 edward james roye (february 3, 1815 &ndash; february 11, 1872) served as the fifth president of liberia from 1870 to his overthrow in 1871 and subsequent violent death. he had previously served as the 4th 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 into a prosperous african american family in newark, ohio. roye was a descendant of the igbo people. his father, john roye, managed a ferry across the wabash river at terre haute, indiana and acquired considerable land in terre haute as well as vandalia in the neighboring state of illinois. as a result of the family's financial standing, young edward was able to attend ohio university in neighboring athens, ohio. in 1836, upon the premature death of his father, roye relocated to terre haute where he established the community's largest barber shop, boasting a  high barber pole, "the tallest in western indiana". in 1846, attracted by the american colonization society, roye immigrated to liberia and set up business as a merchant. within three years of his arrival, he became active in liberian politics. before being elected president he served as speaker of the liberian house of representatives and chief justice of the supreme court of liberia. ==presidency (1870-71)== roye was inaugurated as president of liberia on january 3, 1870. the decades after 1868, escalating economic difficulties weakened the state's dominance over the coastal indigenous populatio
1815_births 1872_deaths Chief_Justices_of_Liberia Igbo_politicians Members_of_the_House_of_Representatives_of_Liberia Ohio_University_alumni People_from_Newark,_Ohio Presidents_of_Liberia True_Whig_Party_politicians