Independence day

In honour of Sierra Leone Independence day – April 27, 2006 – the following is a brief history of Sierra Leone courtesy of a source I cannot recount…soon to come will be a more recent history I didn’t entirely plagiarize…following this brief tale I will give a short explanation of the celebrations in Freetown to honour Independence Day.

A BRIEF HISTORY OF SIERRA LEONE – European Contact to Independence
European contacts with Sierra Leone were among the first in West Africa. In 1652, the first slaves in North America were brought from Sierra Leone to the Sea Islands off the coast of the southern United States. During the 1700s there was a thriving trade bringing slaves from Sierra Leone to the plantations of South Carolina and Georgia where their rice-farming skills made them particularly valuable.
In 1787 the British helped 400 freed slaves from the United States, Nova Scotia, and Great Britain return to Sierra Leone to settle in what they called the "Province of Freedom." Disease and hostility from the indigenous people nearly eliminated the first group of returnees. This settlement was joined by other groups of freed slaves and soon became known as Freetown. In 1792, Freetown became one of Britain's first colonies in West Africa.
Thousands of slaves were returned to or liberated in Freetown. Most chose to remain in Sierra Leone. These returned Africans--or Krio as they came to be called--were from all areas of Africa. Cut off from their homes and traditions by the experience of slavery, they assimilated some aspects of British styles of life and built a flourishing trade on the West African coast.
The colonial history of Sierra Leone was not placid. The indigenous people mounted several unsuccessful revolts against British rule and Krio domination. Most of the 20th century history of the colony was peaceful, however, and independence was achieved without violence. Independence came in April 1961.



Celebrating Independence
On the evening before Independence Day thousands, upon thousands, upon thousands of individuals descend upon areas of the city to take part in the Lantern Festival – a parade of floats made by & representing different communities. These Lanterns are then marched to the centre of town in what can only be described as pure chaos…this event is known as being rowdy, rough, and rather unsafe, but a good time if your up for it (kinda like being in a traveling mosh pit). There is no security and it is each man/woman for them self as the Lanterns are paraded all through the night into the morning. For safety reasons I could only sit on my doorstep and watch as primarily youth began their journey to the local meeting point choosing instead to celebrate independence day (during the following day) in the more tame environment of the National Stadium where sports – track & field – took place in the day followed by a football game (Sierra Leone vs. Guinea) in the evening…happily Sierra Leone defeated Guinea 1-0.

45 years and still figuring it out…Happy Independence Sierra Leone!