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101-414: Its population as of the 2013 census was 1,680 inhabitants, giving a density of 5,802 inhabitants per square kilometre (15,030/sq mi), which is only half the average density of the city of Dakar. Gorée is both the smallest and the least populated of the 19 communes d'arrondissement of Dakar. Other important centres for the slave trade from Senegal were further north, at Saint-Louis, Senegal , or to

202-542: A brief time between 1779 and 1783, Gorée was again under British control, until ceded again to France in 1783 at the Treaty of Paris (1783) . During that time, the infamous Joseph Wall served as Lieutenant-Governor there, who had some of his men unlawfully flogged to death in 1782; for these crimes, Wall was later executed in England. Gorée was principally a trading post, administratively attached to Saint-Louis , capital of

303-465: A central municipality, was divided into 19 communes d'arrondissement to which extensive powers were given. The commune of Dakar was maintained above these 19 communes d'arrondissement . It coordinates the activities of the communes d'arrondissement , much as Greater London coordinates the activities of the London boroughs . Thus, in 1996 the commune of Gorée was resurrected, although it

404-630: A convenient stopover on the shortest route from Europe to the Caribbean . Many slaves were shipped through Goree to the Dutch colony of Curacao in the 1660s and 70s. The island was attacked by the Portuguese in early 1629, but they were not able to hold it. With this loss, their access to the lucrative coastal trade was cut off, and the importance and wealth of Santiago, Cape Verde , withered. The British also attempted to control this trade, capturing

505-402: A dispensary, believed to be the site of the first chapel built by the Portuguese in the fifteenth century, and the beach are also of interest to tourists. This historical site is a rare example of a European colony where we see free and enslaved Africans (making up half of Gorée's population), Europeans and Afro-Europeans living alongside each other, even as the island was a prominent center in

606-511: A homage to the victims of slavery who displayed resilience by attempting to swim towards freedom. It has been a recurring event throughout its history, except in 2020 and 2021 when it was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic . With the foundation of Dakar in 1857, Gorée gradually lost its importance. In 1872, the French colonial authorities created the two communes of Saint-Louis and Gorée,

707-489: A landing at Gorée is by Johannes de Laet , who reported that a fleet of Dirck Symonsz van Uytgeest destined for Brazil anchored at Gorée on 20 July 1628. De Laet mentions that the Dutch West India Company had built a fort on the island and had named the island Goeree . This could either be after the Dutch island of Goeree or, as is the case for the Dutch island itself, be an allusion to the quality of

808-546: A large part of West Africa. Criterion IV The Island of Saint-Louis, a former capital of West Africa, is an outstanding example of a colonial city, characterized by its particular natural setting, and it illustrates the development of colonial government in this region. Among interesting and attractive monuments and edifices are the Governor's Palace, the Gouvernance where are located the town's administrative offices,

909-495: A period of several years, aimed to collect artifacts pertaining to the historical time periods of the pre- and post- European settlement, as well as identify the use of the different quarters on the island using the material culture excavated from those areas. In his preliminary results, Ibrahima Thiaw also discusses the difficulties of excavation on a primarily tourist island. Portuguese Major Captain Lançarote and his crew were

1010-605: A presence directly on the mainland, first in Rufisque (1840) and then in Dakar (1857). Many of the established families started to leave the island. Civic franchise for the citizens of Gorée was institutionalized in 1872, when it became a French commune with an elected mayor and a municipal council. Blaise Diagne , the first African deputy elected to the French National Assembly (served 1914 to 1934),

1111-532: A slave depot mainly because of the work of its curator Boubacar Joseph Ndiaye , who was able to move the audiences who visited the house with his performance. Many public personalities visit the House of Slaves, which plays the role of a site of memory of slavery. In June 2013, President of the United States Barack Obama visited the building. The Dakar-Gorée Swim was launched in 1985 as

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1212-756: A stretch of 25 km (16 mi), separates the lower Senegal River from the Atlantic Ocean. Its vegetation mainly consists of Filao trees , propagated to prevent soil erosion in sandy and salty soils. Among Saint-Louis' numerous natural sites are the National Park of the Langue de Barbarie, the National Park of the Birds of Djoudj , the Fauna Reserve of Gueumbeul, beaches like that of

