William David Coleman was an Americo-Liberian politician and a prominent member of the ruling True Whig Party. He served as the 13th President of Liberia from 1896 to 1900. His presidency was marked by ambitious policies focused on strengthening the central government’s control over the interior and promoting education and financial reform.
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Key Biographical Information
| Detail | Information |
| Full Name | William David Coleman |
| Born | July 18, 1842, Fayette County, Kentucky, United States |
| Died | July 12, 1908 (aged 65), Clay-Ashland, Liberia |
| Political Party | True Whig Party (Later ran for the People’s Party) |
| Previous Offices | Speaker of the House (1877–1879); Senator; Vice President (1892–1896) |
| Presidential Term | November 12, 1896 – December 11, 1900 |
| Significance | First Vice President to assume the Presidency after the death of the incumbent (Joseph James Cheeseman). |
Early Life and Arrival in Liberia
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Birth in Slavery: Coleman was born into slavery in Fayette County, Kentucky, United States, in 1842.
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Emigration: At the age of 11, he emigrated to Liberia in 1853 with his widowed mother and three other family members, settling in the Americo-Liberian community of Clay-Ashland near Monrovia.
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Self-Made Man: Due to poverty, he had little formal education, instead training as a carpenter and working various manual labor jobs. He later became a successful trader, studying independently at night to gain the education he missed.
Political Career and Vice Presidency
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Entry into Politics: Coleman’s political career began in 1877 when he was elected to the House of Representatives for Montserrado County and quickly rose to become the Speaker of the House.
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True Whig Power: He was elected as a Senator in 1879 and later joined the True Whig Party, the dominant political force in Liberia for over a century.
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Vice President: In 1892, he was elected Vice President alongside President Joseph James Cheeseman, serving two terms. Upon Cheeseman’s death in November 1896, Coleman ascended to the presidency, becoming the first Liberian Vice President to complete a predecessor’s term due to death in office.
Presidency and Key Policies (1896–1900)
Coleman was re-elected in his own right, centering his administration on three key pillars: Education, Finances, and Interior Policy.
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Education: He prioritized education, working with his close friend, the renowned pan-Africanist Dr. Edward Wilmot Blyden, to re-open Liberia College in Monrovia, which had been struggling.
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Financial Reform: To address the nation’s perennial financial woes, he reorganized the customs service and worked to improve revenue collection from foreign trade.
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Interior Policy: This was the cornerstone and the most controversial aspect of his rule. Coleman was convinced that Liberia’s future depended on the exploitation of resources and the expansion of the central government’s control over the vast hinterland regions inhabited by indigenous groups. He was successful in establishing influence in the interior north and west of the Saint Paul River.
Opposition and Resignation
Coleman’s assertive Interior Policy—which often involved military force to subjugate indigenous populations—faced strong opposition, primarily from within his own Americo-Liberian political circles and cabinet.
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Political Conflict: Disagreement over his handling of affairs with the native tribes and his ambitious interior policy led to a falling out with key political allies.
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Resignation: Facing immense political pressure from the legislature and his cabinet, William D. Coleman resigned from office in December 1900, just one year into his second elected term. He was succeeded by his Secretary of State, Garretson W. Gibson, as the Vice President had already died in office.
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Later Life: After his resignation, he remained politically active, running for president three more times (1901, 1903, 1905) as a member of the opposition People’s Party, but he was unsuccessful. He died in Clay-Ashland in 1908.