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• Why slave trade lasted for so long, It was too profitable and therefore the participants never wanted to stop it.
• Some countries still wanted manual labour i.e. Britain, Spain, USA, Portugal.
• Slave labour was cheap and therefore some people wanted it.
• Lack of substitute for slave trade made it difficult to stop it.
• Slave trade meant quick money by the sellers than crops that would take long before selling.
• African societies looked at slave trade as a way of removing wrong doers in societies i.e. thieves, murderers.
• Britain was first left alone to carry out the abolition yet the area to cover was too big.
• Portugal and Spain had not yet industrialized and took long for them to accept the British idea of the abolition.
• Some traditionalists also resisted abolition because slaves were used as sacrifices to their gods.
• Some of the European ships carrying slaves used USA flags and because America had just got independence from Britain could not be disturbed.
• The long African coastal line also made the Exercise take long; this was because Britain had few ships and man power to patrol.
• The Exercise was very expensive and needed enough money.
• Slave trade continued in the interior because the British were mostly at the coast hence domestic slavery.

Effects of legitimate trade in west Africa.

• Human dignity was restored.
• Two social classes emerged in West Africa i.e. traders and the working class.
• Led to the creation of large trading centres and stations e.g. Lakojo.
• Led to the Exploitation of minerals and naturals.
• Led to colonization of West Africa by European powers.
• The trade led to under development of Africa.
• It led to development of new communication lines like road, railways.   ¦
• Led to improvement in the standard of living due to importation of European goods in West Africa.
• Led to commercialized farming.
• New crops were introduced in West Africa.
• Trading company was introduced in West Africa.
• Led to colonization of West Africa by the Europeans.
• It destroyed the development of African art and craft.
• Led to introduction of new economic system in West Africa like Banking, credit facilities.

Development of the coastal states of sierra leone and liberia.

Sierra leone.It was a colony founded by the British for the freed slaves (Negroes) after the abolition of Slave trade and slavery.

Origin of sierra leone:

• Originally, Sierra Leone was inhabited by tribes such as Mende, Temne and Kru.
• The land was found at the coast of West Africa which attracted the British to acquire it for freed slaves.
• The land was bought from the local tribes around the current capital of free town.
• All the slaves from Jamaica and England were settled in Sierra Leone.
• The country was founded by humanitarians led by Granville sharp, William Wilberforce and Thomas Dickson.
• They had formed an organization or society for the abolition of slave trade and when they got the land, Granville persuaded the
• British to resettle some of the freed slaves there.
• In May 1787, around 450 freed slaves and 60 prostitutes led by Captain Thompson arrived in Sierra Leone and settled in Free town.
• Captain Thompson built a town and named it” Granville” in honor of Granville sharp.
• The name Granville was later changed to free town.
• More freed slaves arrived in 1772 and 1796 from Nova Scotia. In 1800, the Maroons from Jamaica arrived in Sierra Leone.
• The British government provided free transport to the freed slaves to Sierra Leone.
• In 1808, Sierra Leone became a crown colony.
• Among the freed slaves were Maroons who had successful rebelled against their masters in Jamaica.
• From then, the Ex – slaves and white officials in Sierra Leone were known as settlers and Free town as its capital city.

Reasons why sierra leone was founded.

• The British determination to end slave trade in West Africa led to its foundation.
• The role of some personalities like Granville sharp, William Wilber force led to the foundation of Sierra Leone as a home for freed slaves.
• To provide employment to freed slaves who had become unemployed.
• To reduce crime rates in former European cities i.e. theft, robbery.
• The former slaves were unwanted in England after industrialization hence the foundation of Sierra Leone.
• Lord Chief Justice Man field’s ruling in 1772 declared that the British law and constitution were against slavery hence the government founded a new colony for slaves.
• Freed slaves were discriminated in England hence the foundation of Sierra Leone for them.
• The good natural harbous near free town led to the foundation of
• Sierra Leone.
• The favourable climate and fertile soils suit able for Agriculture could provide raw materials for their industries.
• There were fresh water provided by streams and rivers in Sierra Leone hence suitable for settlement and farming.
• Sierra Leone was well known in England for being the centre of British slave trade before the abolition.
• The need to establish the European civilization to West Africa through a colony led the foundation of Sierra Leone.
• Sierra Leone provided market to the European manufactured goods i.e. clothes, guns hence Britain wanted to exploit this through a colony.
• Britain wanted to begin effective patrols against slave traders in West Africa and wanted to use free town as their headquarters hence the foundation.
• Increased population in Britain hence needed to reduce the population.
• Freed slaves were idle and disorderly in Europe hence need for a colony for them.
• The need to spread Christianity to the freed slaves and Africans led to the foundation of Sierra Leone.
• Rebellion and demonstrations organized by the freed slaves in Europe created disorder hence the foundation of Sierra Leone.
• The role of Thomas Peters who was an ex-slave but joined the British army put pressure on Granville sharp to create a colony.
• The British wanted to give a permanent settlement for the former slaves.
• Fear of polluting the white race by the blacks as the blacks would become many.
• The freed slaves were very expensive to maintain in Europe hence the formation of Sierra Leone.

