# Freetown founded (1792)

URL: https://christianity-history.com/timeline/1792-freetown-founded
Location: Freetown, Sierra Leone
Themes: Mission

About 1,200 Black Loyalists from Nova Scotia, many of them Methodist and Baptist Christians, settle Freetown in Sierra Leone. Their congregations form the first lasting Protestant churches in West Africa. At this point in the timeline (1792), the Bishop of Rome was Pope Pius VI (15 February 1775 – 29 August 1799).

## Why it matters
Freetown became a base for Christian missions across West Africa in the nineteenth century.

Pope at the time: [Pope Pius VI](https://christianity-history.com/popes/pope-pius-vi)

## Sources
- [Wikipedia — Nova Scotian Settlers](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nova_Scotian_Settlers)
- [Encyclopaedia Britannica topic lookup — Freetown founded](https://www.britannica.com/search?query=Freetown+founded)
- [Wikipedia — Enlightenment & Revival (period overview)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_Christianity#Modern_era)