1313-463: A study of local and introduced trees and shrubs, which aids in identifying the ancient plant remains found in the excavations. Excavations at Gorée have also uncovered numerous European imports: bricks, nails, bottles from alcoholic beverages such as wine, beer and other liquor, beads, ceramics and gunflints . The Gorée Archaeological Project, or GAP, started its undertakings (survey, testing, mapping, and excavations) in 2001. The project, extending over

1414-599: A symposium at the Sorbonne in April 1997, entitled " Gorée dans la traite atlantique : mythes et réalités ", whose proceedings were published afterwards. Recently, Hamady Bocoum et Bernard Toulier published an article "The Fabrication of Heritage: the case of Gorée (Senegal)" (in French: "La fabrication du Patrimoine : l’exemple de Gorée (Sénégal)") documenting the elevation of Gorée to an emotionally charged memorial of

1515-663: A table. Archaeological research on Gorée has been undertaken by Dr Ibrahima Thiaw (Associate Professor of Archaeology at the Institut Fondamental d'Afrique Noire (IFAN) ; and the University Cheikh Anta Diop of Dakar, Senegal); Dr Susan Keech McIntosh (Professor of Archaeology, Rice University , Houston, Texas); and Raina Croff (PhD candidate at Yale University , New Haven, Connecticut). Dr Shawn Murray ( University of Wisconsin–Madison ) also contributed to archaeological research at Gorée through

1616-489: Is a small island 900 metres (3,000 ft) in length and 350 metres (1,150 ft) in width sheltered by the Cap-Vert Peninsula. Now part of the city of Dakar, it was a minor port and site of European settlement along the coast. Being almost devoid of drinking water, the island was not settled before the arrival of Europeans, although the presence of domesticated sheep noted by Portuguese explorers indicates

1717-429: Is described as a "known general station for ships, notoriously used as such, and distinguished by the name". A roadstead can be an area of safe anchorage for ships waiting to enter a port, or to form a convoy. If sufficiently sheltered and convenient, it can be used for the transshipment of goods, stores, and troops, either separately or in combination. The same applies in transfers to and from shore by lighters . In

1818-513: Is gradually reviving. The city was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2000 and cultural tourism has become an engine of growth. As a result, a process of gentrification has set in, with many historic buildings on the island being turned into restaurants and hotels. Beyond tourism, Saint-Louis is also a commercial and an industrial centre for sugar production. Its other economic activities are fishing, irrigated alluvial agriculture, pastoral farming, trading and exportation of peanut skins. It

1919-429: Is important to note that each of these economic activities is assured by a particular ethnic group. The Wolofs and Lebous who are the main inhabitants of Saint-Louis are mostly fishermen that live in fishing communities like Guet-Ndar on the Langue de Barbarie. The Fulas live in the inland and practice pastoral farming. The Maures who are migrants from Mauritania (Saint-Louis is less than 10 kilometres or 6 miles south of

2020-413: Is located 60 kilometers north of Saint-Louis. This park occupies over 120 km and includes part of the river, and many lakes, basins, and marshes. About 3 million migrating birds of 400 species visit it each year. Located at a dozen kilometers south of the city of Saint-Louis, this reserve has an area of 7 square kilometres and shelters birds and endangered species such as the dama gazelle ,

2121-465: Is named after Louis   IX , a canonized 13th-century king of France . Obliquely, the name also honored Louis   XIV , the reigning king of France at the time of the island's settlement in 1659. It was originally known as Saint Louis of the Fort ( St-Louis-du-Fort ) after its stronghold and to distinguish it from other places of the same name . The Langue de Barbarie takes its name from

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2222-415: Is no archaeological or physical evidence of a struggle or conflict between the eventual Europeans or any other cultural group. Thiaw's hypothesis suggest the possibility that when the Portuguese used the island to bury their dead, the island, in the eyes of the natives, became haunted or was negatively impacted by the mysterious powers of the spirits of the sea. There is some textual evidence that states that

