Sierra Leone Red Cross Society ( SLRCS ) was established in 1962 by an act of the Parliament of Sierra Leone and is a national society. It has its headquarters in Freetown .
81-658: The SLRCS is to render medical and humanitarian assistance to the Armed Forces and citizens of Sierra Leone during times of conflict, disasters or humanitarian crisis. Each year on May 8, the SLRCS joins the rest of the world in celebrating the World Red Cross and Red Crescent Day . The SLRCS played a major part in containing and managing the Ebola crisis /outbreak and in recovery operations from 2014 to 2016. In 2012,
162-602: A plurality of seats in parliament, and Milton Margai was re-elected as prime minister. Margai was popular among Sierra Leoneans during his time in power, mostly known for his self-effacement. He was neither corrupt nor did he make a lavish display of his power or status. He based the government on the rule of law and the separation of powers, with multiparty political institutions and fairly viable representative structures. Margai used his conservative ideology to lead Sierra Leone without much strife. He appointed government officials to represent various ethnic groups. Margai employed
243-486: A brokerage style of politics, by sharing power among political parties and interest groups; especially the involvement of powerful paramount chiefs in the provinces, most of whom were key allies of his government. Upon Milton Margai's unexpected death in 1964, his younger half-brother , Sir Albert Margai, was appointed as prime minister by parliament. Sir Albert's leadership was briefly challenged by Foreign Minister John Karefa-Smart, who questioned Sir Albert's succession to
324-409: A local African chieftain, but he retaliated, attacking the settlement, which was reduced to a mere 64 settlers comprising 39 black men, 19 black women, and six white women. Black settlers were captured by unscrupulous traders and sold as slaves, and the remaining colonists were forced to arm themselves for their own protection. The 64 remaining colonists established a second Granville Town. Following
405-634: A move that foreshadowed the women's suffrage movements in Britain, the heads of all households, of which a third were women, were given the right to vote. Black settlers in Sierra Leone enjoyed much more autonomy than their white equivalent in European countries. Black migrants elected different levels of political representatives, 'tithingmen', who represented each dozen settlers and 'hundreders' who represented larger amounts. This sort of representation
486-661: A presidential republic, with Stevens as the inaugural president. In 1978, Stevens declared the APC to be the sole legally recognized party . In 1985, he was succeeded by Joseph Saidu Momoh . Momoh's enactment of a new constitution in 1991 reintroduced a multi-party system . That same year, a protracted civil war broke out between the government and the Revolutionary United Front (RUF) rebel group. The conflict, characterized by multiple coups d'état , persisted for 11 years. Intervention by ECOMOG forces and later by
567-649: A prominent Temne chief in Kasseh who was fighting against the "hut tax". The war was later known as the Hut Tax War of 1898 . Madam Yoko ( c. 1849 –1906) was a woman of culture and ambition. She employed her capacity for friendly communications to persuade the British to give her control of the Kpaa Mende chiefdom. She used diplomacy to communicate with local chiefs who did not trust her friendship with
648-808: A single political system for both the Colony and the Protectorate. Most proposals came from leaders of the Protectorate, whose population far outnumbered that in the colony. The Krios, led by Isaac Wallace-Johnson , opposed the proposals, as they would have resulted in reducing the political power of the Krios in the Colony. In 1951, Lamina Sankoh ( born :Etheldred Jones) collaborated with educated protectorate leaders from different groups, including Sir Milton Margai , Siaka Stevens , Mohamed Sanusi Mustapha, John Karefa-Smart , Kande Bureh, Sir Albert Margai , Amadu Wurie and Sir Banja Tejan-Sie joined together with
729-418: Is a presidential republic , with a unicameral parliament and a directly elected president . It is a secular state . Its constitution provides for the separation of state and religion and freedom of conscience (which encompasses both freedom of thought and religion ). Muslims constitute three-quarters of the population, and there is a significant Christian minority. Notably, religious tolerance
810-465: Is bordered to the southeast by Liberia and by Guinea to the north. Its land area is 71,740 km (27,699 sq mi). It has a tropical climate and environments ranging from savannas to rainforests . As of the 2023 census, Sierra Leone has a population of 8,908,040. Freetown is both its capital and its largest city. The country is divided into five administrative regions, which are further subdivided into 16 districts . Sierra Leone
