Historic Sierra Leone | Uncovering Sierra Leone's Hidden Past - The Scars of the Slave Trade

This short documentary traces the history of Sierra Leone's connection to the transatlantic slave trade and the infrastructures constructed by the slave traders to facilitate it.

Sierra Leone, located on the western coast of Africa, has a rich and complex history connected to the transatlantic slave trade. The trade began in the 15th century when European explorers arrived on the shores of West Africa and began to establish trade relationships with local leaders. Over time, this trade in goods, including slaves, grew into a lucrative industry.

In the 18th and 19th centuries, Sierra Leone became a key centre of the transatlantic slave trade. Local leaders, such as King Jimmy, worked with European traders to capture and sell slaves to be transported across the Atlantic Ocean. The British also established a number of structures in Sierra Leone to support their involvement in the slave trade, including King Jimmy, Government Wharf and Falcon Bridge with its bunkers and trenches built in the capital Freetown to ramp up the slave trade.

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