Liberated Africans in Sierra Leone

An 1835 illustration of liberated slaves arriving in Sierra Leone.

The Sierra Leone Liberated Africans or the Recaptives were slaves freed by the British Royal Navy from slave ships on the high seas and brought to Freetown, now Sierra Leone's capital city.

Background

After the British abolished the slave trade in 1808, the Royal Navy started patrolling along the African coast and high seas, seizing all slave vessels. They transported most liberated Africans to Freetown, but sent some to Liberia, a colony established by the United States; Saint Helena, Guyana in South America, and the British West Indies. Over 40,000 liberated Africans arrived in Freetown between 1808 and about 1855. They were given land, baptised and given Christian first and last names.

The liberated Africans came from all over West Africa and some Central African countries; of the people who settled in Freetown, however a significant portion of the Recaptives settled in Freetown were Bakongo, Beninese, Yoruba, Igbo, Hausa and Akan.

Recaptive Villages

A number of villages were established to provide accommodation for these new residents of Sierra Leone.

Formation of Sierra Leone Creole people

The Colony-born children of Liberated Africans, the Jamaican Maroons and Nova Scotian Settlers sometimes called the liberated Africans "Willyfoss niggers".[1] Nevertheless after several decades all three groups developed into the Sierra Leone Creole people who became recognised as a particular ethnic identity alongside others in Sierra Leone.

See also

References

  1. ↑ A history of the colonization of ... - Google Books. Books.google.com. Retrieved 2011-02-25.

Sources

External links


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