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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. The Rokel estuary was established as an important source of fresh water for sea traders and explorers who 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; during the years 1662-1759, some 106,800 slaves were exported on ships of the British Empire. Trade was controlled by coastal African rulers who prohibited European traders from entering the interior. Rent and gifts were paid for gold, slaves, beeswax, ivory and cam wood.
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 Maroons (the original settlers). 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 in 1807. The British established a naval base in Freetown to patrol against illegal slave ship and established a fine of £100 for every slave found on a British ship.
The Times, London, United Kingdom
February 15, 1802
SIERRA LEONE HOUSE
Dispatches 'have been received from the Governor and Council of Sierra Leone dated 16th December which state a sudden and unprovoked attached on the Settlement, to have been made by some neighbouring natives, on the 18th of November.
"The enemy, though baffled in their enterprize, full-maintained a threatening position to the wellward of the Colony, apparently with the hope of recruiting their numbers.
It became therefore an object of the first importance to dislodge them; and several expeditions, undertaken with this view, in which the Maroons affiliated, were attended with s uch success that by the 4th of December they had been completely drive from the district which lies between the Settlement and Cape Sierra Leone, which scarcely any loss on the part of the Colony.
This trreacherous and unprovoked aggression is exclusively attributed to the Timmaneys, and it appears to have strongly excited the indignation of many of the neighbouring African Chiefs, several of whom had repaired, with a considerable number of men, to the assistance of the Settlement, and had joined in the excursions which were undertaken against the enemy . . .
Captain Bullen of his Majesty's sloop the Wasp has been felicitous from the hour of his arrival . . . The presence and aid of a ship of war, in a situation like ours, are invaluable.
18 people were killed; 38-56 wounded.
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. 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.
Cambridge City Tribune, Cambridge City, Indiana
June 20, 1889
Primitive Intercourse
R. Andree has lately been collecting information as to the use of signals by primitive peoples, and the facts he has brought together are summarized in Science. It appears that American
Indians use rising smoke to give signals to distant friends. A small fire is started, and as son as it burns fairly well, grass and leaves are heaped on the top of it. Thus a large column of steam and smoke arises . . . Recently attention has been called to the elaborate system of drum signals used by the Cameroon negroes by means of which long messages are sent from village to village. Explorations in the Congo basin have shown that this system prevails throughout central Africa. The Bakuba use large wooden drums, on which different tones are produced by two drumsticks. Sometimes the natives "converse" in this way for hours, and by the energy displayed by the drummers, and the rapidity of the successive blows, it seems that the conversation was very animated.The Galla, South of Abyssinia, have drums stationed at certain points of the roads leading to the neighboring states. Special watchmen are appointed, who have to beat the drum on the approach of enemies. Cecchi, who observes this custom, designated it as a "system of telegraph." The same use of drums is found in New Guinea. From the rhythm and rapidity of the blows, the natives know at once whether an attack, a death, or a festival is announced. The same tribes use columns of smoke or (at night) fires to convey messages to distant friends. The latter are also used in Australia. Columns of smoke of different forms are used fro signals by the inhabitants of Cape York and the neighboring island . . .