891-486: Is very high: it is both a social norm and part of the nation's cultural identity. Sierra Leone's current territorial configuration was established in two phases: in 1808, the coastal Sierra Leone Colony was founded as a place to resettle returning Africans after the abolition of the slave trade ; then in 1896, the inland Protectorate was created as a result of the Berlin Conference of 1884–1885 . This led to
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1134-542: The Black Poor settlers . Many in London thought moving them to Sierra Leone would lift them out of poverty. The Sierra Leone Resettlement Scheme was proposed by entomologist Henry Smeathman and drew interest from humanitarians like Granville Sharp , who saw it as a means of showing the pro-slavery lobby that black people could contribute towards the running of the new colony. Government officials soon became involved in
1215-644: The British Crown during the American Revolutionary War were resettled in Sierra Leone, forming a community named Black Loyalists . This resettlement scheme was partly motivated by social issues in London, with the Sierra Leone Resettlement Scheme offering a new beginning for the Black Poor , though it was fraught with challenges. In the late 18th century, many African Americans claimed the protection of
1296-558: The Creole/Krio ethnicity and an English-based creole language ( Krio ), which is the lingua franca and de facto national language used among many of the ethnicities in the country. The colonial era saw Sierra Leone evolving under British rule, with a unique settlement pattern composed of displaced Africans following the abolition of the slave trade . Sierra Leone developed as an educational center in West Africa, with
1377-561: The Italian Red Cross ) This Sierra Leone –related article is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Sierra Leone Sierra Leone , ( / s i ˌ ɛr ə l i ˈ oʊ n ( i )/ , also UK : / s i ˌ ɛər ə -/ , US : / ˌ s ɪər ə -/ ; Krio : Salone ) officially the Republic of Sierra Leone , is a country on the southwest coast of West Africa . It
1458-577: The RCSC ) [REDACTED] Kosovo (non-member) [REDACTED] Macau (autonomous branch of the RCSC ) [REDACTED] Oman (non-member) [REDACTED] Ossetia, South (non-member) [REDACTED] SADR (pending recognition and admission) [REDACTED] Somaliland (non-member) [REDACTED] Taiwan (former member) [REDACTED] Transnistria (non-member) [REDACTED] Vatican City (autonomous branch of
1539-527: The RCSC ) [REDACTED] Kosovo (non-member) [REDACTED] Macau (autonomous branch of the RCSC ) [REDACTED] Oman (non-member) [REDACTED] Ossetia, South (non-member) [REDACTED] SADR (pending recognition and admission) [REDACTED] Somaliland (non-member) [REDACTED] Taiwan (former member) [REDACTED] Transnistria (non-member) [REDACTED] Vatican City (autonomous branch of
1620-745: The Sierra Leone Company was established to relocate Black Loyalists who wanted to take their chances in West Africa. In 1792 nearly 1,200 persons from Nova Scotia crossed the Atlantic to build the second (and only permanent) Colony of Sierra Leone and the settlement of Freetown on 11 March 1792. In Sierra Leone they were called the Nova Scotian Settlers , the Nova Scotians , or the Settlers . Clarkson initially banned
1701-490: The paramount chiefs in the face of Krio intransigence. Later, Margai used the same skills to win over opposition leaders and moderate Krio elements to achieve independence from the UK. In November 1951, Margai oversaw the drafting of a new constitution, which united the separate Colonial and Protectorate legislatures and provided a framework for decolonisation . In 1953, Sierra Leone was granted local ministerial powers and Margai
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#17327754645071782-467: The (British) monopoly on Sierra Leone trade. At about the same time (following the Slave Trade Act 1807 which abolished the slave trade), Royal Navy crews delivered thousands of formerly enslaved Africans to Freetown, after liberating them from illegal slave ships. These Liberated Africans or recaptives were sold for $ 20 a head as apprentices to the white settlers, Nova Scotian Settlers, and
1863-458: The 18th century further enriched the culture, eventually establishing a strong foothold in the north. The conquest by Samory Touré in the northeast solidified Islam among the Yalunka , Kuranko and Limba people. The 15th century marked the beginning of European interaction with Sierra Leone, highlighted by Portuguese explorer Pedro de Sintra mapping the region in 1462 and naming it after
