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date: 12 February 2025

Slavery in Senegambialocked

Slavery in Senegambialocked

  • Martin A. KleinMartin A. KleinDepartment of History, University of Toronto

Summary

When Portuguese navigators reached the Senegal River in 1444, the region was already involved in the trans-Saharan slave trade. This meant that slaves were already part of Senegambian life as warriors, concubines, and farm workers. From the middle of the 17th century, demand for slaves in the West Indies led to an increase in prices and in the demand for slaves, which mostly came from the Bambara region of western Mali. The slave trade contributed to a series of Muslim revolutions as strict Muslim communities attacked both those laxer in their religious obligations and European colonizers. The trade in the Senegal River was in the 18th century dominated by female entrepreneurs known as signares. In the Gambia, juula traders brought slaves either to British factors or to James Island. Abolition in both Senegal and the Gambia began in the early 19th century but for long affected only areas under colonial rule. The process was a slow one because the expansion of peanut exports increased the demand for slaves and led to caution on the part of colonial regimes. Even after slavery was legally abolished in the early 20th century, the stigma of slave origins and some obligations persisted into the 21st century.

Subjects

  • Slavery and Slave Trade

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