Lib’s ‘Original’ 1847 Docs On Public Exhibition

The ‘original’ 1847 Declaration of Independence and Constitution was yesterday, Wednesday, July 22, put on public display.

Wednesday’s exercise was part of activities marking the 179^th Independence Anniversary.

The Center for National Documents and Records Agency, organized the exhibition at the primary repository of historical records and national archives.

The Exhibition Team leader, George M. Woodtor, told a press conference on Tuesday, July 21, that the one-day exhibition was held under the theme: “Showcasing Our Past for National Progress.”

The exercise officially opened at 10: a.m. at the Monrovia City Hall in Sinkor. It provided members of the public the opportunity to view some of the “most important historical documents.”

At the center of the exhibition was the original copies of the 1847 Declaration of Independence, and the 1847 Constitution, which laid the foundation for the establishment and governance of the Liberian Republic.

Among documents displayed were the historic land agreements signed with local leaders, including the Ducor Contracts, as well as settlement records connected to the Providence Island and Cape Mesurado.

Other historical materials were the original 1911, and 1914 border readjustment treaties signed between Liberia and the former British Colony of Sierra Leone.

The exhibition featured visual archives, maps, and primary records that documented early European coastal trade, the Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade, abolitionist movements, Pan-African initiatives, and the arrival of freed settlers in West Africa.

Woodtor said, the initiative brought the historical records directly to the public and provided citizens, particularly young people, with a deeper understanding of the country’s origins and development.

He emphasized the need for Liberia to be recognized as Africa’s oldest independent nation, and the world’s second Black Republic; must preserve and make accessible the primary evidence of its history.

He expressed the hope that the exhibition would promote national awareness through direct engagement with the founding documents.