1944-849: The American Revolution, Black Loyalists from Nova Scotia , Canada, were relocated to Sierra Leone, founding Freetown and contributing significantly to the Krio people and Krio language that would come to define the region. Following the American Revolution , more than 3,000 Black Loyalists had also been settled in Nova Scotia , where they were finally granted land. They founded Birchtown , but faced harsh winters and racial discrimination from nearby Shelburne . Thomas Peters pressed British authorities for relief and more aid; together with British abolitionist John Clarkson ,
2025-533: The Black Poor of being responsible for a large proportion of crime in 18th century London. While the broader community included some women, the Black Poor seems to have exclusively consisted of men, some of whom developed relationships with local women and often married them. Slave owner Edward Long criticized marriage between black men and white women. However, on the voyage between Plymouth, England and Sierra Leone, 70 European girlfriends and wives accompanied
2106-698: The British Crown founded a settlement in Sierra Leone in what was called the " Province of Freedom ". About 400 black and 60 white colonists reached Sierra Leone on 15 May 1787. After they established Granville Town , most of the first group of colonists died, owing to disease and warfare with the indigenous African peoples ( Temne ), who resisted their encroachment. When the ships left them in September, they had been reduced to "276 persons, namely 212 black men, 30 black women, 5 white men and 29 white women". The settlers that remained forcibly captured land from
2187-720: The British Crown. There were thousands of these Black Loyalists, people of African ancestry who joined the British military forces during the American Revolutionary War. Many had been slaves who had escaped to join the British, lured by promises of freedom ( emancipation ). Official documentation known as the Book of Negroes lists thousands of freed slaves whom the British evacuated from the nascent United States and resettled in colonies elsewhere in British North America . Pro-slavery advocates accused
2268-502: The British decided they needed to establish more dominion over the inland areas, to satisfy what was described by the European powers as "effective occupation". In 1896 it annexed these areas, declaring them the Sierra Leone Protectorate. With this change, the British began to expand their administration in the region, recruiting British citizens to posts and pushing Krio people out of positions in government and even
2349-491: The British. Because Madam Yoko supported the British, some sub-chiefs rebelled, causing Yoko to take refuge in the police barracks. For her loyalty, she was awarded a silver medal by Queen Victoria . Until 1906, Madam Yoko ruled as a paramount chief in the new British Protectorate. The British annexation of the Protectorate interfered with the sovereignty of indigenous chiefs. They designated chiefs as units of local government, rather than dealing with them individually as had been
2430-566: The Creole ethnic group. As a result, Albert Margai became unpopular in the Creole community, many of whom had supported Sir Milton. Margai sought to make the army homogeneously Mende , his own ethnic group, and was accused of favouring members of the Mende for prominent positions. In 1967, riots broke out in Freetown against Margai's policies. In response, he declared a state of emergency across
2511-596: The Gold Coast; his government hanged 96 of the chief's warriors. Bureh was allowed to return in 1905, when he resumed his chieftaincy of Kasseh. The defeat of the Temne and Mende in the Hut Tax War ended mass resistance to the Protectorate and colonial government, but intermittent rioting and labour unrest continued throughout the colonial period. Riots in 1955 and 1956 involved "tens of thousands" of Sierra Leoneans in
Sierra Leone Red Cross Society - Misplaced Pages Continue
2592-657: The Government of Queen Elizabeth II and British Colonial Secretary Iain Macleod in negotiations for independence held in London. On the conclusion of talks in London on 4 May 1960, the United Kingdom agreed to grant Sierra Leone independence on 27 April 1961. On 27 April 1961, Sir Milton Margai led Sierra Leone to independence from Great Britain and became the country's first prime minister. Sierra Leone had its own parliament and its own prime minister, and had
2673-694: The Governor of the Sierra Leone Company and a leading abolitionist, surrendered the company's charter. This ended its 16 years of running the Colony. The British Crown reorganised the Sierra Leone Company as the African Institution ; it was directed to improve the local economy. Its members represented both British who hoped to inspire local entrepreneurs and those with interest in the Macauley & Babington Company, which held
