James Spriggs Payne
Encyclopedia
James Spriggs Payne served as the fourth and eighth President of Liberia from 1868 to 1870 and 1876 to 1878. He was the last President to belong to Liberia's
Republican Party
.
in 1819 to former slaves who were each of mixed race, of European and African ancestry. Payne grew up in a highly religious Methodist family and was a devout Christian
. His father, David M. Payne, was a Methodist minister and was ordained as a deacon
by the Virginia Conference
in 1824. Payne was very fair; he was said to be of seven-eighths European-American ancestry, or one-eighth African. When Payne was ten years old, his family emigrated to Liberia
through sponsorship by the American Colonization Society
on the ship Harriet. On the same ship was Joseph Jenkins Roberts
, Liberia's future first president.
Aside from religion, the young Payne showed interest in politics
and economics
. He later became a successful writer in these areas. As an adult, he was appointed by the Liberian government to work to complete the severance of Liberia's ties to the American Colonization Society.
and Joseph Jenkins Roberts
) say: “The slave trade from Liberian ports was ended by the British Navy in the 1850s.”)
He improved government relations with the native communities
and peoples, whom he believed the newer settlers and politicians had for the most part ignored.
He worked to extend Liberia's trading and political ties with Europe. Denmark
was the first European nation to recognize the independent Liberia, either in 1849 or 1869 (accounts differ - provide sources for both, then).
Payne was elected a second time in 1876 and served until 1878. Escalating economic difficulties began to weaken the state's dominance over the coastal indigenous
population. When the financially burdened ACS withdrew its support from the colony in the years after the American Civil War
, conditions worsened as Liberia struggled to modernize its largely agricultural economy. The cost of imported goods was far greater than the income generated by the nation's exports of coffee, rice, palm oil, sugarcane, and timber. Payne increased the country's foreign trade.
, USA. The next year, he was elected president of the Methodist Annual Conference of Liberia. James Spriggs Payne died in Monrovia
in 1882.
James M. Priest
Liberia
Liberia , officially the Republic of Liberia, is a country in West Africa. It is bordered by Sierra Leone on the west, Guinea on the north and Côte d'Ivoire on the east. Liberia's coastline is composed of mostly mangrove forests while the more sparsely populated inland consists of forests that open...
Republican Party
Republican Party (Liberia)
The Republican Party of Liberia was a political party founded soon after the founding of Liberia in 1848. It was known to be made up primarily of Americo-Liberians who had mixed African and European ancestry...
.
Early life
Payne was born in Richmond, VirginiaRichmond, Virginia
Richmond is the capital of the Commonwealth of Virginia, in the United States. It is an independent city and not part of any county. Richmond is the center of the Richmond Metropolitan Statistical Area and the Greater Richmond area...
in 1819 to former slaves who were each of mixed race, of European and African ancestry. Payne grew up in a highly religious Methodist family and was a devout Christian
Christian
A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament...
. His father, David M. Payne, was a Methodist minister and was ordained as a deacon
Deacon
Deacon is a ministry in the Christian Church that is generally associated with service of some kind, but which varies among theological and denominational traditions...
by the Virginia Conference
Virginia Conference
The Virginia Conference was an intercollegiate athletic conference composed of member schools located in the state of Virginia. The league existed from 1928 to 1935....
in 1824. Payne was very fair; he was said to be of seven-eighths European-American ancestry, or one-eighth African. When Payne was ten years old, his family emigrated to Liberia
Liberia
Liberia , officially the Republic of Liberia, is a country in West Africa. It is bordered by Sierra Leone on the west, Guinea on the north and Côte d'Ivoire on the east. Liberia's coastline is composed of mostly mangrove forests while the more sparsely populated inland consists of forests that open...
through sponsorship by the American Colonization Society
American Colonization Society
The American Colonization Society , founded in 1816, was the primary vehicle to support the "return" of free African Americans to what was considered greater freedom in Africa. It helped to found the colony of Liberia in 1821–22 as a place for freedmen...
on the ship Harriet. On the same ship was Joseph Jenkins Roberts
Joseph Jenkins Roberts
Joseph Jenkins Roberts was the first and seventh President of Liberia. Born free in Norfolk, Virginia, USA, Roberts emigrated to Liberia in 1829 as a young man. He opened a trading store in Monrovia, and later engaged in politics...
, Liberia's future first president.
