1819–1844: Data from 1,557 liberated Africans in the Sierra Leone region shows that captives represented all major language groups across the entire territory.

1819–1844: Data from 1,557 liberated Africans in the Sierra Leone region shows that captives represented all major language groups across the entire territory. Most of these individuals had been enslaved within 150 miles of the coast before being embarked for the Middle Passage. This geographic distribution was similar to that found in Cameroon, where most captives also originated relatively close to the sea. This pattern contrasts with evidence from West Central Africa, which suggests that captives there frequently traveled much longer distances from the deep interior.