Historical Dictionary of Sierra Leone

Sierra Leone was founded as a refuge for emancipated slaves in the late 18th century and is an important case study for contemporary global issues. The region in which the country is located was important for the early migration and settlement of diverse cultures throughout western Africa. The dictionary offers information and analysis about the territory’s ethnographic, economic, social, and political characteristics from early times to the present.

Historical Dictionary of Sierra Leone, Third Edition contains a chronology, an introduction, and an extensive bibliography. The dictionary section has more than 400 cross-referenced entries on important personalities as well as aspects of the country’s politics, economy, foreign relations, religion, and culture. This book is an excellent resource for students, researchers, and anyone wanting to know more about Sierra Leone.

LaRay Denzer is a historian of West African sociopolitical history. She has taught history in various universities in the US and Nigeria, including seventeen years at the University of Ibadan. Currently she serves as the editor-in-chief of the Program of Africa Studies, Northwestern University. Her research has centered on the evolution of Anglophone West African nationalist politics and gender dynamics during the colonial era and independence.

David E. Skinner is Professor Emeritus of History at Santa Clara University where he taught African and West Asian studies and International Relations for fifty-one years. His research has focused on the development of Muslim communities and the influence of Islamic institutions and ideas in West Africa.