History of Sierra Leone (1961–1978) facts for kids
Sierra Leone became an independent nation from Great Britain in April 1961. It chose to have a government where people elected their leaders, similar to Britain's system. The country also joined the British Commonwealth of Nations.
The Sierra Leone People's Party (SLPP), led by Sir Milton Margai, won the first national election in May 1962. This was the first time all adults could vote. When Sir Milton died in 1964, his brother, Sir Albert Margai, became the new Prime Minister. Sir Albert tried to make Sierra Leone a "one-party state," meaning only one political party would be allowed. However, he faced strong opposition and eventually gave up on this idea.
In March 1967, there was a very close election. The All People's Congress (APC) party won slightly more seats in parliament. The Governor General, Sir Henry Josiah Lightfoot Boston, announced that Siaka Stevens, the APC leader, would be the new Prime Minister. But just hours later, military officers arrested Stevens and the Governor General. Brigadier David Lansana, the head of the army, said they needed to wait for tribal leaders to be elected to parliament first.
However, on March 23, 1967, other senior military officers took control. They arrested Brigadier Lansana and stopped the country's constitution. This group called themselves the National Reformation Council (NRC), led by Brigadier Andrew Juxon-Smith. About a year later, in April 1968, another group of soldiers, called the Anti-Corruption Revolutionary Movement, overthrew the NRC. They put NRC members in prison, brought back the democratic constitution, and returned power to Siaka Stevens. Stevens finally became Prime Minister.
After the military handed power back to civilians, new elections were held in late 1968. A government made up only of APC members was formed. But the country was not completely peaceful. In November 1968, a state of emergency was declared because of problems in different parts of the country. In March 1971, there was an attempt by the military to overthrow the government, but it failed.
In April 1971, Sierra Leone adopted a new constitution and became a republic. Siaka Stevens became the country's first President. In the 1972 elections, the opposition SLPP complained about unfair treatment and decided not to participate in the 1973 general election. As a result, the APC won almost all the elected seats. In 1977, students protested against the government. Another general election was held that year, and the APC won most of the seats again.
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Leading Sierra Leone to Independence
On April 27, 1961, Sir Milton Margai led Sierra Leone to become independent from the United Kingdom. People across the country celebrated this important day. The nation held its first general elections on May 27, 1962. Margai was elected Sierra Leone's first Prime Minister by a large number of votes. His political party, the Sierra Leone People's Party (SLPP), won many seats in this election.
Sir Milton Margai was known for being humble and not showing off his power. His government followed the rule of law and believed in separating government powers. This meant different parts of the government had different jobs. He also made sure that different ethnic groups were represented in his government. Margai was successful in uniting different groups to achieve independence peacefully. He shared political power between various groups and the powerful paramount chiefs in the provinces.
After Sir Milton Margai died on April 28, 1964, there was a disagreement within the SLPP about who should be the next Prime Minister. The parliament met quickly to choose a new leader from the ruling SLPP party. The two main candidates were Sir Albert Margai, Sir Milton's younger brother and Finance Minister, and Dr. John Karefa-Smart, the Foreign Minister. Sir Albert Margai was chosen by most votes in Parliament to lead the SLPP and become the next Prime Minister.
Sir Albert Margai's Time as Prime Minister
Sir Albert Margai became Sierra Leone's second Prime Minister on the same day his brother died. Soon after, he removed Karefa-Smart and other officials who had worked with his brother. He saw them as a threat to his leadership. Sir Albert appointed Cyril B. Rogers-Wright to replace Karefa-Smart.
Unlike his brother, Sir Albert did not want the country's powerful Paramount Chiefs to have too much executive power. This made him unpopular with many chiefs, who were important members of the SLPP. To get more support for his plans, he brought younger, educated, and more modern members into the SLPP and his government. This caused a split in the party between the older, traditional leaders and the new, younger ones.
Sir Albert Margai also tried to reduce the influence of the Creole people in government jobs. Many Creoles lost their positions. He was often criticized for corruption and for favoring the Mende ethnic group. During his time, more Mendes held top military and government positions. Sir Albert also tried to create a "one-party state," but he did not have enough support in Parliament, even from his own party. The main opposition, the All People's Congress (APC), became more popular, and he eventually dropped the idea.
Under Sir Albert Margai's government, people in Sierra Leone had freedom of speech and freedom of the press. He allowed people to criticize his government, even his political opponents. No journalists or politicians were harmed during his time in office. He also made sure that all Sierra Leoneans had equal access to fair trials. Sir Albert could have tried to stay in power longer, but he chose not to. He called for free and fair elections instead.
