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 previously served as the fourth Chief Justice of Liberia from 1865 until 1868. He was the first member of Liberia's True Whig Party to serve as president.

Early life Roye was born on February 3, 1815, in Newark, Ohio. He was the son of John and Nancy Roye, freed African-American slaves who had moved to Ohio from Kentucky and bought a property in Newark. They were reportedly of Igbo origin.

Roye's father managed a ferry across the Wabash River at Terre Haute, Indiana. He owned property in Newark, Terre Haute and Vandalia, Illinois. Due to his family's prosperity, Roye was able to attend Ohio University. He moved to Terre Haute after his father's death in 1836, where he established the African-American community's largest barbershop. The next year, the colony gained independence. Within three years of his arrival, Roye became active in Liberian politics, serving as a representative and speaker (1849–1850) of the Liberian House of Representatives, and as chief justice of the Supreme Court of Liberia, He was also the Secretary of the Treasury. and unsuccessfully contested the presidential elections in 1855.

In 1857, Roye purchased the brig Eusebia for the purposes of conducting a trading business between Monrovia and New York City. His typical cargo included camwood, palm oil and ivory. By 1870 he reportedly had a fortune estimated at $200,000 .

End of presidency

Roye was removed from the presidency on October 26, 1871, in what some allies called a coup d'état. The circumstances surrounding his removal from office, however, remain murky and highly partisan. What is known is that he was jailed for several months following his ousting and soon died under equally mysterious circumstances. His unpopular loans with Britain as well as fears from the Republican Party that he was planning to cancel the upcoming presidential election were among the reasons for his forced removal.

Death and legacy No specific historical record is available about the date and circumstances of Roye's death. Varying accounts indicate that he was killed on February 11 or February 12, 1872. Another account suggests that he drowned on February 12, 1872, while trying to reach a British ship in Monrovia harbor.

The portrait of President Roye in the gallery of the Presidential Mansion in Monrovia notes his date of death as February 11, 1872.

The town of Royesville, bordering the city of Brewerville, was named after Roye. President William Tubman named the presidential yacht "The Edward J. Roye," after President Roye. The headquarters of the True Whig Party was named the Edward J. Roye Building. His portrait was featured on the front of the five-dollar banknote of the Liberian dollar.