Problems faced by the freed slaves in Sierra Leone.

• Many died of malaria, by 1807 out of 3000 half were alive.
• They did not know how to plan for farming in Africa and therefore their crops failed to yield hence starving.
• They were not used to the food in West Africa and at first food was brought from England.
• The local Africans i.e. Temne and Mende never wanted to part away with their land.
• Lacked labourers on their plantations
• In 1794 during the Napoleonic wars, the French destroyed Free town because Britain was at war with France.
• The white administrators in Sierra Leone segregated against the Negro settlers.
• They lacked shelter on arrival to Sierra Leone.
• Financial problems and depended on the whites.
• Lacked capital to begin economic activities like trade.
• The unfavourable climate i.e. too much rainfall destroyed their tents and shelters.
• Failure of the Temne to sell their land permanently i.e. in 1789, the Temne wanted back their land.
• Communication with the local people was a big problem.
• Threats of recapture by slave dealers who threatened to recapture them.
• Lacked educational institutions where their children could learn from.

The Creoles

Who were the Creoles?

• They were half-casts between the liberated Africans slaves and the white settlers in Sierra Leone after the abolition of slave trade by Britain.
• They were composed of many rlations in West Africa taken to Europe (Britain) and brought back to Sierra Leone.
• They comprised of the Yoruba, Ibo, Asante etc.
• The name Creole was used to mean the “Re-Captives” children born in the colony. ‘
• Their culture was a mixture of Christian Europeans and African traditional culture.
• The Creoles were mostly Christians dressed like Europeans.
• They practiced the European style of life i.e. homes and practiced Monogamy.
• They spoke their own type of English, kept traditional customs, diet and dances of their native land.
• It is their culture that gave Sierra Leone National identity.
• The Creoles are said to have emerged in Sierra Leone by 1850. Why are the Creoles remembered / importance in the history of West Africa?
• They strengthened the relationship between Africa and Europe.
• They helped to spread Education e.g. in 1827 Fourah Bay College was founded and became a university in 1876.
• They worked as administrators in Sierra Leone.
• They helped in the development of Sierra Leone.
• They wrote many books e.g. Samuel Ajayi Crowth wrote Grammar and Vocabulary language.
• They helped in the spread of Christianity i.e. in Nigeria, Gambia.
• They promoted civilization in West Africa i.e. discouraged bad practices like sacrificing people.
• Promoted trade i.e. acted as middle men e.g. R.B Blaize.
• Improved on the general standard of living in West Africa.
• Helped in the spread of colonial administration in West Africa.
• Improved transport i.e. built roads, railways in West Africa.
• They promoted justice in Sierra Leone by developing the Judiciary in West Africa.
• They established medical services which reduced tropical diseases like malaria.
• They translated books from English to local languages i.e.
• A holy bible into local languages.
• They promoted the building of urban centres in West Africa
• They developed the mass media i.e. Newspapers since others were editors and writers.
• They agitated for African representation in the councils and later independence.
• Why did the Creoles influence decline in West Africa after 1900.
• The appointment of the British governor Cardew who was against the Creoles policies led to its decline.

The Creoles were later segregated in the colonial politics which they had dominated for long as by the new British policy. (Decline).

• The hatred of the Creoles by the interior tribes who considered them as foreigners.
• Decline of trade in Freetown especially after conquest by the French.
• The establishment of the British trade companies out competed the Creoles in trade.
• The denial of the Creoles higher education and Creoles teachers were stopped from employment.
• The Creoles were blocked from entering the interior by the British for fear of collaborating with the interior tribes to fight them.
• The Creoles were hated by the Temne and Mende tribes. They were seen as the cause of the hut tax war of 1898.
• The dismissal of the Creoles medical doctors in 1902 i.e. 20 doctors were stopped hence a way of keeping them insignificant.
• The dismissal of the Creoles from the judiciary by the British claiming that they were corrupt.

• The dismissal of the Creoles from the mission churches i.e. bishop Ajayi Crowther was forced to resign.
• Segregation of the Creoles by the British i.e. no working together, no intermarriage etc.
• The Creoles were also out competed in trade by Syrian and Lebanese traders in 1890s.
• They were dismissed from the colonial army hence weakening them.