Sierra Leone: History


Figure 1.--This commercial post card shows a policeman directing traffic on Wilberforce Street, the main thorougfare of Freetown. It is undated, but looks like the 1920s to us. Notice that there are no cars, only a liitle boy on a tricycle able to ride down the middle of the street.

The Bulom people are believed to have been the first inhabitants of what is now Sierra Leone. have nothing to do with the previopus history. More recently the Mende and Temne peoples have diominated the area (15th century). Subsequently the Fulani people moved into the area. The Portuguese were the first Europeans to explore south along the western coast of Africal. They named the region--Sierra Leone (lion mountains). Britain established a oresence at Freetown (1787). The plan was to establish a home for blacks who had served in the British armed forces and a smaller number of runaway slaves who had managed to find asylum in London. BritAin claimed the coastal area around Freetown as a cololony during the Napoleonic Wars (1808). Britain retained the Portuguese name for the region. Freetown would play a role in the British campaign against the Atlantic slave trade. The British proclaimed a protectorate over the interior (1896). Like many small African countries, history is somplicated by the fact that the modern borders established by European colonial rulers. Britain granted independence (1961). A military coup overthrew the civilian government (1967). Civilian rule was returned (1968). The country declared itself a republic as parr of a move away from Britain and democracy (1971). Another military coup was attempted (1971). Primeminister Siaka Stevens requested assistance from neighboring Guinea. Guinean troops remained in the country for 2 years. Stevens during this period began the process of turning Sierra Leone into a one-party state under the control of the (APC). Maj. Gen. Joseph Saidu Momoh succeeded Stevens as president (1986). This was formalized when the APC was made the the only legal party. Rebel soldiers opposed to dictatorial APC rule overthrew Momoh (1992). They announced a desire to return to a multi-party democratic system. Another military coup ousted the country's military leader and president (1996). A previously-announced multi-party presidential election proceeded (1996). People's Party candidate Ahmad Tejan Kabbah won with nearly 60 percent of the vote and thus after over three decades if indeopebdence, he became the country's first democratically elected president.

Pre-history

Archaeologists have found evidence of human habitation dting back 2,500 years. That is very recent times (%00 BC). Almost certainly the country's pre-history dates back well before that. It is likely that pre-history incolve migration of people from other African regins, jist as moderm Sierra Leopme history involves.

Ancient History

The Bulom people are believed to have been the first inhabitants of what is now Sierra Leone. The use of iron easintroduced (9th century AD). Agriculture becme widely practiced, at leat along the cost (11th century). Historians maintain tat the couty's dense tropical rainforest shielded local tribes from other stronger pre-colonial African cultures as well as delaying the spread of Islam.

Modern Migrations

More recently the Mende and Temne peoples have diominated the area (15th century). Subsequently the Fulani people moved into the area.

The Portuguese

The Portuguese were the first Europeans to explore south along the western coast of Africa. The Portuguese first reached what is now Sierra Leone (1460). It is around the point that the African coast shifts east into the Gulf of Guinea. The Temne were the first local tribe they encountered. The Portuguese landed on a peninsula, presumably for security reasons. Soon European traders were regularly stopping on the peninsula. The Europeans exchanged manufactured cloth and metal goods. The Africans offred ivory, timber, and small numbers of slaves. Because of Sierra Leone's geographic location. European contacts were among the earliest first in West Africa and led by the Portuguese. What is now Freetown Harbor was an important attraction for European ships. Portuguese explorer Pedro de Sintra mapped the hills surrounding Freetown Harbor. It was he who named shaped formation Serra da Leoa or 'Serra Leoa' (Lioness Mountains) after the mountains they saw behind the coast. . The Spanish form, Sierra Leona, which became better known and misspelled, became the region's name under the British. Following Sintra's expedition, Portuguese traders became active in the harbor. They built a a primitive fortified trading post (1495). The Dutch and French also set up early trading posts.

African Political Developments

Mande-speaking people migrated into Sierra Leone from the east, modern Liberia (mid-16th century). In time they established established small kingdoms, Bullom, Loko, Boure, and Sherbro. Later Fulani and Mande-speaking peoples from the Fouta Djallon region to the north (modern Guinea) converted many Temne in the north to Islam (early-18th century).