2754-2005: The Grenadines [REDACTED] Samoa [REDACTED] San Marino [REDACTED] São Tomé and Príncipe [REDACTED] Saudi Arabia [REDACTED] Senegal [REDACTED] Serbia [REDACTED] Seychelles [REDACTED] Sierra Leone [REDACTED] Singapore [REDACTED] Slovakia [REDACTED] Slovenia [REDACTED] Solomon Islands [REDACTED] Somalia [REDACTED] South Africa [REDACTED] South Sudan [REDACTED] Spain [REDACTED] Sri Lanka [REDACTED] Sudan [REDACTED] Suriname [REDACTED] Sweden [REDACTED] Switzerland [REDACTED] Syria [REDACTED] Taiwan (Republic of China) [REDACTED] Tajikistan [REDACTED] Tanzania [REDACTED] Thailand [REDACTED] Timor-Leste [REDACTED] Togo [REDACTED] Tonga [REDACTED] Trinidad and Tobago [REDACTED] Tunisia [REDACTED] Turkey [REDACTED] Turkmenistan [REDACTED] Tuvalu [REDACTED] Uganda [REDACTED] Ukraine [REDACTED] United Arab Emirates [REDACTED] United Kingdom [REDACTED] United States [REDACTED] Uruguay [REDACTED] Uzbekistan [REDACTED] Vanuatu [REDACTED] Venezuela [REDACTED] Viet Nam [REDACTED] Yemen [REDACTED] Zambia [REDACTED] Zimbabwe [REDACTED] Abkhazia (no-member) [REDACTED] Cyprus, North (non-member) [REDACTED] Hong Kong (autonomous branch of
2835-1944: The Grenadines [REDACTED] Samoa [REDACTED] San Marino [REDACTED] São Tomé and Príncipe [REDACTED] Saudi Arabia [REDACTED] Senegal [REDACTED] Serbia [REDACTED] Seychelles [REDACTED] Sierra Leone [REDACTED] Singapore [REDACTED] Slovakia [REDACTED] Slovenia [REDACTED] Solomon Islands [REDACTED] Somalia [REDACTED] South Africa [REDACTED] South Sudan [REDACTED] Spain [REDACTED] Sri Lanka [REDACTED] Sudan [REDACTED] Suriname [REDACTED] Sweden [REDACTED] Switzerland [REDACTED] Syria [REDACTED] Taiwan (Republic of China) [REDACTED] Tajikistan [REDACTED] Tanzania [REDACTED] Thailand [REDACTED] Timor-Leste [REDACTED] Togo [REDACTED] Tonga [REDACTED] Trinidad and Tobago [REDACTED] Tunisia [REDACTED] Turkey [REDACTED] Turkmenistan [REDACTED] Tuvalu [REDACTED] Uganda [REDACTED] Ukraine [REDACTED] United Arab Emirates [REDACTED] United Kingdom [REDACTED] United States [REDACTED] Uruguay [REDACTED] Uzbekistan [REDACTED] Vanuatu [REDACTED] Venezuela [REDACTED] Viet Nam [REDACTED] Yemen [REDACTED] Zambia [REDACTED] Zimbabwe [REDACTED] Abkhazia (no-member) [REDACTED] Cyprus, North (non-member) [REDACTED] Hong Kong (autonomous branch of
2916-695: The Jamaican Maroons. Many Liberated Africans were treated poorly and even abused because some of the original settlers considered them their property. Cut off from their various homelands and traditions, the Liberated Africans were forced to assimilate to the Western styles of Settlers and Maroons. For example, some of the Liberated Africans were forced to change their name to a more Western sounding one. Though some people happily embraced these changes because they considered it as being part of
2997-617: The Liberated Africans became successful traders and spread Christianity throughout West Africa, they intermarried with the Nova Scotians and Maroons, and the two groups eventually became a fusion of African and Western societies. These Liberated Africans were from many areas of Africa, but principally the west coast. Between the 18th and 19th century, freed African Americans, some Americo Liberian "refugees", and particularly Afro-Caribbeans , mainly Jamaican Maroons, also immigrated and settled in Freetown. Together these peoples formed
3078-483: The Protectorate. Domestic slavery , which continued to be practised by local African elites, was abolished in 1928. A notable event in 1935 was the granting of a monopoly on mineral mining to the Sierra Leone Selection Trust , run by De Beers . The monopoly was scheduled to last 98 years. Mining of diamonds in the east and other minerals expanded, drawing labourers there from other parts of
3159-1919: The Red Cross in the period from 1910 to 1912. In 1912, the physician Marie Rennotte founded the branch for the state of São Paulo . By 1919, the organization had joined the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies . [REDACTED] Afghanistan [REDACTED] Albania [REDACTED] Algeria [REDACTED] Andorra [REDACTED] Angola [REDACTED] Antigua and Barbuda [REDACTED] Argentina [REDACTED] Armenia [REDACTED] Australia [REDACTED] Austria [REDACTED] Azerbaijan [REDACTED] The Bahamas [REDACTED] Bahrain [REDACTED] Bangladesh [REDACTED] Barbados [REDACTED] Belarus (suspended) [REDACTED] Belgium [REDACTED] Belize [REDACTED] Benin [REDACTED] Bhutan [REDACTED] Bolivia [REDACTED] Bosnia and Herzegovina [REDACTED] Botswana [REDACTED] Brazil [REDACTED] Brunei [REDACTED] Bulgaria [REDACTED] Burkina Faso [REDACTED] Burundi [REDACTED] Cambodia [REDACTED] Cameroon [REDACTED] Canada [REDACTED] Cape Verde [REDACTED] Central African Republic [REDACTED] Chad [REDACTED] Chile [ es ] [REDACTED] China [REDACTED] Colombia [REDACTED] Comoros [REDACTED] Congo [ it ] [REDACTED] Congo, Democratic Republic of
