Americo-Liberian people

Americo-Liberian people (also known as Congo people or Congau people) are a Liberian ethnic group of African American, Afro-Caribbean, and liberated African origin. Americo-Liberians trace their ancestry to Free people of color and emancipated African Americans and Caribbeans who emigrated in the 19th century to become the founders of the state of Liberia. They identified themselves as Americo-Liberians.

Although the terms "Americo-Liberian" and "Congo" had distinct definitions in the nineteenth century, the title Congo is more diverse encompassing the descendants of the various free-born and formerly enslaved African American, Caribbean, recaptive, and Sierra Leone Creoles who settled in Liberia from 1822.

The designation "Congo" for the Americo-Liberian, though originally an insult, came into common usage much later, even becoming the preferred term for most. Liberians integrated Africans liberated from slave ships who were called Congos because the slave ships entered the Atlantic from the mouth of the Congo River. Under Americo-Liberian leadership, the country was relatively stable, though the Americo-Liberians and indigenous West Africans maintained largely separate existences and seldom intermarried.

Though indigenous chiefs and royalty could gain representation in government which favored Indirect rule similar to practices and policies throughout colonial Africa, Americo-Liberians led the political, social, cultural, and economic sectors of the country and ruled until 1980 as a small but dominant minority. However, President William Tubman challenged the status quo and championed the cause of indigenous groups in the interior against the established oligarchy.