The historic symbol of Freetown, the capital of Sierra Leone, is a large kapok tree known as the “Cotton Tree.” According to legend, the tree gained importance in 1792 when a group of formerly enslaved people settled the site of what is now Freetown. After the American Revolution, the British granted freedom to the enslaved people who had fought with the Crown during the war. Some so-called “Black Loyalists” were given land and supplies to resettle in British-controlled Nova Scotia, while others went to London and parts of the Caribbean. In…