3240-549: The Register of Liberated Africans. Often documentation would be subjective and result in inaccurate entries, making them difficult to track. Differences between the Register of Liberated Africans of 1808 and the List of Captured Negroes of 1812 (which emulated the 1808 document) revealed disparities in the entries, specifically in the names; many recaptives decided to change their given names to anglicised versions which contributed to
3321-462: The SLPP leadership position. Karefa-Smart led a prominent small minority faction within the SLPP party in opposition of Albert Margai as prime minister. However, Karefa-Smart failed to receive broad support within the SLPP in his attempt to oust Albert Margai as both the leader of the SLPP and prime minister. The large majority of SLPP members backed Albert Margai over Karefa-Smart. Soon after Albert Margai
Sierra Leone Red Cross Society - Misplaced Pages Continue
3402-750: The SLRCS became a founding member of the First Responder Coalition of Sierra Leone (FRCSL), along with LFR International , Agency for Rural Community Transformation (ARCT), the Holy Spirit Hospital (Makeni) , and the University of Makeni . Established in Makeni , the Coalition's first chairing member was the SLRCS. The Coalition's mission is to "facilitate the development of emergency first responder programs to alleviate
3483-778: The Sierra Leone Red Cross Society (SLRCS) Act was passed. Section 5, Subsection 2 of the Act states, "The government shall provide subvention to the Society.” Issue was raised in 2018 by the Secretary General, Kpawuru Sandy, as subventions had not been paid since the Act's enactment on December 3, 2012. “We are calling on the government of Sierra Leone to pay subventions to the Red Cross as enshrined in our revised act of 2012 to enable us effectively perform our auxiliary role in humanitarian services". In 2019,
3564-552: The United Kingdom resulted in the defeat of the RUF in 2002, ushering in a period of relative stability. The two major political parties that remain are the APC and the SLPP. Sierra Leone is a culturally diverse country, home to approximately 18 ethnic groups , with the Temne and Mende peoples being predominant. The Creole people , descendants of freed African-American, Afro-Caribbean slaves and liberated Africans, constitute about 1.2% of
3645-649: The United Nations, African Union, Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), and the Commonwealth of Nations, among others. Sierra Leone derives its name from the Lion Mountains near its capital, Freetown. Originally named Serra Leoa ( Portuguese for 'lioness mountains') by Portuguese explorer Pedro de Sintra in 1462, the modern name is derived from the Venetian spelling, which
3726-545: The West Coast. For more than a century, it was the only European-style university in west Sub-Saharan Africa . Samuel Ajayi Crowther was the first student to be enrolled. Fourah Bay College soon drew Creoles/Krio people and other Africans seeking higher education in British West Africa. These included Nigerians, Ghanaians, Ivorians and others, especially in the fields of theology and education. Freetown
3807-415: The ability to make 100% of its own laws, however, as with countries such as Canada and Australia, Sierra Leone remained a "Dominion" and Queen Elizabeth was Queen of the independent Dominion of Sierra Leone . Thousands of Sierra Leoneans took to the streets in celebration. The Dominion of Sierra Leone retained a parliamentary system of government and was a member of the Commonwealth of Nations. The leader of
3888-417: The beginning of the 16th century, by Pacheco noted that: in this country [Sierra Leone] they make beautiful mats of palm-leaf and necklaces of ivory [...]: In this land they make ivory necklaces more delicately carved than in any other country, also very fine and beautiful mats of palm-leaf, which are call 'bicas' [which are] very beautiful and good. In the late 18th century, African Americans who had fought for
3969-1780: The burden of traumatic injury in Sierra Leone." The Coalition trained 1,000 community members over two months in Makeni to be first responders and equipped each trainee with a first aid kit. [REDACTED] Afghanistan [REDACTED] Albania [REDACTED] Algeria [REDACTED] Andorra [REDACTED] Angola [REDACTED] Antigua and Barbuda [REDACTED] Argentina [REDACTED] Armenia [REDACTED] Australia [REDACTED] Austria [REDACTED] Azerbaijan [REDACTED] The Bahamas [REDACTED] Bahrain [REDACTED] Bangladesh [REDACTED] Barbados [REDACTED] Belarus (suspended) [REDACTED] Belgium [REDACTED] Belize [REDACTED] Benin [REDACTED] Bhutan [REDACTED] Bolivia [REDACTED] Bosnia and Herzegovina [REDACTED] Botswana [REDACTED] Brazil [REDACTED] Brunei [REDACTED] Bulgaria [REDACTED] Burkina Faso [REDACTED] Burundi [REDACTED] Cambodia [REDACTED] Cameroon [REDACTED] Canada [REDACTED] Cape Verde [REDACTED] Central African Republic [REDACTED] Chad [REDACTED] Chile [ es ] [REDACTED] China [REDACTED] Colombia [REDACTED] Comoros [REDACTED] Congo [ it ] [REDACTED] Congo, Democratic Republic of
