Roye was initially succeeded by a provisional government and then by his vice-president James Skivring Smith, pending the commencement of Roberts' term in January 1872.

However, the Republicans declared their candidate Joseph Jenkins Roberts had been elected unopposed and intended him to take office in January 1871 in accordance with the existing constitution.

[2] Liberia experienced an economic depression in the late 1860s as a result of a decline in international trade, on which the Americo-Liberian ruling class was heavily reliant.

[4] In September 1871, news of the terms of the loan agreement prompted riots in the capital Monrovia and street fights between the supporters of Roye and Roberts.

[5] As Vice President James Skivring Smith was absent from the capital when Roye was overthrown, an interim three-member Chief Executive Committee was established on 26 October consisting of Reginald A. Sherman, Charles Benedict Dunbar, and Amos Herring.

[6][7] Despite being impeached,[5] Smith subsequently served out the remainder of Roye's term in office until Roberts formally succeeded as president on 1 January 1872.

According to contemporary despatches from the U.S. minister in Liberia, Roye escaped from prison on the night following his conviction, but was pursued by a mob and drowned while attempting to swim to an English ship.

[5] However, Abayomi Wilfrid Karnga's 1926 history of Liberia instead states that Roye died in prison after being beaten by a mob which had discovered his escape attempt.