Creole Development in West Africa.

Sierra Leone and Liberia are sometimes referred to as "A nursery bed of 19th century West African civilization". This is due to the fact that it was in Sierra Leone that Creoles emerged and spread the social political and economic ideas to the rest of West Africa .
The Creole race came about as a result of intermarriages between freed slaves of Europe,
America and recaptives who settled in Liberia and Sierra Leone after the stopping of slave trade and slavery activities worldwide.
Beginning with 1807 Sierra Leone became an important base of Britain and slave trade activities. Many freed and captured slaves were settled in Liberia and Sierra Leone. E.g. population increased from 1871 people in 1,807 to 45,661 people in 1847. As time went on recaptives became more and more progressive and they controlled their economic activities, built their own churches and mosques .
Due to education and intermarriages between African freed slaves and recaptives the
developed a distinct group of people known as "Creoles". These had their unique language
known as "Krio" which was partly African and European in nature.
Creoles in West Africa emerged with good ideas in the field of social, political economic aspects which spread to other areas in West Africa in the 19th century period.
Education, by 1868, 22% of the West African population had been educated more schools' were built e.g. Fourah bay which began as a teachers' training college in 1827 had attained a university status by 1876.
By second half of the 19th century good clergy men, teachers, doctors and lawyers had been produced in West Africa as a result of this Creole education. The notable products of this education include; John Thorpe, the first black lawyer in Sierra Leone, William Davis anus Africanus Hortor, the first black doctor of western medicine, Ajayi Crowther, the first
black protestants Bishop and Samuel Lewis, the first newspaper editor and the first
African to be granted the Cambridge university degree.
publication developments; Creole intellectuals from Sierra Leone and Liberia contributed
greatly in developing African academic standard through publishing books, articles, magazines and newspapers. Important to remember was Samuel Johnson who wrote the
first book about history of Y oruba, Dr J. B Horton who wrote the first medical topography of west african coast in 1860, Bishop Ajayi Crowther who wrote on grammer and vocabulary of Youba language, A.B.C Sib Thorpe who wrote on Sierra Leone's history and geography, Dr J. F Eastman who was head of Ghana medical services widely researched on blach Ghana river while Dr. Ogutola Sapars started the 151 pono small box society of Lagos.
Christianity: Seirra Leone also acted as a breeding p.ace for Creole Christian rmssionancs who spread the gospel and Western education to various parts like Gambia, Ghana and H igcria. Among these was Bishop Samuel AJaYI Crowther who headed all Creal staff In NIger mission which tried to Christianize the Niger delta and created a self governing delta church. More missionaries and teachers weru and operated in Aboekuta center in Nigeria,
4 The Creole commercialization policy: Sierra Lecne further acted as a bed for traders and business In West Africa. Many Creoles emerged from Sierra Leone and LIberia, Pioneered trade in various towns in Freetown, Lagos and Bathust e.g. Richard Blanze left free town in I 862 and started operating In Lagos whose enterprise were by 1896 worth 150,000 pounds. More Creole traders were in 1890s operating bus messes in Manrovia, Accra, Cape coast, Cameroon and Lome
5. Politics; In. the field of politics. Creole produced Important politicians and administrators an various parts of West Africa by 1872 the Creole held most of the juniors and almost half of the civil services posts In West Africa. Fur example, Creole sat in legislative and executive councils of Ghana, Gambia and Nigena The judges of supreme court in Ghana were all Creole by birth.
6. Professional Administration: the post of colonial treasurer, solicitor general, post master general, chief medical officer and active gov ernors 111 ~igeria were Creoles. Creole
schools also produced reigistrars of courts In Ghana and very many other important personerlity In West Afnca who assisted in the colonial administration of their areas.
In Gambia, two successful chief justices and in Aboekuta (Nigeria) both the president and secretarv general of their government were from the Creole race. In Monrovia one Creole wac elected as mayor and another as a president of the republic.
After the Creole bad made such progress in various fields, the Bntish began seeing them as obstacles ln 1)594, for example. governor Cardew began to work towards the decline of Creole If. west Africa By 1914, the influence of Creoles In Bntish West Africa had been completely reduced.
Therefore when the above facts are put mto account SIerra Leone can be referred to as "Nursery bed" for West Africa civilization. However, It should be noted tha: the idea of Creoles only spread to Bntish West African terntones. Their influence didn't significantly reach in the French West Afncan states. This v. as basically because Creoles welcomed the British and the Bntish started using Creoles to administer the British controlled territories in West Africa as they were versed with Bntish language and culture.
However not all aspects of civilization in West Africa were brought by Creoles. From Sierra Leone other agents of civilization e.g. Trans Saharan traders, corning of missionaries in the 19th century. chartered companies e.g. Royal, Kiger Company, role of imperialists e.g. Mac Donald, Lord Lugard, George Goldie and influence of natural resources e.g. the existence of gold minerals In Ghana worked Jointly with Creoles to provide a base for civilisation in West Africa. ..
Revsion questions.
Examine the effects of Creole ci viIization in West Africa by 1914.
Nursery bed" of civilization In West Afnca", Is it a fitting description In Sierra Leone in the 19th century west Africa
To what extent was Sierra Leone's nursery bed for civilization in West Africa between
1855-1949"