This cannon is known as
the Matilda Newport cannon and is located at Fort Norris
on Ducor Hill. The hill overlooks the city
and bay of Monrovia, Cape Montserrado.
During the early days
of the settlement that is now Monrovia, Matilda Newport
as the story goes,was taking an evening stroll smoking
her pipe, when she saw a group of native Liberians
in war paint advancing on the settlement. She
use her pipe to light this loaded cannon that was
facing the direction the attackers were coming from. BOOM!
The cannon went off. The sound was so loud,
it frighten the attackers who had never seen such
a discharge of firing power before.
Thus she save the
settlement from being taken over by the attackers.
For over 133 years December 1, was observed as a
national holiday honoring the heroic deed of this
daughter of Liberia.
Matilda Newport holiday was discontinued by William
R. Tolbert, as well as Pioneer's Day, in his desire,
it is believed, to demonstrate that he sought to further
cement the unification of the Nation by pushing under
the rug REAL history from the settlement days.
The holiday was discontinued,
before the 1980 popular people revolution, that saw
the rise of Samuel Doe and the people redemption council