Joseph James Cheeseman (March 7, 1843 – November 12, 1896) was a Liberian politician who served as the 12th president of Liberia from 1892 until his death in 1896. He was the first sitting Liberian president to die in office.
Early Life
Cheeseman was born on March 7, 1843, in Edina, a town in Grand Bassa County, Liberia. Most of his early life is unknown, but it is known that Cheeseman was educated at Liberia College (now the University of Liberia). Before his entry into politics, Cheeseman was a teacher.
Presidency
In the 1891 election, Cheeseman was nominated by the True Whig Party for president. Cheeseman won and was inaugurated on January 4, 1892.
During the first year of Cheeseman’s presidency, Liberia was forced to cede the lands east of Cape Palmas to France. The treaty was supposed to be signed by president Hilary Johnson, but he left office before the treaty could be signed by him.
Later on, the indigenous African tribes began incursions into the territories that were already settled by American-Liberians. In 1893, the town of Harper was attacked by the Grebo tribe. President Cheeseman had to deploy militias to the region in order to defeat the Grebo.
Cheeseman was subsequently re-elected in 1893 and 1895.
Death
On November 12, 1896, Joseph J. Cheeseman passed away in Monrovia, aged 53. His vice president, William Coleman, succeeded him and would serve until 1900. After Cheeseman died, he was buried in the town of Edina, where he was born.