2323-476: Is no need. Maison des Esclaves , or the House of Slaves , was built in 1780–1784 by Nicolas Pépin . Although it is the home of the infamous "Door of No Return", which is said to be the last place exported slaves touched African soil for the rest of their lives, there is little evidence at Maison des Esclaves to suggest a "large-scale trans-Atlantic slave trade" economy. According to census records obtained from

2424-484: Is now only a commune d'arrondissement (but in fact with powers quite similar to a commune ). The new commune d'arrondissement of Gorée (officially, the Commune d'Arrondissement de l'île de Gorée ) took possession of the old mairie (town hall) in the center of the island. This had been used as the mairie of the former commune of Gorée between 1872 and 1929. The commune d'arrondissement of Gorée

2525-586: Is only separated from the Atlantic Ocean to its west by the Langue de Barbarie , a 300 m (980 ft) wide sand spit . The Langue de Barbarie is the location of the seaside neighborhoods Ndar Toute and Guet Ndar. On the mainland, the east bank of the river is the site of Sor, an older settlement now considered a suburb of Saint-Louis. It is nearly surrounded by tidal marshes . Three characteristics give Saint-Louis its distinctive geographic appearance:

2626-528: Is ruled by a municipal council ( conseil municipal ) democratically elected every 5 years, and by a mayor elected by members of the municipal council. The current mayor of Gorée is Augustin Senghor , elected in 2002. The island is a UNESCO World Heritage Site , since September 1978. Most of the main buildings in Gorée were constructed during the second half of the eighteenth century. The main buildings are

2727-550: Is situated in northern Senegal , on the border with Mauritania , although the nearest border crossing is at Rosso , 100 km (62 mi) up the Senegal River. The heart of the old colonial city is located on a narrow island a little more than 2 km (1.2 mi) long but only about 400 m (1,300 ft) wide. The island lies in the Senegal River . It is 25 km (16 mi) north of its mouth, but

2828-444: Is the capital of Senegal 's Saint-Louis Region . Located in the northwest of Senegal, near the mouth of the Senegal River , and 320 kilometres (200 mi) north of Senegal's capital city Dakar . It had a population of 254,171 in 2023. Saint-Louis was the capital of the French colony of Senegal from 1673 until 1902 and French West Africa from 1895 until 1902, when the capital was moved to Dakar. From 1920 to 1957, it also served as

2929-465: The African diaspora . This contrasts with the role of the site of Rue des Dongeons on Gorée. At Rue des Dongeons , as the name suggests, there is a presence of dungeons , which can clearly be associated with the confinement of the slaves to be exported. Historian Ana Lucia Araujo has said "it’s not a real place from where real people left in the numbers they say." Conversely, UNESCO claims that "from

3030-530: The Colony of Senegal . Apart from slaves, beeswax, hides and grain were also traded. The population of the island fluctuated according to circumstances, from a few hundred free Africans and Creoles to about 1,500. There would have been few European residents at any one time. After the decline of the slave trade from Senegal in the 1770s and 1780s, the town became an important port for the shipment of peanuts , peanut oil , gum arabic , ivory , and other products of

3131-647: The Franco-Dutch War , the island remained chiefly French until 1960. There were brief periods of British occupation during the various wars fought by France and Britain. The island was notably taken and occupied by the British between 1758 and 1763 following the Capture of Gorée and wider Capture of Senegal during the Seven Years' War before being returned to France at the Treaty of Paris (1763) . For

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3232-554: The French Revolution , France abolished slavery, and the slave trade from Senegal was said to have stopped. A French engraving of about 1797 (pictured) shows it still going on, but this may be an anachronism. In April 1801, Gorée was captured by the British again. In January 1804 a small French squadron from Curaçao captured Gorée , but the British recaptured it in March. In March 1815, during his political comeback known as

3333-487: The Hundred Days , Napoleon definitively abolished the slave trade to build relations with Great Britain. This time, abolition continued. As the trade in slaves declined in the late eighteenth century, Gorée converted to legitimate commerce. The tiny city and port were ill-situated for the shipment of industrial quantities of peanuts, which began arriving in bulk from the mainland. Consequently, its merchants established

