19th century – 19th century
Sierra Leone
Sierra Leone became a British colonial centre for the reception and administration of Africans liberated from slave ships. After the British Crown took over the colony in 1808, its humanitarian and abolitionist function helped preserve the settlement despite earlier demographic decline, environmental hardship, conflict with neighbouring communities, and disputes over land. Freetown’s Liberated African Department registered 94,329 men, women, and children.
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The Story
Sierra Leone had originally been founded as a philanthropic settlement associated with Christianity, civilization, and trade. Three waves of voluntary settlement brought 2,089 former slaves and fugitives from England, Nova Scotia, and Jamaica to the north-east of the peninsula. Relations with African neighbours were poor, French attacks damaged plantations, and the unhealthy environment caused heavy losses.
The settlement also suffered from internal political intrigue and from the inability of the administering Company to honour promises concerning landownership. By 1802, the pioneer population had fallen to 1,406. The colony was preserved when the British Crown assumed control in 1808 and assigned it a humanitarian and abolitionist role.
Freetown subsequently became a major institutional site for Africans liberated through naval seizures, colonial decisions, and mixed commissions. The Liberated African Department registered 94,329 men, women, and children, making the settlement a central experiment in the social and political integration of people removed from slave status. Some liberated Africans acquired a genuine political existence in Sierra Leone, although the excerpt ends before describing the later development of the colony.
19th century – 19th century
Sierra Leone
Sierra Leone became a British colonial centre for the reception and administration of Africans liberated from slave ships. After the British Crown took over the colony in 1808, its humanitarian and abolitionist function helped preserve the settlement despite earlier demographic decline, environmental hardship, conflict with neighbouring communities, and disputes over land. Freetown’s Liberated African Department registered 94,329 men, women, and children.
Continue exploring
The Story
Sierra Leone had originally been founded as a philanthropic settlement associated with Christianity, civilization, and trade. Three waves of voluntary settlement brought 2,089 former slaves and fugitives from England, Nova Scotia, and Jamaica to the north-east of the peninsula. Relations with African neighbours were poor, French attacks damaged plantations, and the unhealthy environment caused heavy losses.
The settlement also suffered from internal political intrigue and from the inability of the administering Company to honour promises concerning landownership. By 1802, the pioneer population had fallen to 1,406. The colony was preserved when the British Crown assumed control in 1808 and assigned it a humanitarian and abolitionist role.
Freetown subsequently became a major institutional site for Africans liberated through naval seizures, colonial decisions, and mixed commissions. The Liberated African Department registered 94,329 men, women, and children, making the settlement a central experiment in the social and political integration of people removed from slave status. Some liberated Africans acquired a genuine political existence in Sierra Leone, although the excerpt ends before describing the later development of the colony.
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