LiberiaData

Liberia’s path to international recognition was neither immediate nor uniform. In a world still largely governed by imperial powers and in which the sovereignty of a Black-led republic was a genuinely novel proposition, recognition came gradually and in some cases only under political duress.

United Kingdom — First to Recognise, 1848

The United Kingdom was the first nation to formally recognize the Republic of Liberia, signing a treaty of commerce and friendship with Monrovia in 1848. Britain’s recognition was in part motivated by practical interests: British merchants had been aggrieved by the customs duties Liberia had been levying on trade along the coast, and recognition of Liberia as a sovereign state with full taxing authority resolved the legal ambiguity. France followed in 1852, and most other nations extended recognition between 1848 and 1856.

The United States — Fifteen Years Late

The United States — the very country that had sponsored and funded the settlement, did not formally recognize Liberia’s independence until February 5, 1862, a full fifteen years after the Declaration. The delay was driven by the Southern bloc in the U.S. Congress, whose members were deeply opposed to recognizing a republic led by Black people, fearing it would embolden the abolitionist movement.

It was only after the Southern states seceded from the Union, removing their representatives from Congress — that the United States finally extended diplomatic recognition and welcomed a Liberian delegation to Washington. This fifteen years delay is one of the most telling details in the story of Liberia’s founding.

Sources:
History.state.gov — Milestones [6];
Wikipedia — Liberia [2];
Britannica [5]