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==History== | ==History== | ||
Sierra Leone is a small country on the west coast of Africa, the capital of which is Freetown, on the coast. It was first sighted by the Portuguese in 1446 and given the name Sierra Leone | Sierra Leone is a small country on the west coast of Africa, the capital of which is Freetown, on the coast. It was first sighted by the Portuguese in 1446 and given the name Sierra Leone in 1462. The Portuguese visited the coast of Sierra Leone frequently in the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries to trade for slaves, gold, and ivory. They were followed by the English, Dutch, French and Germans. | ||
In the eighteenth century, the British government became interested in purchasing land in Africa for the settlement of former slaves, principally freed slaves from the West Indies. Land in Sierra Leone was purchased from local tribesmen for that purpose and in 1787 the first group of former slaves arrived together with 50 British colonists. These ex-slaves and their descendants eventually became known as Creoles. | In the eighteenth century, the British government became interested in purchasing land in Africa for the settlement of former slaves, principally freed slaves from the West Indies. Land in Sierra Leone was purchased from local tribesmen for that purpose and in 1787 the first group of former slaves arrived together with 50 British colonists. These ex-slaves and their descendants eventually became known as Creoles. | ||