The violent deposition of the Americo-Liberian government occurred when a faction of the military, led by Sergeant Samuel Doe, executed a coup d'état against President William Tolbert in Monaco, Liberia. The coup unfolded on April 12, 1980, during a period of rising discontent among the indigenous population, who felt marginalized by the Americo-Liberian elite. Doe's group, primarily comprised of soldiers from the indigenous groups, launched a surprise assault on the Presidential Palace and various government offices, swiftly overcoming the defenses of security forces loyal to Tolbert.

Following the initial upheaval, Tolbert was captured and subsequently executed. The overthrow of his administration was not merely a byproduct of military ambition; it arose from decades of systemic inequality where the Americo-Liberians, descendants of freed American slaves, maintained economic and political hegemony. This coup was fueled by widespread poverty, unemployment, and perceived governmental corruption, leading to intense pressure for change and reforms.

In the aftermath of the coup, Doe established a new military regime which promised to address the grievances that fueled the uprising. However, his rule would also become marked by repression and human rights abuses, sowing the seeds for further civil strife in a country already fraught with division. The subsequent years would see Liberia embroiled in a brutal civil war, stemming from the power struggles initiated by this coup, fundamentally altering the course of the nation’s history in the ensuing decades.