The Province of Freedom
The founding of Freetown and the Birth of Sierra Leone
Sierra Leone, like a number of countries of Africa, began as a colony controlled by a
foreign state. Originally settled in 1787 by Canadian and English abolitionists. Former slaves
from the United States and Great Britain were relocated to the west coast of Africa, sandwiched
between modern day Guinea and Liberia. Its landscape is dotted with massive grasslands and
miles of ocean coast line making it an ideal place for settlement. Modern day Sierra Leone is not
so picturesque, it finds itself near the bottom of many lists ranking the wealth, development, or
influence of the nations of our planet. With this paper I intend to outline the abuse Sierra Leone
has suffered and the neglect it currently faces. I hope by the end of the paper you will have a
broad overview of the country today and how it was shaped by major events of the past.
HISTORICAL CONTEXT
The British laid claim over the territories that would come to be known as Sierra Leone
and ruled it as a protectorate from the 1800’s until 1961. This was not without conflict. Until the
British arrived the territories were ruled in small areas by tribal chiefs. Those lands were annexed
and added to the British Protectorate. The British used these chiefs to their advantage but often
clashed resulting in conflicts. Bai Bureh, was one of those Chiefs. He was against a new heavy
tax the British had levied against them. Even though the British were greatly outnumbered
British Governor Cardew overseer of the Protectorate, proceeded against Bai Bureh and thought
little of the chiefs’ power:
“(They) lack cohesion and the powers of organization, and there are too many
jealousies between them for concerted action.” 1
Bai Bureh was arrested for instigating unrest when he refused to pay the tax. This began The Hut
Tax War of 1898 which ended that same year with Bureh’s exile from the country but not before
numerous deaths on both sides.
Sierra Leone would remain under the Crown’s rule until 1961 when they peacefully
parted ways. This separation was largely the result of the efforts of Sir Milton Margai. Margai
a benefactor of the rise of the educated elite in the early 1900’s was the first in the protectorate to
graduate college with a university degree and would move on to become the nation’s first
doctor2.
