French Mapping and Colonization of 19th-Century West Africa
French Mapping and Colonization of 19th-Century West Africa
- Thomas J. BassettThomas J. BassettDepartment of Geography & GIS, University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign
Summary
Maps stand out in popular images of European colonization of Africa but are rarely discussed in the scholarly literature. This essay fills this gap by exploring the intertwined nature of mapping and colonization. French mapping of late 19th-century West Africa demonstrates the contribution of maps and mapmaking to colonialism as well as the influence of colonialism on map history. The essay begins with a review of contrasting approaches to map history. Conventional approaches focus on maps as increasingly accurate representations of reality and the role of individual mapmakers. Critical approaches emphasize mapping discourses and practices. This section is followed by a case study of French imperial and colonial mapping of West Africa that adopts a processual approach to map history. It views mappings as contingent processes that unfold in the course of solving socio-spatial problems. The essay presents a network mapping approach to investigate the relational nature of mapping in the making of colonial French Sudan. The final sections point to the major map archives in France and the primary and secondary literature pertinent to this topic. The essay concludes with a call for further research that explores the impact of mapping on the imperial and colonial history of Africa and the effects of imperialism and colonialism on map history.
Subjects
- Colonial Conquest and Rule
- Image of Africa
- West Africa