3434-656: The Langue de Barbarie , the colonial waterworks at Makhana, the palace of Baron Roger  [ fr ] at Richard-Toll , the Diama Dam , and various hunting lodges on the south side of the Senegal River. This park, which is 20 square kilometres large, occupies the southern point of the Langue de Barbarie, the estuary of the Senegal river and part of the continent. It hosts thousands of water birds like cormorants, brushes, pink flamingos, pelicans, herons and ducks each year. The world's third largest ornithological park, it

3535-510: The Patas monkey and the African spurred tortoise . Saint-Louis has a hot desert climate ( Köppen climate classification BWh ). It only has two seasons, the rainy season from June to October, characterized by heat, humidity and storms, and the dry season from November to May, characterized by cool ocean breeze and dust from the Harmattan winds. A 2011 documentary described Saint-Louis as

3636-697: The Sahel , the marshes and the Langue de Barbarie. Part of the Sahel, a transitional desertic band that separates "[...] the dunes of the Sahara from the baobabs of the savanna", Saint-Louis' landscape is characterized by occasional acacias and is disturbed by sand storms during the dry season. The marshes are flood basins that form during the rainy season when the river overflows into the countryside, creating ponds and stretches of mangroves that attract birds like flamingos and pelicans . The Langue de Barbarie , over

3737-693: The Seattle Times and Max Fischer in the Washington Post , some English news sources, such as the BBC, still cling to the invented narrative of Gorée as a major center of the slave trade. Gorée Island was the Pit Stop for Leg 4 of The Amazing Race 6 , and the Slave House itself was visited during Leg 5. Saint-Louis, Senegal Saint-Louis or Saint Louis ( Wolof : Ndar ),

3838-625: The "legitimate" trade. It was probably in relation to this trade that the so-called Maison des Esclaves was built. In the 18th and 19th century, Gorée was home to a Franco-African Creole, or Métis , community of merchants with links to similar communities in Saint-Louis and the Gambia, and across the Atlantic to France's colonies in the Americas. Métis women, called signares from

3939-463: The "little branch" of the river, between Ndar Island and the Langue de Barbarie. The Magal of the Niari Rakas, a yearly commemoration of Cheikh Ahmadou Bamba Mbacké 's (the founder of Mouridism) two prayers in the Governor's Palace in 1895, is the city's largest religious gathering. Saint-Louis' characteristic colonial architecture along with its regular town plan, its location on an island at

4040-612: The 15th to 19th century, Gorée was the largest slave trading centre on the African coast." On the southcentral end of Gorée, in the Bambara quarter, although less abundant in artifacts, the deposits from this area differ in sediment inclusions from the rest of the island. Inclusions such as limestone, red bricks, shell, or stones in these two to three meter depositions are no older than the eighteenth century and shows frequent building up and tearing down processes. This could be correlated to

4141-435: The 17th and 18th centuries. The Métis were important to the economic, social, cultural and political life of the city. They created a distinctive urban culture characterized by public displays of elegance, refined entertainment and popular festivities. They controlled most of the up-country river trade and they financed the principal Catholic institutions. A Métis mayor was first designated by the Governor in 1778. Civic franchise

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4242-458: The 18th century, the majority of enslaved population fell under the category of domestic slaves, rather than slaves to be exported. Pépin and his heiress may have had domestic slaves, but again there is little archaeological evidence that they were involved in any slave exportation business. Despite this lack of evidence, Maison des Esclaves has become a pilgrimage site to commemorate forcible removal of Africans from their homeland, also known as

4343-442: The 1950s local groups had adopted a "Cuban" sound. Another music festival, 1, 2, 3 musiques, exhibits various genres of music. The Festival Métissons, held for the first time in 2010, is a grassroots music festival organized by local communities and small businesses. Every edition sports international, national and local musical talent. The annual reggata, or pirogue race organized by teams of fishermen from Guet-Ndar, takes place on

4444-475: The 1970s. This interest surged after the impact of the TV series Roots , which was most acutely felt among African-American viewers. For this reason Ndiaye exaggerated the importance of Senegal, and Gorée in particular, by claiming that no less than 20 million enslaved Africans were shipped from there. Although several English-written media sources have reported on the invented history of Gorée, notably John Murphy in

