Sierra leones diamond industry helped fund the years of military conflict. They were sponsored and governed by the private sierra leone company until 1808, when britain made sierra leone a crown colony. The original portuguese name, serra lyoa lion mountains, referred to the range of hills that surrounds the harbour. The sierra leone government is constitutionally forbidden from establishing a state religion, though muslim and christian prayers are usually. Sierra leone is located on the west coast of africa, north of the equator. As a chief port city of sierra leone, freetown is the commercial center for trade in platinum, gold, diamonds, and oil. Sierra leone has a tropical climate, with a diverse environment ranging from savanna to rainforests, and a total area of 71,740 km 2 27,699 sq mi and a population of 7,075,641 as of the 2015 census. This is followed by christianity all branches included which make up about 20. In the year 1787, a small area of land where the freed slaves got settled was bought. In british west africa sierra leone was colonized in 1787 by freed slaves arriving from england.
British abolitionists on the high seas and was taken to sierra leone. Sierra leone has a tropical climate, with a diverse environment ranging from savannah to rainforests. On april 8, 1787, the first group of freed slaves left for freetown to found what became the sierra leone colony. Christianity would have begun as a religion when the people who have met christ shared their experiences with other africans. The us government estimated the total population at 5. Traditionalists, muslims, and christians in africa traditions under study. History of sierra leone embassy of the republic of. Sierra leones golden jubilee a pdf copy of the book printed for sierra leones golden jubilee. From 1971 sierra leone is a republic with himself as executive president. Twelve years of nearly continuous civil war finally ended in freetown and sierra leone in 2002.
Sierraleone was christianized in the seventeenth century by a. We have been through a very dark period of our countrys history. Mission work in sierra leone, west africa sierra leone web. History the region now called sierra leone was on the southern edge of the great empire of mali, which flourished between the th and 15th centuries. They belonged to the missionary society known as the order of. Cms native clergy in west africa to 1900, sierra leone bulletin of religion,iv 1962, 712. It has been composed to allow readers to gain an accurate and comprehensive range of materials of the economy of sierra leone in the past, the present and the future. Apr 04, 2018 sierra leone is a west african country with an area of 71,740 square km and a population of 7,075,641 people. Centre of sierra leone studies the economy of sierra leone.
Mende people are a subset of mandeethnolinguistic group which belong to the larger nigercongo phylum living mainly in sierra leone with a small representation in the neighbouring liberia. The country is a secular state with the constitution granting the people of the country the freedom to practice the religion of their choice. The bible has mentioned the name of africa in several ways and they have witnessed the life of jesus christ. They eventually received their freedom in 1841, after two years internment in the united states awaiting the verdict of the courts regarding their revolt. The history of the evangelical fellowship of sierra leone archived 20928 at the. Early inhabitants included the temne, the sherbro and the limba, who were organised into independent chiefdoms. Administratively, sierra leone is divided into 3 provinces and one area. Other sources report that the population of christians in sierra leone may reach 21%. Anglicans, methodists, and baptists were active in sierra leone. Apr 05, 2018 sierra leone, a country in west africa, has a special significance in the history of the transatlantic slave trade as the departure point for thousands of west african captives.
Centre of sierra leone studies the economy of sierra. The slc, organized by british businessman and abolitionist william. Centre of sierra leone studies the economy of sierra leone part 1 this section of the csls data base will contain some duplication. Sierra leone, religion and social profile national profiles. Archaeology findings show that sierra leone has been inhabited for thousands of years. History of sierra leone lonely planet travel information. Sierra leone history background cms, education, colony.
Christian influences in sierra leone before 1787 in. A group of liberated african slaves banded together and bought confiscated slave ships. Anglicans, methodists, and baptists were active in sierra leone and, with presbyterians, in nigeria, while methodists also set up missions in ghana, gambia, and dahomey. The portuguese landed on the sierra leone peninsula, naming it serra lyoa lion. Sierra leone became africas first modern state when freed slaves from america, britain and elsewhere in africa were resettled in the present day freetown peninsular from 1787. Although diamonds seemingly played a significant role in financing the war once it started, diamonds more likely contributed to corrupting. Christians in sierra leone constitute approximately 10 percent 574,300 of the countrys. He became the first african to be consecrated bishop on the west coast of africa. Liberia was now engaged in a complex threeway conflict with sierra leone and the republic of guinea.
At independence in 1961, sierra leones development prospects looked encouraging. History early history the temne were living along the northern coast of presentday sierra leone when the first portuguese navigators reached the region in 1460. Sierra leone history slideshow video of historic photos. British were in this small african country in the west coast before 1808 and it used to trade slaves. They belonged to the missionary society known as the order of christ which was sponsored by prince henry the navigator.
Two important developments opened a new chapter for crowther and for sierra leone christianity. It is bordered by liberia to the southeast and guinea to the northeast. Religion in sierra leone wikimili, the free encyclopedia. Traditional historiography has customarily presented it as a people by successive waves of invaders. Christianity spread in africa nearly two thousand years ago. Sierra leone is officially a secular state, although islam and christianity are the two main and dominant religions in the country. Sierra leone is bounded by guinea to the north and northeast, liberia to the south and southeast, and the atlantic ocean to the west. Islam is the most widely practiced religion with about 78% of the population being of muslim faith. For a treatment of earlier periods and of the country in its regional context, see western africa, history of. This book was wellwritten by a native of sierra leone and it depicts the most important events in the countrys history from prehistorical times until the 1990s. By tracing the origins of the christian faith in both north and subsaharan africa including, northcentral and west africa, this paper seeks to show that. This discussion focuses on sierra leone from the 15th century. The sierra leone river, with a natural harbour at its mouth where freetown now stands, is one of the places where slaving ships of the european nations regularly put in to trade with local rulers for their transatlantic cargo.
