Sierra Leone and the Slave Trade

Sierra Leone on the map

Author: Jessica Han

Sierra Leone’s slave trade was established all throughout the country. One such noted establishment was Bunce Island, which was located about twenty miles north of the Sierra Leone river (Aldrich, Jane). The British establishment of Bunce Island in Sierra Leone served as what is commonly known as a “slave castle.'' These slave castles would serve as housing units for slaves before they would be shipped out to different slave ports for sale. Bunce Island opened as a slave castle in 1670 and operated until 1807. In another article by the Hartford Courant, they argue that “tens of thousands of kidnapped Africans from that region were shipped through the facility and onto the Caribbean Islands and the colonies of South Carolina and Georgia'' (Hartford Courant). Although thousands of Africans, most likely free men and women were kidnapped. The constant demand for slaves did not stop the surge in kidnappings of freedmen and women. Bunce Island served as Britain’s largest slave castle and was situated along what was known as the Rice Coast (Hartford Courant). The general layout of Bunce island was set up so that men were separate from women and children (Hartford Courant). Since Bunce Island played a prominent role in the rice trade, the majority of enslaved Africans brought to Bunce Island were rice farmers, who were highly sought after, especially in North America (Hartford Courant). Bunce Island was a vital part of the slave trade in Sierra Leone, as the captives were not just rice farmers, but also produced their own crops and produce (Hartford Courant).


Aldrich, Jane. 2010. “Bunce Island.” Encyclopedia of African American History.


The Hartford Courant. 2005. “THE FORTRESS AT BUNCE ISLAND”, 2005.

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