William Spencer Anderson (c. 1832 – 27 September 1872) was an African American politician and explorer in

Liberia Liberia, officially the Republic of Liberia, is a country on the West African coast. It is bordered by Sierra Leone to Liberia–Sierra Leone border, its northwest, Guinea to Guinea–Liberia border, its north, Ivory Coast to Ivory Coast–Lib ...

. Originally a barber, Anderson emigrated to Liberia at the age of 20 and within five years had inherited a sugar plantation. He expanded the business and became the largest producer of sugar and coffee in Liberia. Entering politics with the

True Whig Party The True Whig Party (TWP), also known as the Liberian Whig Party (LWP), is the oldest political party in Liberia and Africa as a whole. Founded in 1869 by primarily darker-skinned Americo-Liberians in rural areas, its historic rival was the Re ...

Anderson was selected to be

Speaker Speaker most commonly refers to: * Speaker, a person who produces speech * Loudspeaker, a device that produces sound ** Computer speakers Speaker, Speakers, or The Speaker may also refer to: Arts and entertainment * "Speaker" (song), by David ...

of the

House of Representatives of Liberia The House of Representatives is the lower chamber of the bicameral legislative branch of Liberia, and together with the Senate comprises the Legislature of Liberia. The number of seats is fixed by law at 73, with each county being apportioned a ...

, from 1869 to 1871. He undertook an expedition to drive a road from Monrovia to Moussodougou in what is now

Burkina Faso Burkina Faso is a landlocked country in West Africa, bordered by Mali to the northwest, Niger to the northeast, Benin to the southeast, Togo and Ghana to the south, and Ivory Coast to the southwest. It covers an area of 274,223 km2 (105,87 ...

but he was forced to abandon the attempt. Returning to Monrovia, Anderson successfully negotiated a $500,000 loan for the government from British financiers. However he received criticism for the terms of the loan and was arrested. He was assassinated on 27 September 1872.

Early life

Born free in Wilmington, Delaware in 1832, Anderson worked as a barber and belonged to the

Protestant Episcopal Church The Episcopal Church (TEC), also known as the Protestant Episcopal Church in the United States of America (PECUSA), is a member of the worldwide Anglican Communion, based in the United States. It is a mainline Protestant denomination and is ...

. Anderson emigrated to

in January 1853, at the age of 20, and inherited a large sugar plantation on the

Saint Paul River The Saint Paul River is a river of western Africa. Its headwaters are in southeastern Guinea. Its upper portion in Guinea is known as the Diani River or Niandi River, and forms part of the boundary between Guinea and Liberia. It is known local ...

in 1858. He expanded his estates and became the largest sugar and coffee producer in the country, traveling as far as

Bopolu Bopolu is the capital city of Gbarpolu County, Liberia, and is located 100 kilometers north of Monrovia. As of the 2008 census, Bopolu has a population of 2908. Of this, 1547 were male and 1361 female. Bopolu was once the center of the Kondo Con ...

to seek laborers for his plantations.

Politics

Anderson was a member of the dominant

and was elected to the House of Representatives in 1869. He became Speaker of the House following the inauguration of

Edward James Roye Edward James Roye (February 3, 1815 – February 11, 1872) was a Liberian merchant and politician who served as the fifth president of Liberia from 1870 until his overthrow in the 1871 Liberian coup d'état and subsequent death. He had previ ...

in 1870. Roye commissioned Anderson to pioneer a more direct route to Moussodougou (in modern Burkina Faso) than that which had been previously used by explorer and politician

Benjamin Anderson Benjamin McAlester Anderson Jr. (May 1, 1886 – January 19, 1949) was an American economist of the Austrian School. Early life and education Benjamin Anderson was born in Columbia, Missouri on May 1, 1886, to Benjamin McLean Anderson, a busi ...

. Benjamin Anderson, who was then secretary of the treasury, was partly responsible for planning the venture. William Spencer Anderson left

Monrovia Monrovia () is the administrative capital city, capital and largest city of Liberia. Founded in 1822, it is located on Cape Mesurado on the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic coast and as of the 2022 census had 1,761,032 residents, home to 33.5% of Liber ...

during the House's recess in May 1870 with a supply of trade goods, a number of porters, and an armed escort. Anderson was tasked with establishing a road, protected by a series of fortified posts, to link Monrovia and Moussodougou. He was authorised to purchase land and negotiate treaties with local tribes in order to facilitate this. Anderson reached Kpayekwele having brought some 150,000 people under Liberian control and purchased 250 square miles of land. He wrote back to Monrovia to say he was ending the expedition, claiming his "means are exhausted". He was likely referring to the prevention of his journey by warring local groups, though the delay may also have been caused by lack of resources, ill health, or political reasons. He returned to Monrovia in August with samples of trade goods. He was entrusted with the son of the chieftain of Kpayekwele to educate in Monrovia. In 1871 Anderson was tasked by Roye with negotiating a loan from British financiers. He managed to secure $500,000 through David Chinery, the British consul-general, but the terms of the loan were criticized for being unworkable, and Anderson was arrested. Anderson was killed in a shooting carried out by Jesse Sharp on 27 September 1872. Anderson was shot as he left a courthouse where a trial had just ended in his favor and the assassination was linked to politics, Roye having been recently ousted by his political opponents.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Anderson, William Spencer 1872 deaths Politicians from Wilmington, Delaware Speakers of the House of Representatives of Liberia True Whig Party politicians Explorers of Africa Americo-Liberian people American emigrants to Liberia Deaths by firearm in Liberia Year of birth uncertain Assassinated Liberian politicians People murdered in Liberia People murdered in 1872 Politicians assassinated in the 1870s Assassinated legislative speakers Sugar plantation owners