4050-462: The coast by indigenous traders from interior areas, undergoing conflicts over territory. The Europeans made payments, called Cole , for rent, tribute, and trading rights, to the king of an area. Local Afro-European merchants often acted as middlemen, the Europeans advancing them goods to trade to indigenous merchants, most often for slaves and ivory. Portuguese traders were particularly drawn to
4131-428: The community, some were not happy with these changes and wanted to keep their own identity. Many Liberated Africans were so unhappy that they risked the possibility of being sold back into slavery by leaving Sierra Leone and going back to their original villages. The Liberated Africans eventually modified their customs to adopt those of the Nova Scotians, Maroons and Europeans, yet kept some of their ethnic traditions. As
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#17327754645074212-422: The conflict somewhat later, for other reasons. For several months, Bureh's fighters had the advantage over the vastly more powerful British forces but both sides suffered hundreds of fatalities. Bureh surrendered on 11 November 1898 to end the destruction of his people's territory and dwellings. Although the British government recommended leniency, Cardew insisted on sending the chief and two allies into exile in
4293-727: The country. On 18 April 1968 a group of low-ranking soldiers in the Sierra Leone Army who called themselves the Anti-Corruption Revolutionary Movement (ACRM), led by Brigadier General John Amadu Bangura , overthrew the NRC junta . The ACRM junta arrested many senior NRC members. They reinstated the constitution and returned power to Stevens, who at last assumed the office of prime minister. Brazilian Red Cross The Brazilian Red Cross ( Brazilian Portuguese : Cruz Vermelha Brasileira )
4374-405: The country. In 1924, the UK government divided the administration of Sierra Leone into Colony and Protectorate, with different political systems for each. The Colony was Freetown and its coastal area; the Protectorate was defined as the hinterland areas dominated by local chiefs. Antagonism between the two entities escalated to a heated debate in 1947, when proposals were introduced to provide for
4455-531: The country. Sir Albert was accused of corruption and of a policy of affirmative action in favour of the Mende ethnic group. He also endeavoured to change Sierra Leone from a democracy to a one-party state . The APC, with its leader Siaka Stevens , narrowly won a small majority of seats in Parliament over the SLPP in a closely contested 1967 general election . Stevens was sworn in as prime minister on 21 March 1967. Within hours after taking office, Stevens
4536-403: The desirable residential areas in Freetown. During the British annexation in Sierra Leone, chiefs in the north and south of the country resisted the "hut tax" imposed by the colonial administrators. In the north, there was a Limba chief named Almamy Suluku fighting to protect his territory, while using diplomacy to trick the protectorate administrators, and sending fighters to assist Bai Bureh ,
4617-540: The difficulty in tracking them after they arrived. In the early 19th century, Freetown served as the residence of the British colonial governor of the region, who also administered the Gold Coast (now Ghana ) and the Gambia settlements. Sierra Leone developed as the educational centre of British West Africa . The British established Fourah Bay College in 1827, which became a magnet for English-speaking Africans on
4698-484: The dwellings, and 24 chiefs signed a petition to Cardew, stating how destructive this was; their people could not afford to take time off from their subsistence agriculture. They resisted payment of taxes, tensions over the new colonial requirements and the administration's suspicions towards the chiefs, led to the Hut Tax War. The British fired first; the northern front of mainly Temne people was led by Bai Bureh. The southern front, consisting mostly of Mende people , entered
4779-706: The ecological zones, influencing migration and conquest dynamics. The region's dense tropical rainforest and swamps, coupled with the presence of the tsetse fly which carried a disease fatal to horses and the zebu cattle used by the Mandé people , provided natural defenses against invasions by the Mandinka Empire and other African empires, and limited influence by the Mali Empire , preserving its indigenous cultures from external dominions. The introduction of Islam by Susu traders, merchants and migrants in
