History and Politics
The name "Sierra Leone" means Lion Mountain and 15th century Portuguese explorers gave it to the mountain just beyond the Rokel River estuary around which they built a harbour. The Bulom and the Temne were the original inhabitants of this fine natural harbour, in a kingdom that was originally established by the Mani. The other indigenous inhabitants of the territory included the Mende – presently the largest among the groups, the Loko, the Limba, the Vai and the Susu most of whom belong to the Manding ethno-linguistic family. European interest in the place was mostly as a source of slaves, but they were also attracted by other commodities like ivory, and camwood, for which, they were prepared to venture deep into the interior up to Port Loko. However, they (especially the British) built their fortresses mainly on the islands that remained under the control of the local chiefs. Islam arrived in the area around the 18th century following the Fulani (Called Fula today in S.Leone) jihad in the Fouta-Djalon. With the fight of the
abolitionists to end slavery and slave trade, a settlement named Freetown and run by the Sierra Leone Company was started in the area, to which slaves from Britain and Nova Scotia in Canada were brought. When the company handed the settlement to the British government, it enjoyed the added importance of hosting slaves captured from slave ships. Many of these slaves were of Yoruba origin, but there were also others of Aku, Ibo, Congo, and Hausa descent among them. This interesting mix of ethnic blends later called Creole, was accorded the added advantage of education provided by the Church Missionary Society
(CMS), thereby producing an educated Christian elite speaking English and a form of Pidgin called Krio. (Some remained Islamic in religion). The children of the Temne and others who lived in the Freetown area easily intermingled and got absorbed into the Creole society, forming a vibrant group of traders and businessmen involved in commerce and taking up government jobs in much of the other West African colonies. Although the Creoles were critical of the British government especially through the Sierra Leone Weekly News (paper), their loyalty to the Queen was not shaken. Trade with the British was still beneficial to them, and the government allowed only limited intervention in local traditions like in cases of mediation during conflicts,
the signing of treaties and the extension of British customs duties. However, the local people were mostly relegated to the junior posts in the colonial government.
In 1898 the Creoles were accused of complicity with the Temne and the Mende in the "Hut Tax War" in which many Europeans and Creoles were killed. With the construction of the railway line to Pandembu by 1908 the fortunes of the Creoles faced a further decline as they were forced to compete with more established British companies like John Holt, Lever Bros, Paterson Zochonis etc. In spite of their loyalty during the First World War the Creoles still found it difficult to win the trust of the British. Moreover, by the early 19th century the Lebanese were already wrestling with them over control of the retail trade. They therefore redirected their energies into education and ventured their first faltering steps into politics by supporting the National Congress of British West Africa whose leader was a Creole – Dr. Herbert Bankole-Bright – was later elected member of the Legislative council. Another political group that gained popularity in the country by 1938 was the West African Youth League, after the return of its leader Wallace Johnson from abroad. (He later helped to organise the Pan African Congress of Trade Unions in 1945.) Together with Bankole-Bright who was then the leader of the National Council for the Colony of Sierra Leone (NCCSL), he opposed the granting of a majority of seats to the Protectorate under the proposed 1947 Stevenson constitution. Consequently, they, including the Creoles were eclipsed when progress towards self-government began.
In 1951 Dr. Milton Margai formed the Sierra Leone Peoples’ Party (SLPP). The founding members included Albert Margai (the brother of Milton) Siaka Stevens (former Secretary General of the Mine-workers Union) and others. The NCCSL suffered a
resounding defeat to the SLPP at the 1952 elections, giving way to SLPP members in the enlarged legislative Council to be
selected to serve as ministers on the Executive council in 1953. Dr. Margai himself became the chief Minister in 1954. However, the Creoles retained a disproportionately high representation in the civil service, even though the reconstitution of the Fourah Bay College and its amalgamation with Njala University College to form the University of Sierra Leone had increased the
chances of the rest of the people to advance their education.
The economy seemed to enjoy a period of boom with increases in the production of iron ore and diamond. However, economic
benefits did not seem to be trickling down to ameliorate living conditions in the country. The result was a labour strike in 1955 followed by unrest in the north, affecting mostly the chiefs whose authority was more dependent on the British. Local farmers refused to pay taxes, disobeyed orders to perform communal labour and also discontinued their customary tributes to the chiefs who depended on the British for their security in power. As the rioting retrogressed the chiefs’ properties around the country were destroyed, prompting far-reaching reforms in the existing system of local governance. The new 1956
constitution also declared that representation in the House of representatives, which replaced the Legislative council, was to be by election. It however, reserved seats in the house for paramount chiefs. In the 1957 elections Dr. Milton Margai’ SLPP won a majority and so he became the first Premier. Meanwhile, the United Progressive Party became the official Opposition
under the leadership of Cyril Rogers-Wright (and later Wallace Johnson).
In 1959 Albert Margai together with Siaka Stevens broke away from the SLPP to form the Peoples’ National Party (PNP) but when talks in London led to an agreement to grant independence to the colony, a United Front Coalition was formed with Dr. (now Sir) Milton Margai as the leader and Albert Margai as the Minister of Agriculture. In 1960 Siaka Stevens broke away and
formed the All People’s Congress (APC), a party identified with a radical philosophy based on socialist ideas, to tone down the influence of the all-powerful Sir Milton Margai during the independence discussions. He quickly gathered support from the Northern province, the rural areas and parts of the Western half of the country. Backed by the belief that his support base
was enough to win a national election, he initiated a campaign against the talks. He demanded that a national election be held before independence was granted to the country. To drive home his point he started an operation of violence and thuggery aimed at sabotaging the independence process. The Prime Minister ordered his arrest and that of his followers, forcing them to remain incarcerated until the granting of independence on April 27, 1961.