4545-458: The African city most threatened by rising sea levels . Flooding is becoming worse, and by 2080 80% of the city will face flood risks. A Wolof settlement at what is now known as Guet Ndar dates from around 1450 and was a meeting and departure point for Muslim pilgrims traveling to Mecca in Arabia . Portuguese , Dutch , and English traders visited the area over the next two centuries but

4646-591: The Africans and the European inhabitants and followed the common association that masonry was a European influence. However, the construction of these architectural buildings were most likely built by the slaves, and without floor plans, as indicated by the haphazard city layout and irregular angles in the rooms. Settlement analysis demonstrates the possibility that with time, the masters' and the enslaved peoples' statuses evened out enough to work and live side by side on

4747-428: The Africans did not respond in the desired way and tore up the paper and smashed the cake and the mirror, thus setting the tone for future relations between the Portuguese and Africans of Gorée Island. As of the early 18th century, Gorée settlements were segregated into quarters: the Bambara quarter (slaves), gourmettes (Christianized Africans), and a quarter for the residents of Gorée, including free Africans. By

4848-489: The Atlantic slave trade. Archaeology on Gorée Island leads to many contradictory and contrasting conclusions. On one end of the spectrum, enslaved peoples on Gorée were treated poorly, like animals, on the other there is evidence for enslaved peoples being welcomed as part of families. The signares (free African or Afro-European women) were recorded preferring to eat on the floor with a spoon and communal bowl , as their domestic slaves, but European men kept tradition and used

4949-640: The British during the Napoleonic Wars , and returned to France in 1817. Facing a near-total dependence on gum, the French authorities tried to promote plantation agriculture in Waalo from 1819 to 1830, but this failed. At the same time, Saint Louis grew massively during this period in both population in commercial activity. Throughout the 19th century, the French periodically warred with the Emirate of Trarza and other Hassani tribal states, which disrupted

5050-462: The Dutch purchased the island from the chief of Dakar or from local fisherman on the island. While there is little archaeological evidence of this transaction, all European deposits are relatively abundant. On Gorée there are four distinct deposits found through excavation and testing. The first kinds of deposition are located on the northwestern and western part of the island, and were typically three metres of domestic debris and shell midden. Surrounding

5151-466: The French for "Barbary Tongue", after an old name for the land of the Berbers . The local name Ndar or N'dar is Wolof for a kind of island and has been borne by the island since before the French settlement. Ndar Tout or Toute is a Gallicized form of a Wolof name meaning "Little" or "Lesser Saint Louis". The neighborhood of Guet Ndar takes its name from a Wolof word for "pasture". Saint-Louis

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5252-555: The French-educated lawyer Lamine Guèye , died in 1968, the city lost its strongest proponent. Since 1993, the city has hosted the Saint Louis Jazz Festival , a major tourist draw. Between 2016 and 2017, Saint-Louis experienced a large decline in the catch of fish brought in, causing ripple effects on nutrition and food supply in the country, where 75% of animal protein comes from fish. Fisherman from

5353-542: The Kingdom of God . With a large influence over education in colonial times, Saint Louis is now a center of educational excellence. It is home to the Gaston Berger University and The Military Academy Charles Ntchorere. Gaston Berger University, created in 1990, offers studies organized in a number of general education and research faculties. The Military Academy Charles Ntchorere, commonly known as

5454-724: The Parc Faidherbe named for the French governor at the centre of town Louis Faidherbe , colonial-era hotels, the historic airport at Dakar-Bango on the mainland, the Faidherbe Bridge that connects the island to the Langue de Barbarie and the Gaol and Servatius bridges that connect the island to the continent. The places of worship are predominantly Muslim mosques. There are also Christian churches and temples: Roman Catholic Diocese of Saint-Louis du Sénégal ( Catholic Church ), Assemblies of God , Universal Church of