Aside from religion, the young Payne showed interest in politics
Politics
Politics is a process by which groups of people make collective decisions. The term is generally applied to the art or science of running governmental or state affairs, including behavior within civil governments, but also applies to institutions, fields, and special interest groups such as the...
and economics
Economics
Economics is the social science that analyzes the production, distribution, and consumption of goods and services. The term economics comes from the Ancient Greek from + , hence "rules of the house"...
. He later became a successful writer in these areas. As an adult, he was appointed by the Liberian government to work to complete the severance of Liberia's ties to the American Colonization Society.
Political career
Payne was elected as the fourth president in 1868 and served a two-year term. During his presidency, he worked to end the slave trade that still took place along Liberia's coast. (Other reports though (History of LiberiaHistory of Liberia
Liberia was set up by citizens of the United States as a colony for former African-American slaves. It is one of only two sovereign states in the world that were started by citizens of a political power as a colony for former slaves of the same political power: Sierra Leone was begun as a colony...
and Joseph Jenkins Roberts
Joseph Jenkins Roberts
Joseph Jenkins Roberts was the first and seventh President of Liberia. Born free in Norfolk, Virginia, USA, Roberts emigrated to Liberia in 1829 as a young man. He opened a trading store in Monrovia, and later engaged in politics...
) say: “The slave trade from Liberian ports was ended by the British Navy in the 1850s.”)
He improved government relations with the native communities
Demographics of Liberia
This article is about the demographic features of the population of Liberia, including population density, ethnicity, education level, health of the populace, economic status, religious affiliations and other aspects of the population....
and peoples, whom he believed the newer settlers and politicians had for the most part ignored.
He worked to extend Liberia's trading and political ties with Europe. Denmark
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
was the first European nation to recognize the independent Liberia, either in 1849 or 1869 (accounts differ - provide sources for both, then).
Payne was elected a second time in 1876 and served until 1878. Escalating economic difficulties began to weaken the state's dominance over the coastal indigenous
Indigenous peoples
Indigenous peoples are ethnic groups that are defined as indigenous according to one of the various definitions of the term, there is no universally accepted definition but most of which carry connotations of being the "original inhabitants" of a territory....
population. When the financially burdened ACS withdrew its support from the colony in the years after the American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
, conditions worsened as Liberia struggled to modernize its largely agricultural economy. The cost of imported goods was far greater than the income generated by the nation's exports of coffee, rice, palm oil, sugarcane, and timber. Payne increased the country's foreign trade.
Later life and family
On leaving political office in 1878, Payne continued his life-long involvement in church work. In 1880, he was the Liberian delegate at the General Conference of the Methodist Episcopal Church in Cincinnati, OhioOhio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
, USA. The next year, he was elected president of the Methodist Annual Conference of Liberia. James Spriggs Payne died in Monrovia
Monrovia
Monrovia is the capital city of the West African nation of Liberia. Located on the Atlantic Coast at Cape Mesurado, it lies geographically within Montserrado County, but is administered separately...
in 1882.
Legacy and honors
- In January 1882, he was awarded an honorary doctor of divinity degree by Liberia College (now University of LiberiaUniversity of LiberiaThe University of Liberia is a publicly funded institution of higher learning located in Monrovia, Liberia. Authorized by the national government in 1851, the school opened in 1863 as Liberia College and became a university in 1951. The school is one of the oldest institutions of higher learning...
) for his life achievements. - Spriggs Payne AirportSpriggs Payne Airport-Accidents and incidents:*On 10 June 1978, Vickers Viscount 9G-AGL of West African Air Cargo was damaged beyond economic repair when the undercarriage collapsed on landing.-External links:* at GlobalSecurity.org...
in the MonroviaMonroviaMonrovia is the capital city of the West African nation of Liberia. Located on the Atlantic Coast at Cape Mesurado, it lies geographically within Montserrado County, but is administered separately...
area is named after him.
- Besides Payne's descendants in Liberia, the KrioKrioKrio may refer to:*Sierra Leone Krio people*Krio language, language of the Sierra Leone Krio people*Krio Dayak people, an ethnic group in West Kalimantan, Indonesia*Krio Dayak language*Keriau River, in West Kalimantan, Indonesia...
branch of the Blyden family are descended from Payne through his grand-daughter Anna Erskine, who was the partner of Edward Wilmot BlydenEdward Wilmot BlydenEdward Wilmot Blyden was an Americo-Liberian educator, writer, diplomat, and politician primarily in Liberia. He also taught for five years in Sierra Leone, and his writings were influential in both countries....
.
External links
- see History of Liberia, external links
James M. Priest