repository 42/11:327–29.Google Scholar
Murdza, Peter John Jr. 1979. “The Tricolor and the Lone Star: A History of Franco-Liberian Relations, 1847-1930.” Ph. D., University of Wisconsin–Madison.Google Scholar
“The North Western Boundary of Liberia.” 1886. African Repository 62/4: 73–74.Google Scholar
“Notes: Mr. Benjamin Anderson.” 1881. Observer 4/20 (10 11).Google Scholar
“The Official Body.” 1882. Observer 5/3 (9 02).Google Scholar
d'Ollone, Henri. 1903. “Côte d'Ivoire et Libéria: Variations cartographiques relatives a ces contrées et états de nos connaissances.” Annales de Géographie 12:130–44; partial English translation by James Fairhead republished in Geysbeek (2004).Google Scholar
Peterson, Daniel H. [1854] 1998. “The Looking-Glass: Being a True Report and Narrative of the Life, Travels, and Labours of the Rev. Daniel H. Peterson.” In Liberian Dreams: Back-to-Africa Narratives from the 1850s. University Park, 1–78Google Scholar
Report of the Special Committee of the House of Representatives on the Public Accounts Adopted February 19, 1864. 1864. Monrovia. In U.S. Consulate Despatches, 1863-1906. No. 170, Micro. 4391.Google Scholar
Richardson, Nathaniel R. 1959. Liberia's Past and Present. London.Google Scholar
Roberts, Joseph Jenkins. 1875. “Message of President Roberts.” African Repository 51/7 (07): 71–81.Google Scholar
Rouire, Dr. 1894. “Délimitation de la République de Libéria.” Annales de Géographie 3:489–98.Google Scholar
Rowe, Samuel. 1886. “Sierra leone and Liberia: Speech of Governor Sir Samuel Rowe.” African Repository 62/67: 95–97.Google Scholar
Sabin, James Thomas. 1974. “The Making of the Americo-Liberian Community.” Ph.D, Columbia University.Google Scholar
Seys, John. 1870. Letter to Hon. Hamilton Fish, Secretary of State, Washington D.C., No. 86 (22 01). In U.S. Consulate Despatches, 1863-1906, No. 170, Micro. 4391, Reel 2.Google Scholar
“Sixty-ninth Annual Report of the American Colonization Society.” 1886. Annual Report of the American Colonization Society 69:1–13.Google Scholar
Turner, J. Milton. 1878/2002. Turner's letter to the Honorable William E. Evarts, Document 66. In Liberian Politics: The Portrait by African American Diplomat J. Milton Turner, ed. Walton, Hanes Jr., Rossen, James Bernard Sr., and Stevenson, Robert L.. Lanham, Boulder.Google Scholar
Wauwermans, Henri-Emmanuel. 1885. Libéria: Histoire de la fondation d'un état nègre libre. Bruxelles.Google Scholar