4860-451: The establishment of Fourah Bay College in 1827, attracting English-speaking Africans from across the region. The settlement of Sierra Leone in the 1800s was unique in that the population was composed of displaced Africans, brought to the colony after the British abolition of the slave trade in 1807. Upon arrival in Sierra Leone, each recaptive was given a registration number, and information on their physical qualities would be entered into
4941-678: The formal recognition of the territory as the Sierra Leone Colony and Protectorate . Sierra Leone attained independence from the United Kingdom in 1961 under the leadership of Prime Minister Sir Milton Margai of the Sierra Leone People's Party (SLPP). In 1971, under Prime Minister Siaka Stevens of the All People's Congress (APC), the country adopted a new constitution, transforming Sierra Leone into
SECTION 60
#17327754645075022-521: The lioness mountains. This naming has been subject to historical reinterpretation, suggesting earlier European knowledge of the region. Following Sintra, European traders established fortified posts, engaging primarily in the slave trade , which shaped the socio-economic landscape significantly. Traders from Europe, such as the Dutch Republic , England and France started to arrive in Sierra Leone and establish trading stations. These stations quickly began to primarily deal in slaves, who were brought to
5103-502: The local craftsmanship in ivory , leading to a notable trade in ivory artifacts such as horns, Sapi Saltceller , and spoons. The Sapi people belonged to a cluster of people who spoke West Atlantic languages , living in the region of modern day Sierra Leone. There had already been a carving culture established in the area prior to Portuguese contact and many travelers to Sierra Leone initially impressed with their carving skills took local ivory horns back to Europe. One notable description at
5184-420: The main opposition All People's Congress (APC), Siaka Stevens, along with Isaac Wallace-Johnson, another outspoken critic of the SLPP government, were arrested and placed under house arrest in Freetown, along with sixteen others charged with disrupting the independence celebration. In May 1962, Sierra Leone held its first general election as an independent state. The Sierra Leone People's Party (SLPP) won
5265-443: The population. English is the official language, while Krio is the lingua franca , spoken by 97% of the population. The country is rich with natural resources, notably diamonds, gold, bauxite and aluminium. As of the most recent survey in 2019, 59.2% of the population is affected by multidimensional poverty and an additional 21.3% vulnerable to it. Sierra Leone maintains membership in several international organizations, including
5346-403: The powerful paramount chiefs in the protectorate to form the Sierra Leone People's Party or SLPP as the party of the Protectorate. The SLPP leadership, led by Sir Milton Margai, negotiated with the British and the educated Krio-dominated colony based in Freetown to achieve independence. Owing to the astute politics of Milton Margai, the educated Protectorate elites were able to join forces with
5427-406: The previous practice. They did not maintain relationships even with longstanding allies, such as Bai Bureh, who was later unfairly portrayed as a prime instigator of the Hut Tax War. Colonel Frederic Cardew , military governor of the Protectorate, in 1898 established a new tax on dwellings and demanded that the chiefs use their people to maintain roads. The taxes were often higher than the value of
5508-401: The scheme as well, although their interest was spurred by the possibility of resettling a large group of poor citizens elsewhere. William Pitt the Younger , prime minister and leader of the Tory party, had an active interest in the Scheme because he saw it as a means to repatriate the Black Poor to Africa, since "it was necessary they should be sent somewhere, and be no longer suffered to infest
5589-427: The settlers revolted. The Crown subdued the revolt by bringing in forces of more than 500 Jamaican Maroons , whom they transported from Cudjoe's Town (Trelawny Town) via Nova Scotia in 1800. Led by Colonel Montague James , the Maroons helped the colonial forces to put down the revolt, and in the process the Jamaican Maroons in Sierra Leone secured the best houses and farms. On 1 January 1808, Thomas Ludlam ,
5670-417: The streets of London". In January 1787, the Atlantic and the Belisarius set sail for Sierra Leone, but bad weather forced them to divert to Plymouth, during which time about 50 passengers died. Another 24 were discharged, and 23 ran away. Eventually, with more recruitment, 411 passengers sailed to Sierra Leone in April 1787. On the voyage between Plymouth and Sierra Leone, 96 passengers died. In 1787
