History of Sierra Leone - The creoles and their rich culture

The Creoles are a culturally distinct people of Sierra Leone. Their ancestors were liberated slaves from London, Nova Scotia, Jamaica, and parts of West Africa. They were brought as immigrants to the coast of Sierra Leone, where Britain established a haven for liberated slaves in 1787 and a colony in 1807. After passage of the Anti-Slavery Act in 1807, the British navy patrolled the West African coast, intercepted slave ships bound for the Americas, and released their captives in Freetown. From 1808 to 1863 thousands of liberated Africans came to Freetown, and by 1830 the crown colony had become home to more than 10,000 people, who by virtue of adoption and intermarriage became the Creoles. Traditional attitudes are still noticeable in Creole dating and marriage customs. For example, marriage is still viewed as a contract between two families. Therefore, parents or other family members seek out prospective mates for their kin from hardworking, well-to-do families. Dating ends when a mate has been chosen and the groom's parents set a “put stop” day, after which the girl can no longer entertain other beaus. “Put stop” has a scripted ceremony in which each family plays a part. Out of several possibilities, the groom's family indicates the young lady of its choice, who is always the last to enter the room. On the evening before the wedding, the groom's friends treat him to “bachelor's eve,” a rowdy last fling before marriage. Creole families typically live in two-story wooden houses similar to the way they built their houses in the West Indies or Louisiana. Despite their dilapidated appearance, they have a distinctive feature such as box windows, shutters, glass panes, and balconies. Several of them were burned or destroyed during the war, yet it is surprising how many of them have survived for over 200 years. The elite live in attractive neighbourhoods like Juba Hills.