The name "Sierra Leone" means Lion Mountain and 15th century Portuguese explorers gave it to the mountain just beyond the Rokel River estuary around which they built a harbour. The Bulom and the Temne were the original inhabitants of this fine natural harbour, in a kingdom that was originally established by the Mani. The other indigenous inhabitants of the territory included the Mende – presently the largest among the groups, the Loko, the Limba, the Vai and the Susu most of whom belong to the Manding ethno-linguistic family. European interest in the place was mostly as a source of slaves, but they were also attracted by other commodities like ivory, and camwood, for which, they were prepared to venture deep into the interior up to Port Loko. However, they (especially the British) built their fortresses mainly on the islands that remained under the control of the local chiefs. Islam arrived in the area around the 18th century following the Fulani (Called Fula today in S.Leone) jihad in the Fouta-Djalon. With the fight of the
abolitionists to end slavery and slave trade, a settlement named Freetown and run by the Sierra Leone Company was started in the area, to which slaves from Britain and Nova Scotia in Canada were brought. When the company handed the settlement to the British government, it enjoyed the added importance of hosting slaves captured from slave ships. Many of these slaves were of Yoruba origin, but there were also others of Aku, Ibo, Congo, and Hausa descent among them. This interesting mix of ethnic blends later called Creole, was accorded the added advantage of education provided by the Church Missionary Society
(CMS), thereby producing an educated Christian elite speaking English and a form of Pidgin called Krio. (Some remained Islamic in religion). The children of the Temne and others who lived in the Freetown area easily intermingled and got absorbed into the Creole society, forming a vibrant group of traders and businessmen involved in commerce and taking up government jobs in much of the other West African colonies. Although the Creoles were critical of the British government especially through the Sierra Leone Weekly News (paper), their loyalty to the Queen was not shaken. Trade with the British was still beneficial to them, and the government allowed only limited intervention in local traditions like in cases of mediation during conflicts,
the signing of treaties and the extension of British customs duties. However, the local people were mostly relegated to the junior posts in the colonial government.
In 1898 the Creoles were accused of complicity with the Temne and the Mende in the "Hut Tax War" in which many Europeans and Creoles were killed. With the construction of the railway line to Pandembu by 1908 the fortunes of the Creoles faced a further decline as they were forced to compete with more established British companies like John Holt, Lever Bros, Paterson Zochonis etc. In spite of their loyalty during the First World War the Creoles still found it difficult to win the trust of the British. Moreover, by the early 19th century the Lebanese were already wrestling with them over control of the retail trade. They therefore redirected their energies into education and ventured their first faltering steps into politics by supporting the National Congress of British West Africa whose leader was a Creole – Dr. Herbert Bankole-Bright – was later elected member of the Legislative council. Another political group that gained popularity in the country by 1938 was the West African Youth League, after the return of its leader Wallace Johnson from abroad. (He later helped to organise the Pan African Congress of Trade Unions in 1945.) Together with Bankole-Bright who was then the leader of the National Council for the Colony of Sierra Leone (NCCSL), he opposed the granting of a majority of seats to the Protectorate under the proposed 1947 Stevenson constitution. Consequently, they, including the Creoles were eclipsed when progress towards self-government began.
In 1951 Dr. Milton Margai formed the Sierra Leone Peoples’ Party (SLPP). The founding members included Albert Margai (the brother of Milton) Siaka Stevens (former Secretary General of the Mine-workers Union) and others. The NCCSL suffered a
resounding defeat to the SLPP at the 1952 elections, giving way to SLPP members in the enlarged legislative Council to be
selected to serve as ministers on the Executive council in 1953. Dr. Margai himself became the chief Minister in 1954. However, the Creoles retained a disproportionately high representation in the civil service, even though the reconstitution of the Fourah Bay College and its amalgamation with Njala University College to form the University of Sierra Leone had increased the
chances of the rest of the people to advance their education.
The economy seemed to enjoy a period of boom with increases in the production of iron ore and diamond. However, economic
benefits did not seem to be trickling down to ameliorate living conditions in the country. The result was a labour strike in 1955 followed by unrest in the north, affecting mostly the chiefs whose authority was more dependent on the British. Local farmers refused to pay taxes, disobeyed orders to perform communal labour and also discontinued their customary tributes to the chiefs who depended on the British for their security in power. As the rioting retrogressed the chiefs’ properties around the country were destroyed, prompting far-reaching reforms in the existing system of local governance. The new 1956
constitution also declared that representation in the House of representatives, which replaced the Legislative council, was to be by election. It however, reserved seats in the house for paramount chiefs. In the 1957 elections Dr. Milton Margai’ SLPP won a majority and so he became the first Premier. Meanwhile, the United Progressive Party became the official Opposition
under the leadership of Cyril Rogers-Wright (and later Wallace Johnson).
In 1959 Albert Margai together with Siaka Stevens broke away from the SLPP to form the Peoples’ National Party (PNP) but when talks in London led to an agreement to grant independence to the colony, a United Front Coalition was formed with Dr. (now Sir) Milton Margai as the leader and Albert Margai as the Minister of Agriculture. In 1960 Siaka Stevens broke away and
formed the All People’s Congress (APC), a party identified with a radical philosophy based on socialist ideas, to tone down the influence of the all-powerful Sir Milton Margai during the independence discussions. He quickly gathered support from the Northern province, the rural areas and parts of the Western half of the country. Backed by the belief that his support base
was enough to win a national election, he initiated a campaign against the talks. He demanded that a national election be held before independence was granted to the country. To drive home his point he started an operation of violence and thuggery aimed at sabotaging the independence process. The Prime Minister ordered his arrest and that of his followers, forcing them to remain incarcerated until the granting of independence on April 27, 1961.