Figure 1.-- This 1927 press photo shows child slaves in Sierra Leone carrying buckets of water on their heads. Although Britain had abolished slavery aebtury earlier, in areas ruled by Muslim chiefs, slavery continued into the 20th century.

An important aspect of Sierra Leone history is slavery. As the history of slavery spans centuries, in requires a special treatment outside of our basiccally chronological discussion of Sierra Leone history. 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 included slaves, but the numbers would have been very small given the nature of the trade and level of commerce. Slavery was an insitution in traditional 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 of 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 with the English was strictly prohibited, but such was the need for labor that this 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 Muslim tribal chiefs and Islamic clerics in the interior insisted that slavery was legitimized by the Koran.

Ancient Era

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 included slaves, but the numbers would have been very small given the nature of the trade and level of commerce. Slavery was an insitution in traditional 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 of slaves involved is not know with any certainty.

Great Mali Empire

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).

Atlantic Slave Trade

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 that this 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).

Ending the Slave Trade

The Atlantic slave trade 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. African-Americans fought on bith ides of the American Revolution and it was an opportunity for many slves tobgin heir freedom. Washington at first opposed the idea of arming Blacks, but soon changed his mind. The British as the War progressed offered freedom to slaves joining their ranks. This probbly doomed Gen. Howe's Southern Strategy, by the end of the War, several thousand slaves managed to gain their freedom. After Yorktown (1781), more than 15,000 former-slaves made their way to London. There they had trouble finding jobs and expeinced extreem poverty. A group of abolitionist philanthropists raised funds to purchased 52 sq km of land near Bunce Island from a local chief (1787). The ideaas to found a ‘Province of Freedom’ for the ex-slaves. This was the fiunding of modern Freetown. Within the year, the first group of about 300 former slaves arrived. Along with them came 100 British mostly London prostitutes. This was all part of the growing British abolitionist movement. The growing opposition to slavery resulted in Britain and America abolishing the slave trde (1807). After the Napoleonic Wars, Britain assigned the Royal Navy the task of ending the Atlantic slave trade. Captive Mendes from Sierra Leone became a major force galvanizing support for abolitionists in America--the Amistad Affair (1839).

Domestic Slavery

Britain after ending the slave trade, took the ultimate step and abolished slavry itself throughout the empire (1833-34). This had, however, little impact on what is now Sierra Leone beyond Freetown. Domestic slavery, however, continued in the interior into the 20th century. Sierra Leone was a Muslim majority colony. And unlike Christianity, an abolitionist movement never developed in the Muslim world. And Muslim tribal chiefs and Islamic clerics in the interior insisted that slavery was legitimized by the Koran. This same phenomenon occurred in other colonies, most prominately the Sudan. The British made no real effort to extend their authority beyond Freetown and the coast. This situation did not change until the Scramble for Africa began in full force. After the Berlin Conference (1884-85), the British decided tht they needed to more formally exert their authority over inland areas--meaning 'effective occupation' as undrstood in Europe. Britain declared a Sierra Leone Protectorate (1896). This began a process of expand ing their administration in the inland areas. They began recruiting British subjects and dismising Krios from govermnt posts. The Frios were the descendants of freed slaves, including mulattos. This also beagn to undermine the indigenous chiefs who the British had been using to cntrol inland areas. This led to the bloody Hut Tax war (1898). This process affected domestic slavery becuse the mosly Muslim chiefs held slaves and opposed abolition, seeing it essentially as a kind of 'creeping Christianity'. The British victory over the Temne and Mende people in the Hut Tax war ended large-scale organised resistance to the British Protectorate and colonial government, although resentment and periodic resistance and labor actions contunued throughout the colonial period. It slao meant that the British movd against slavery. The British abolished slavery throughout Sierra Leone (1928).

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Created: 6:30 AM 2/18/2016
Last updated: 11:33 AM 6/9/2017