Essay On Sierra Leone Imperialism

Imperialism dominated the world during all of the 19th century and early 20th century. One of the countries that were taken over by imperialism was Sierra Leone. The Republic of Sierra Leone is a country located in West Africa and is infamous for its civil wars and “blood diamonds.” Before being imperialized by Britain in 1808, Sierra Leone was made up of freed American slaves from the Revolutionary War. Later on, in time, other liberated slaves or descendants of those slaves would end up settling in Sierra Leone. It is unknown how their caste system operated, but it is well-known that everyone was treated the same and women were able to hold high positions in office. It is assumed that the country followed a democratic-type government because citizens voted for their government officials in the capital city of Freetown. In all, Sierra Leone was a very productive society that based its morals on basic rights and freedom. In the early 1800’s every powerhouse country wanted Sierra Leone’s resources that included camwood, palm produce, and elephants which had a high market in Europe. Great Britain was able to come out victorious and take control of the country. Treaties were made with …show more content…
Instead of passing power to the active government officials, Britain passed power to,” a clique of powerful families who set about plundering the country” (Marxist.com). The goal of these powerful families was to strip the country of its wealth and take complete control. This corrupt government left the country in it’s worst shape ever. Not until 1997 did the U.N. try to strip the government of its power but it was already too late, poverty struck, and nothing could stop it from ending. The wrath of the corrupt government is still being felt by Sierra Leone today, and that is what has ultimately left the country where it is at