Happy Matilda Newport Day to all… I hope all of you have a happy Matilda Newport Day and remember that it was this “lady” that saved Liberia from total destruction at a very early stage prior to Liberia’s emergence as a nation. Matilda Newport (c. 1795–1837) was one of the Black Americans and a “folk her” who settled in Liberia in 1822. She is known for her actions on December 1, 1822, as she is alleged to have defended the settlement Cape Mesurado when she lit the fuse of a cannon with a hot coal from her pipe during the Battle of Fort Hill. The resulting explosion of the cannon deterred the advance of the warriors and changed the course of the battle.[4] These efforts on Newport’s part resulted in an end to that war known as “The Battle of Fort Hill,” and ultimate peace for a lengthy period… Newports role in the 1822 battle was not initially considered significant, but grew over time… In 1916 the Liberian legislature designated 1 December as Matilda Newport Day. Prior to its abolishment, the annual celebration included a grand ball, speeches, parades, and reenactments.[6] She was commemorated with a Liberian postage stamp in 1947. A bronze plaque at the Centennial Pavilion in Monrovia depicts Newport with the cannon.[7] Monrovia also has a monument dedicated to her and a street and a high school bearing her name. Although “Matilda Newport Day was abolished following the dysfunctional and in-moral military coup in 1980, it is important that all Liberians and friends of Liberia remember her for the important role she played in stabilizing Liberia during its “infant years.” Again, Happy Matilda Newport Day to all of you, and I wish all of you the best… Source: for more information on Matilda Newport, please visit wikipedia. Do a search on Matilda Newport.
Posted on: Mon, 01 Dec 2014 05:48:27 +0000
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