A speech given by historian D. Elwood Dunn in Monrovia, Liberia on July 26, 2012, to commemorate the 165th anniversary of the Republic of Liberia's Declaration of Independence is presented. Dunn describes the Liberian state formation process, and notes the impact of African, Western, and Islamic civilizations on the country's political culture. He notes the importance of values such as solidarity and justice and cultural education to the country's reconstruction program.