Slavery

An important aspect of Sierra Leone history is slavery. As the history of lvery spans centuries, in requires a special treatment outside of our baaically chronological discussion. During ancient times, the vast Sierra Desert isolated African settlements along the Guinea Coast from the Mediterranen slave trade. The Phoecians are known to pass through the Straits of Gibraltar and traded along the African cost along the Guina coast. This trade inclued slaves, but the numbers would have been very small given the nature of the trade and level of commerce. Slavery was an intution in traditiinal African society, although very little is known about it. The Romans introduced camels in the later era of the Empire which made possible trans-Saharan commece. One of the major trade items were slaves, although the numbers od slaves involved is not know with any certainty. What is now Sierra Leone was on the southern edge of the great Empire of Mali and thus involved in thE Empire's slave trade (13th-15th centuries). The Portuguese moving south along the african coast to open maritime trade with the East first reached Sierra Leone (1462). The Portugues and other Europeans made no effort to settle the region and move inland, but did estanlish trading posts. And slaves from the beginning were a trade item. Sierra Leone thus became as a trading point for captives brought from the interior by Arab slave catchers. Gradually the Triangular Trade devloped. The Spanish began colonizing the Caribbean and the Portuguese Brazil after Columbus' voyages. Initially Spanish settlers planned to use Native Americans as slave labor. This proved to be impossible. As a result of mistreatment and European diseases, Native Americans on the Caribbean islands began dieing off in alarming numbers. In Brazil they also had the opportunity to escape into the interior. The English helped to establish the trade when Sir John Hawkins transported 300 captive Africans which he described as being acquired 'by the sword and partly by other means' to the Spanish colony of Santo Domingo. Trade wuth the English was strictly prohibited, but such was the need for labor tht uch trade became common place. The number of captive Africansas relatively small until sugar became established first in Brazil and then in the Caribbean (17th centuries). The growth of highly profitable sugar plantations created a huge demand for slaves. The British did not control the area of modern Sierra Leone until until they began to dominate the slave trade along the coast of West Africa (18th century). The situation did not begin to change until the Americn Revolution (1776-83). Two developments led to a dramatic shift in British policy and the Royal Navy being used to end the slave trade and Freetown becoming a haven for freed slaves. Captive Mende s from Sierra Leoone became a major force generating support for abolitionists in America--the Amistad Affair (1839). Domestic slavery, however, continued in the interior into the 20th century. Sierra Leone was a Muslim majority colony. And tribl chiefs in the interior insisted that slavery was legitimized by the Koran.

Britain

Sir Francis Drake stopped along the Sierra Leone coast his voyage around the world. British traders became active along the Sierra Leone coast (early-17th century). It is at this point that the demand for slaves began to increased in Britain's new Caribbean colonies. Sierra Leone was, however, was only a minor source of slaves for the transatlantic slave trade (17th and 18th centuries). Britain established a formal presence at Freetown (1787). The plan was to establish a home for blacks who had served in the British armed forces and a smaller number of runaway slaves who had managed to find asylum in London. Britain claimed the coastal area around Freetown as a cololony during the Napoleonic Wars (1808). Britain retained the Portuguese name for the region. Freetown would play a role in the British campaign against the Atlantic slave trade. After Britain failed to supress the American Revolution (1775–83), they attempted to resettle the slaves who sided with them in Sierra Leone. Britain used Sierraeone much as Ameruca would subsequently use Liberia. The British proclaimed a protectorate over the interior (1896). Like many small African countries, history is complicated by the fact that the modern borders established by European colonial rulers. Sierra Leopne supported Britain in World War II. After the War, Britain began to give Africans in Sierra Leone and other colonies more important political roles. They also began expanding the school system and increasing educational opportunity. The economy grew, mining (diamonds and iron ore) becoming much more important. The mall Creole (mulatto) began demanding a political voice. They were a small minoriy, but urbanized and the best educated . The British helped create a constitution (1951). It invested substantial authority with the Africans. The protectorate-based Sierra Leone People's party (SLPP), founded by Dr. Milton Margai (a Mende), won the first democratic election (1957).

Independence

Britain granted independence (1961). Democracy and free market capitalism, however, did not immeditely take root. Like other African countries, military coups and a tumultous struggle for power developed. Most in Sierra Leone, as in the rest of Africa, did not recognize the importabnce of either democracy and free market capitalism. A military coup overthrew the civilian government (1967). Civilian rule was returned (1968). The country declared itself a republic as parr of a move away from Britain and democracy (1971). Another military coup was attempted (1971). Primeminister Siaka Stevens requested assistance from neighboring Guinea. Guinean troops remained in the country for 2 years. Stevens during this period began the process of turning Sierra Leone into a one-party state under the control of the (APC). Maj. Gen. Joseph Saidu Momoh succeeded Stevens as president (1986). This was formalized when the APC was made the the only legal party. Rebel soldiers opposed to dictatorial APC rule overthrew Momoh (1992). They announced a desire to return to a multi-party democratic system. Another military coup ousted the country's military leader and president (1996). A previously-announced multi-party presidential election proceeded (1996). People's Party candidate Ahmad Tejan Kabbah won with nearly 60 percent of the vote and thus after over three decades if independence, he became the country's first democratically elected president.







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Created: 8:17 PM 3/31/2013
Last updated: 2:40 AM 2/18/2016