Editing History of Liberia (section)

====Relations with the United States====
{{main|Liberia–United States relations}}
The United States had a long history of intervening in Liberia's internal affairs, and had repeatedly sent naval vessels to help suppress insurrections by indigenous tribes before and after independence (in 1821, 1843, 1876, 1910, and 1915). However, the United States had lost interest in Liberia after 1876 (the end of [[Reconstruction era|Reconstruction]]), and the country instead became closely tied to British capital. Starting in 1909, the U.S. once again became heavily involved in Liberia. By 1909, Liberia faced serious external threats to its sovereignty over unpaid foreign loans and border disputes.<ref name="TuckerRoberts2005">{{cite book|author1=Spencer C. Tucker|author2=Priscilla Mary Roberts|title=Encyclopedia Of World War I: A Political, Social, And Military History|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=2YqjfHLyyj8C&pg=PA689|date=September 2005|publisher=ABC-CLIO|isbn=978-1-85109-420-2|page=689|access-date=October 11, 2016|archive-date=June 10, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160610201310/https://books.google.com/books?id=2YqjfHLyyj8C&pg=PA689|url-status=live}}</ref>

In 1912, the U.S. arranged a 40-year international loan of $1.7 million, against which Liberia had to agree to four Western powers (United States, Britain, France, and Germany) controlling Liberian Government revenues until 1926. The American administration of the border police stabilized the frontier with [[Sierra Leone Colony and Protectorate|Sierra Leone]] (then part of the [[British Empire]]), and checked French ambitions to annex more Liberian territory. The [[United States Navy]] established a coaling station in Liberia.<ref name="TuckerRoberts2005"/>

Ensuring American support for Liberian independence, prosperity, and reform was among the high priorities of [[President of the United States|United States President]], [[William Howard Taft]]. The United States played a significant role in training the Liberian army, known as the [[Liberian Frontier Force]], with the assistance of African-American officers from the [[United States Army]]. The American presence warded off European powers, defeated a series of local rebellions, and helped bring in American technology to develop the resource-rich interior. Democracy was not a high priority, as the 15,000 Americo-Liberians had full control over the approximately 750,000 locals. The Krus and Greboe tribes remained highly reluctant to accept control from Monrovia, but were not powerful enough to overcome a regime strongly supported by the [[United States Army|U.S. Army]] and [[United States Navy|Navy]]. The American officers, including [[Charles Young (United States Army)|Charles Young]] and [[Benjamin O. Davis Sr.|Benjamin Davis]] among others, were skilled at training recruits, helped the government minimize corruption, and advocated for loans from American corporations (while monitoring the resulting flow of fund).<ref>Brian G. Shellum, ''African American Officers in Liberia: A Pestiferous Rotation, 1910–1942'' (2018) pp 205-12. [https://www.amazon.com/African-American-Officers-Liberia-Pestiferous/dp/1612349552/  Excerpt] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200819151325/https://www.amazon.com/African-American-Officers-Liberia-Pestiferous/dp/1612349552/ |date=August 19, 2020 }}</ref>