5555-556: The Portuguese senhora descendants of African women and European traders, were especially important to the city's business life. The signares owned ships and property and commanded male clerks. They were also famous for cultivating fashion and entertainment. One such signare , Anne Rossignol , lived in Saint-Domingue (the modern Haiti ) in the 1780s before the Haitian Revolution . In February 1794 during

5656-662: The Prytanee Militaire of Saint Louis, was created in 1922. The École française Antoine-de-Saint-Exupéry , a French international school serving preschool through collège (junior high school), is located in Saint-Louis. Saint Louis has been the birthplace or home of: Roadstead A roadstead or road is a body of water sheltered from rip currents , spring tides, or ocean swell where ships can lie reasonably safely at anchor without dragging or snatching. It can be open or natural, usually estuary -based, or may be created artificially. In maritime law, it

5757-560: The Slave house, 1786; William Ponty School, 1770; Musée de la mer (Maritime museum), 1835; Fort d'Estrées , originally called the northern battery, which now contains the Historical Museum of Senegal , built between 1852 and 1865; palais du Government (Government Palace), 1864, occupied by the first governor-general of Senegal from 1902 to 1907. The Gorée Castle and the seventeenth-century Gorée Police Station, formerly

5858-454: The abandonment of Gorée before Dutch arrival. Deposits of the pre-European period are dense with pottery decorated with twine and fish vertebrae motifs and could be found in the domestic settlement context, under or at the same levels of floors and fireplaces. The pottery near the settlements suggests that these settlements were semi-permanent or permanent. Fishing tools and equipment were rare although deposits were dense with fish remains. There

5959-586: The age of the steamship and the completion of the Dakar-Saint Louis railroad in 1885 meant that up-country trade effectively circumvented its port. Large French firms, many from the city of Bordeaux , took over the new commercial networks of the interior, marginalizing the Métis traders in the process. Saint-Louis nonetheless maintained its status as capital of the Colony of Senegal even after Dakar assumed

6060-411: The analysis of these ceramics suggests that many of them were replacements coinciding with the occupation. Deposits like this were not common around the island. As with many archaeological sites around the globe, modern influences and activities affect the sites and lead to disturbances in the archaeological record or unintentional site destruction. The European government imposed strict rules regarding

6161-507: The anchorage at the island, as goede reede means "good roadstead " in Dutch. Possession of Goree was the key to accessing the trade of the entire coast south of the Cap Vert, including the important trading posts at Rufisque , Saly-Portudal , Joal , and Cacheu , in addition to the commerce of the Gambia river , as it served as a warehousing and transshipment point. In addition, it was

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6262-465: The area that was once Fort Nassau, these depositions were determined in correlation with Fort Nassau activity, which was seen to be relatively unfluctuating. A rare deposition was found near the Castel at G18, the sole site excavated in the area. Depositions in this area were typically shallow and right on top of a limestone bedrock. However, this one site produced three burials, all of which were dug into

6363-591: The border with Mauritania) are mostly merchants, traders and shopkeepers found everywhere in Saint Louis. Culture constitutes an important part of Saint-Louis' economy. The city preserves much of its 19th-century morphology, reminiscent of other cities of the "Creole Atlantic": Bahia , Cartagena , Havana and New Orleans . Thanks to its distinctive appearance, numerous sites of attraction and its international music festivals and cultural exhibitions, Saint-Louis attracts many tourists each year. Saint-Louis remains

6464-404: The capital of the neighboring colony of Mauritania . The town was an important economic center during the period of French West Africa , but it is less important now. Nonetheless, it still has important industries, including tourism, a commercial center, sugar production, and fishing. The tourism industry is in part due to the city being listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2000. However,

6565-406: The city is also vulnerable to climate change —where sea level rise is expected to threaten the city center and potential damage historical parts of the city; according to a Senegalese government study, up to 80% of the city could be at risk of flooding by 2080. Moreover, other issues such as overfishing are causing ripple effects in the local economy. Saint Louis ( French : Saint-Louis )

6666-579: The city's many festivals and its cultivated sense of public display, and it is helping Saint-Louis emerge from decades of neglect. "Fanals", which are night-time processions of giant paper lanterns, take place at Christmas time. The Saint-Louis Jazz Festival is the most important jazz festival in Africa. Jazz first became popular in the 1930s when records produced in Cuba were aired on the radio. After World War II , visiting U.S. GIs popularized jazz bands and by