Freetown is the capital, principal port, commercial center, and largest city of sierra leone the city was founded by british naval lieutenant john clarkson and freed american slaves from nova scotia freetown was part of the larger colony of the sierra leone which was founded by the sierra leone company slc in 1787. The slaves had been kidnapped mostly from the neighborhood of the colony of sierra leone and sold to spanish slavers. Siaka stevens remains in control for eighteen years by dismantling the countrys checks on the abuses of power. A political history by david harris examines 225 years of the countrys history and fifty years of independence, placing statesociety relations at the centre of this investigation of those who have tried to rule or change sierra leone. Full text of the missionary history of sierra leone. It was a portuguese sailor, pedro da cintra who, on a visit to this land in 1462, named the place he saw as serra lyoa lion range or lion mountain. Sierra leone, officially the republic of sierra leone, informally salone, is a country on the southwest coast of west africa. The constitution of sierra leone provides for freedom of religion and the sierra leone government generally protects it. History of sierra leone in 1808 sierra leone became a british crown colony, ruled under a colonial governor. As in most subsaharan africa, christianity came late to sierra leone. Origins of church missionary society accommodation to. Sierra leone is bounded on the west and southwest by the atlantic ocean, on the northwest, north, and northeast by guinea, and on the east and southeast by liberia.
That said, since the end of the civil war, the people and the government have done a tremendous job of moving forward and rebuilding the country. The sierra leone civil war was the result of varied interactions between structural problems in sierra leone society which increased grievances among people and, accordingly, led to the emergence of the ruf. Samuel adjai crowther 18011900 church history timeline. And of these, the most startling expansionthe greatest christian expansion since what were for europe the middle ageshas been in africa, where christians. Page 123 of note 3 wise and others to wood, mms archives, april 1816. Apr 14, 2020 sierra leone and the transatlantic slave trade. Lenneke sprik finds that this read is useful for scholars and students with a specific. Other articles where history of sierra leone is discussed. It was there that he became a christian and was trained as a clergy in sierra leone and great britain. Christians in sierra leone constitute approximately 10 percent 574,300 of the countrys population 5,743,725 2014 est.
Sierra leone, religion and social profile national. One was a new link with yorubaland crowthers native land in what is now western nigeria. A brief history of the catholic church in sierra leone the history of the catholic church in sierra leone can be traced back to 1510 a. Full text of the missionary history of sierra leone see other formats.
Later, other groupsnova scotians, maroons, and recaptiveswere also settled in freetown. The sierra leone government is constitutionally forbidden from establishing a state religion. During the last decades of the eighteenth century freed slaves, who had been introduced to christianity by their owners in north america and the west indies, returned to the area that is now sierra leone, an area that has had a muslim presence from at least the sixteenth century. History of sierra leone embassy of the republic of sierra. From this point sierra leone declines into a long era of repressive rule, military coups and by the end of the century terrifying and violent anarchy.
The constitution provides for freedom of religion, and the government generally respected this right in practice. Early in the year, a charismatic pentecostal church in freetown sent a petition to. With a land area of 27,699 square miles 71,740 square kilometers, it is slightly smaller than the state of south carolina. It has been composed to allow readers to gain an accurate and comprehensive range of materials of the economy of sierra leone. Anglicans, methodists, and baptists were active in sierra leone and, with presbyterians, in nigeria, while methodists also set. Sierra leone is a west african country with an area of 71,740 square km and a population of 7,075,641 people. Niger languages and sierra leone missionary linguists, bulletin of the society for african church history, ii 1966, 12738. Sierra leone, as with most african countries, has a complicated history, characterized by colonization and civil war. Sierra leone, a small country on the western coast of africa, has a unique history of religious diversity. Page 123 of note 2 fyfe, history of sierra leone, pp. The emergence of the krio and their subsequent decline. Apr 20, 2011 continuing ethnic violence in the countryside however, forced a mass immigration of people into freetown.
Freetown christianity and africa, ibid, vi 1964, 21. Other beliefs include traditional african religions, buddhism, hinduism and judaism. A pdf copy published for sierra leones 55th independence anniversary. In the hardest hit nations sierra leone, liberia, and guinea, there are in total about 8,600 churches and hundreds of christian ministries. Freetown, sierra leone compass rebel soldiers have targeted christians and churches of various denominations during the past year as this west african countrys civil war, one of the regions bloodiest conflicts, shows few signs of abating. Freetown, now the capital of sierra leone, was chosen as the new world for the freed slaves. Meanwhile, the united nations security council in march 2001 resolution 43 concluded that liberia and charles taylor played roles in the civil war in sierra leone, and therefore. The narrative ends just before the civil war breaks out but for those interested in the war, the issues leading up to it are very well covered. Sierra leone, a country in west africa, has a special significance in the history of the transatlantic slave trade as the departure point for thousands of west african captives. According to the 2004 census, the most recent available, 78 percent of the population. Sierra leone, officially the republic of sierra leone, is a country in west africa. Oct 25, 2012 the sierra leone civil war was the result of varied interactions between structural problems in sierra leone society which increased grievances among people and, accordingly, led to the emergence of the ruf.
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