5751-435: The survivors of Granville Town from joining the new settlement, blaming them for the demise of Granville Town. The Settlers built Freetown in the styles they knew from their lives in the American South ; they also continued American fashion and American manners. In addition, many continued to practise Methodism in Freetown. In the 1790s, the Settlers, including adult women, voted for the first time in elections. In 1792, in
5832-489: Was elected Chief Minister of Sierra Leone. The new constitution ensured Sierra Leone had a parliamentary system within the Commonwealth of Nations . In May 1957, Sierra Leone held its first parliamentary election. The SLPP, which was then the most popular political party in the colony of Sierra Leone as well as being supported by the powerful paramount chiefs in the provinces, won the most seats in Parliament and Margai
5913-745: Was founded in 1908. It has its headquarters in Brasília . In 1907, physician Joaquim de Oliveira Botelho proposed organizing the Brazilian Red Cross in Rio de Janeiro and gained support from members of the Brazilian Historic and Geographic Institute . Articles of Association were drafted and approved on 5 December 1908, and the organization gained recognition as a national branch of the International Committee of
5994-403: Was introduced by Venetian explorer Alvise Cadamosto and subsequently adopted by other European mapmakers . Sierra Leone's history is marked by continuous human habitation for at least 2,500 years, influenced by migrations from across Africa. The adoption of iron technology by the 9th century and establishment of agriculture by 1000 AD along the coast. Climate shifts over centuries altered
6075-467: Was known as the " Athens of Africa" due to the number of excellent schools in Freetown and surrounding areas. The British interacted mostly with the Krio people in Freetown, who did most of the trading with the indigenous peoples of the interior. Educated Krio people held numerous positions in the colonial government, giving them status and well-paying positions. Following the Berlin Conference of 1884–85,
6156-546: Was later freed and fled the country, going into exile in neighbouring Guinea. However, on 23 March 1967, a group of military officers in the Sierra Leone Army led by Brigadier General Andrew Juxon-Smith , staged a counter-coup against Commander Lansana. They seized control of the government, arrested Lansana, and suspended the constitution. The group set up the National Reformation Council (NRC), with Andrew Juxon-Smith as its chairman and Head of State of
6237-527: Was not available in Nova Scotia. The initial process of society-building in Freetown was a harsh struggle. The Crown did not supply enough basic supplies and provisions and the Settlers were continually threatened by illegal slave trading and the risk of re-enslavement. The Sierra Leone Company, controlled by London investors, refused to allow the settlers to take freehold of the land. In 1799 some of
6318-499: Was opposed to the colonial legacy of allowing executive powers to the Paramount Chiefs, many of whom had been allies of his late brother Sir Milton. Accordingly, they began to consider Sir Albert a threat to the ruling houses across the country. Margai appointed many non-Creoles to the country's civil service in Freetown, in an overall diversification of the civil service in the capital, which had been dominated by members of
6399-603: Was ousted in a bloodless military coup led by Brigadier General David Lansana , the commander of the Sierra Leone Armed Forces . He was a close ally of Albert Margai, who had appointed him to the position in 1964. Lansana placed Stevens under house arrest in Freetown and insisted that the determination of the Prime Minister should await the election of the tribal representatives to the House. Steven
6480-453: Was re-elected as Chief Minister by a landslide. Sierra Leone was granted independence by the United Kingdom in 1961, transitioning to a state with its own governance structures, though it faced significant political instability post-independence, including the establishment of a one-party state and periods of civil unrest. On 20 April 1960, Milton Margai led a 24-member Sierra Leonean delegation at constitutional conferences that were held with
6561-430: Was sworn in as prime minister, he fired several senior government officials who had served in his elder brother Sir Milton's government, viewing them as a threat to his administration, including Karefa-Smart. Sir Albert resorted to increasingly authoritarian actions in response to protests and enacted several laws against the opposition All People's Congress, while attempting to establish a one-party state . Sir Albert
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