Liberia declared its independence.
Liberia [ laɪˈbɪəriə ] , officially the Republic of Liberia , is a country on the West African coast . The country declared its independence on July 26 , 1847 . The Liberian constitution and flag were modeled after those of the U.S. On January 3 , 1848 , Joseph Jenkins Roberts , a wealthy , free-born African American from Virginia who settled in Liberia , was elected as Liberia 's first president after the people proclaimed independence . Liberia retained its independence during the Scramble for Africa .