ABSTRACT
Between 1910 and 1930, the United States dispatched seventeen African American military officers to the West African country of Liberia to reorganize, train, and lead its constabulary forces. This American military assistance program and the accompanying U.S. economic and political support enabled the beleaguered Americo-Liberian regime in Monrovia to avoid territorial partition by colonial Britain and France, defeat a series of serious tribal rebellions, and eventually harness the economic potential of its resource-rich interior. In the face of great difficulties, African American officers created a Frontier Force led by a Liberian officer corps that set the stage for the survival and continued independence of Liberia.
