Archaeology findings show that Sierra Leone has been inhabited
for thousands of years. Traditional historiography has
customarily presented it as a people by successive waves
of invaders; but the language pattern suggests that
the coastal Bulom (Sherbro), Temne,
and Limba have been in continuous settled
occupation for a long time, with sporadic immigration
from inland Mende-speaking people including Vai, Loko and Mende. They
organised themselves in small political units of independent
kingdoms or chiefdoms, the powers of whose rulers were
checked by councils. Secret societies, notably the Poro
society also exercised political power as well
as instructed initiates in the customs of the country.
Muslim traders brought Islam. Portuguese sailors, Alvaro
Fernandez (1447) and Pedro Da Cintra (1462), were among
the first European explorers to details their adventures
along the coast of Sierra Leone. Located near present
day Freetown, the Rokel estuary was established as an
important source of fresh water for Sea Traders and
explorers. Over the next 30 years, sea traders opened
a bay for trading goods such as swords, kitchen and
other household utensils in exchange for beeswax and
fine ivory works. By the mid 1550’s, slaves replaced
these items as the major commodity. Though the Portuguese
were among the first in the region and their language
formed the basis for trade, their influence had diminished
by the 1650’s. English, French, Dutch and Danish
interests in West Africa had grown. Trade was established
through coastal African rulers who prohibited European
traders from entering the interior. Rent and gifts were
paid for gold, slaves, beeswax, ivory and cam wood.
British traders of the Royal African company established Forts along the coast for trading in 1672
but the British did not have monopoly on the area. Rival
European nations attacked the Forts. Admiral
de Ruyter is noted to having sacked Tasso Island
in 1664 as a reaction to the maltreatment of Dutch traders.
In 1728, Afro-Portuguese traders captured the New Royal
African Company’s fort at Bunce Island. |
In 1787, British philanthropists founded the "Province
of Freedom" which later became Freetown,
a British crown colony and the principal base for the
suppression of the slave trade. By 1792, 1200 freed
slaves from Nova
Scotia joined the original settlers, the Maroons.
Another group of slaves rebelled in Jamaica and travelled
to Freetown in 1800.
Through the efforts of men such as William Wilberforce,
Thomas Clarkson and Granville Sharpe, Lord Mansfield
formed an administration in 1806, which was instrumental
in the British Empire’s abolition of the Trans-Atlantic
slave trade (1807). The British established a naval
base in Freetown to patrol against illegal slave ships.
A fine of £100 was established for every slave
found on a British ship.
In 1808 Sierra Leone officially became a crown colony
with the land possessions of Sierra Leone Company (formerly
known as St George’s Bay Company) transferred
to the crown. The colony was dedicated to demonstrating
the principles of Christianity, “civilisation”
and commerce.
In 1833 British Parliament passed the Emancipation
Act, and in 1833 slavery was finally abolished.
It wasn’t until 1865; the United States passed
the 13th amendment abolishing slavery.
By 1855, over 50,000 freed slaves has been settled
in Freetown. Known as the Krios, the repatriated settlers
of Freetown live today in a multi-ethnic country. Though
English is the official language krio is widely spoken
throughout the country allowing different tribal groups
a common language. Check out
some basic krio. |
Sierra Leone achieved independence on the 27th of April 1961.
the country attained republican status on the 19th April
1971. Since independence many changes have been experienced
politically economically and in the social society of
SL.
The 90's brought successive civil disturbances culminating
into a ghastly RUF rebel war that led to the intervention
of the International Community led by the United Nations
Mission in Sierra Leone (UNAMSIL). Various international
organisations helped provide an environment for free
and fair presidential and parliamentary elections of
2002. The war has been officially over since 2001. The
next step is rebuilding Sierra Leone but there is much
to do.
Since independence, Sierra Leone has been ruled by
8 Head of State, at one time making history in the world,
of having the youngest Head of State, Valentine
Strasser aged 27 years. Today a multi-party
democracy operates under the presidency of Alhaji Dr
Ahmed Tejan Kabbah who won a landslide victory in the
May 2002 Presidential and Parliamentary Election.
The SLPP administration of Alhaji Dr
Ahmed Tejan Kabbah were voted out of power in what has widely being acclaimed as a free, fair and peaceful election in 2007. The current President is Ernest Bai Koroma. |