Military Takeovers: 1967-1968
After the close election in March 1967, the Governor General, Sir Henry Josiah Lightfoot Boston, announced that Siaka Stevens of the APC would be the new Prime Minister. Stevens had won by a small number of votes against Sir Albert Margai. Stevens won most votes in the north and in Freetown. Sir Albert Margai won most votes in southeastern Sierra Leone. Sir Albert accepted his defeat and handed power to Siaka Stevens.
Stevens became Sierra Leone's third Prime Minister on March 21, 1967. But just hours after he took office, soldiers arrested him. This takeover was led by Brigadier General David Lansana, the head of the army. Lansana was a strong supporter of Albert Margai. He declared a state of emergency and said that the election winner should wait until tribal representatives were elected to Parliament.
However, on March 23, 1967, another group of senior army officers, led by Brigadier Andrew Juxon-Smith, took control. They arrested Lansana and stopped the constitution. This group formed the National Reformation Council (NRC). On April 18, 1968, the NRC was overthrown by a third group of soldiers called the Anti-Corruption Revolutionary Movement (ACRM). This group was led by Brigadier General John Amadu Bangura. The ACRM imprisoned the NRC members and brought back the constitution. Brigadier Bangura asked Sierra Leoneans to stay calm and urged the military to respect the constitution. He invited Siaka Stevens back to the State House and made him Prime Minister again.
Stevens' Government and the One-Party State
Siaka Stevens returned to power in 1968 with many promises. People trusted him because he supported multi-party politics. However, once he was in charge, he used violence and threats to remove the SLPP from elections. To keep the military on his side, Stevens kept John Amadu Bangura as the head of the armed forces.
After the military handed power back to civilians, new elections were held in late 1968. A government made up only of APC members was formed. But the country was not completely peaceful. In November 1968, Stevens declared a state of emergency because of problems in different parts of the country.
Stevens had promised to follow socialist ideas during his campaign. But when he became Prime Minister, he changed his mind. He started to rule in a more authoritarian way, meaning he had strong control.
Many senior military officers were unhappy, but they could not challenge Stevens. Brigadier General Bangura, who had helped Stevens become Prime Minister again, was seen as the only person who could stop him. Bangura was popular with the people and the army, which made him a potential threat to Stevens. In January 1970, Bangura was arrested and accused of plotting a coup against Stevens. He was found guilty and faced serious consequences. In March 1971, another military coup attempt failed. The leaders of this attempt also faced serious consequences.
On April 19, 1971, parliament declared Sierra Leone a republic. Siaka Stevens became President, and Sorie Ibrahim Koroma became Vice President. Under Stevens' rule, his own ethnic group, the Limba, and the Creoles had strong influence in the government. Other major ethnic groups, like the Temne and the Mende, were often against the APC government. However, after Stevens appointed a Temne person, Sorie Ibrahim Koroma, as Vice-President, the Temne seemed to gain more influence. Troops from Guinea were in Sierra Leone from 1971 to 1973 to support Stevens' government. In May 1973, national elections were held, but the main opposition, the SLPP, refused to participate. They claimed there was widespread intimidation and unfair procedures.
In 1973, President Stevens and President William Tolbert of Liberia signed a treaty to create the Mano River Union. This union aimed to make trade easier between Sierra Leone and Liberia. Guinea joined in 1980. In 1975, Sierra Leone also joined the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).
In 1974, a plot to overthrow President Stevens was discovered and its leaders faced serious consequences. In March 1976, Stevens was re-elected for a second five-year term as president without anyone running against him. In July 1975, 14 senior military and government officials, including Brigadier David Lansana, faced serious consequences after being found guilty of trying to overthrow Stevens' government.
In early 1977, students and young people held large protests across the country against the APC government and the difficult economic situation. The police and army stopped these protests.
In the national election of May 1977, the APC won 74 seats, and the main opposition, the SLPP, won 15. The SLPP said the election was unfair, with many votes being rigged and voters being intimidated. In 1978, the APC-controlled parliament approved a new constitution. This made Sierra Leone a one-party state, meaning the APC was the only legal political party. This decision led to more protests, but they were again stopped by the army and police.
Stevens is often criticized for ruling like a dictator and for government corruption. However, he did try to reduce ethnic tensions in government by including members from different ethnic groups in his powerful APC government.
