The Negative Impact Of European Colonization Of Sierra Leone

Position paper on the colonization of Sierra Leone

European colonization of Sierra Leone had an overall negative impact on the state of the country, both economically and culturally. The first Europeans to discover the land of Sierra Leone were the Portuguese. This contact with the two nations happened in 1462 and was known to be one of the first contacts between Europeans and West Africa. Before the Portuguese discovered this land, Sierra Leone had a number of politically independent groups. Various languages were spoken in these native groups; however, there was a similarity in their cultural beliefs. Some of these groups had a well-managed trading system. For instance, the Susu and Fulani tribes traded salt, clothes, iron, and gold frequently
This source generally accepts that the impact of European colonization on the continent of Africa had a positive outcome. The main message in the source connects European colonization with Africa’s education system, such as elementary education, and agricultural units, such as, the production of cotton, cocoa, tea, coffee, and peanuts. The context compares the idea of Europe’s colonization with the result of some residents of Africa, living in standards, similar to those in Europe. The intention of this author for writing this source, may have been to highlight the disadvantages that Africa could have faced if Europeans had not colonized. The reader’s reaction may be that this perspective is not accurate. This is because the source focuses on the “acceptable standard of living” that some Africans supposedly enjoy; however, according to statistics based on the world fact book, 70.2 percent of the population of regions, such as, Sierra Leone falls below the poverty line. The subtle message of the context may be the Eurocentric view the source grasps. The writer focuses on European culture and excludes the broader view of African culture, while believing that adapting the European perspective is the key to happiness. The author uses multiple vocabulary words that accentuate her or his point. Some examples are the words “small”
After the conquest of many African states, European powers developed colonial state systems, their aim was to exploit and control the societies through the advantages of machinery. One of Europe’s main reason to colonize Africa was to search for natural resources that were easily transported back to Europe. This process was unfair because it reduced the amount of resources. The reason this process of depletion was a negative action that resulted in the economic downfall of Africa is because, if these resources had been available, African nations could have controlled their own trades, which could have eventually resulted in them growing as an economic power, opposed to them being reliant on Europe. This country is well known for it’s rare diamonds. One of the world’s top 20 diamonds ever found, weighing 709 carats, is protected in a bank in Sierra Leone. Wherever Sierra Leone was rich in resources, there were people who fought to take control of the wealth. On March 21 1991, the Revolutionary United Front(RUF), a rebel that fought a in the eleven year old war, intruded Sierra Leone and attempted to overthrow the government. In the first year of this mournful war, the RUF controlled parts of the country, such as, the eastern and southern parts, due to the fact those areas were rich in diamonds. This