Rulers · fl. c. 1800s–1820s
King Jack Ben
Leading figure of the Bassa coast, whose Jumbo Town brokered the ACS arrival at Cape Mesurado.
Biography
Jack Ben governed Jumbo Town, a Bassa market where ivory, malagueta pepper and woven goods changed hands long before any settlers' flag flew on the coast.
When the American Colonization Society could find no landing in Sierra Leone, it was Jack Ben who supplied the contacts that guided its agents to Cape Mesurado and the December 1821 bargain.
Historical significance
The founding of Liberia ran through an African commercial network; Jack Ben is the node where that is documented.
Timeline
- c. 1810sJumbo Town at the height of its coastal trade
- 1821Provides the contacts leading ACS agents to Cape Mesurado
On the map
Associated with Jumbo Town. Open the historical atlas.
Related entries
References
- Republic of Liberia, Truth & Reconciliation Commission Final Report, Vol. II.
- Sumaworo (2022). 'Critical Analyses of Liberia's Bicentennial.' IJCSRR.
Suggested reading
- TRC Final Report, Vol. II — the historical background chapters.