6767-570: The community spend twice as much time for catching smaller hauls, and are now competing with foreign fishing vessels. Rising sea levels, as well as water levels flowing out of the Senegal River now threaten the low-lying islands which make up the city. An ill-fated 2003 canal project exacerbated flooding issues, leading to submerged neighborhoods. In June 2008, Alioune Badiane of the United Nations ' UN-Habitat agency designated Saint-Louis as "the city most threatened by rising sea levels in

6868-505: The country, Saint-Louis slipped into a state of lethargy. As its French population and military departed, many of the town's shops, offices and businesses closed. The loss of jobs, human potential, and investment caused its economic decline. The loss of its past status meant less recognition and lack of interest from the colony's officials and, after Senegal's independence, from the Senegalese government. When its most famous political son,

6969-510: The destruction of much of the archive of the First Dutch West India Company , it is unknown when and how the Dutch replaced the Portuguese on the island. According to Olfert Dapper , the island was gifted to the Dutch West India Company by the local chief Biram in 1617. This statement is problematic, not the least because the Dutch West India Company was only established in 1621. The first contemporary Dutch account of

7070-475: The extensive settlement of this area maybe by domestic slaves beginning in the eighteenth century. Quartier Bambara was a segregated settlement, which suggests domestic slavery rather than exportation. The maps of this settlement has segregated boundary lines that eventually, by the mid-eighteenth century, were shown to be reduced. Found in the center of the island, Bambara was inhabited by the Bambara people. The Bambara people had an unfavorable stereotype; found in

7171-432: The false interpretations of French visitors in the 18–19th century and afterwards). De Roux based his critique on the works of the researchers Abdoulaye Camara and Father Joseph-Roger de Benoist. According to historical accounts, no more than 500 slaves per year were traded there, a trickle in comparison to the scale of the slave trade along the coasts of modern-day Benin, Guinee and Angola: in total 4–5% (or around 500 000) of

7272-470: The first nearby colonial fortification was erected by the French in 1638 on Bocos Island , about 25 km (16 mi) away. Repeated flooding prompted the removal of the fort to the island known to locals as Ndar in 1659. The island was uninhabited at the time, supposedly because the local people believed it to be haunted by spirits. The Diagne of Sor, the local leader, permitted French settlement on

7373-459: The first to make Afro-European relations with Gorée Island in 1445. After sighting Gorée approximately three kilometres (1.9 miles ) off the shore from modern day Dakar, Senegal , Lançarote and his officers sent ashore a few officers to leave peace offerings to the natives of the island. They deposited on Gorée soil a cake, a mirror and a piece of paper with a cross drawn on it, all of which were intended to be symbols for peaceful actions. However,

7474-607: The first western-style municipalities in West Africa, with the same status as any commune in France . Dakar, on the mainland, was part of the commune of Gorée, whose administration was located on the island. However, as early as 1887, Dakar was detached from the commune of Gorée and was turned into a commune in its own right. Thus, the commune of Gorée became limited to its tiny island. In 1891, Gorée still had 2,100 inhabitants, while Dakar only had 8,737 inhabitants. However, by 1926

7575-533: The flow of gum. Nevertheless, with the removal of trade restrictions in 1848 and in 1853, exports soared. When war again broke out in 1854, the Arab Emirs forbade the Berber zwaya merchants from selling to the French, but this had little effect. In the 1855 Battle of Leybar Bridge a small force of French Marines defended the town from a large Trarza force. With the French victory in 1858, they were able to set

7676-411: The island by the second half of the eighteenth century. In the 1990s a debate ensued on the veracity of the Gorée slave trade as narrated by the conservator Boubacar Joseph Ndiaye . In an article, published in the French newspaper Le Monde , Emmanuel de Roux challenged Ndiaye's repeated claims that Gorée, at the so-called "Maison des Esclaves", was an important slave depot (which was largely based on

7777-457: The island for annual payments of "three pieces of blue cloth , a measure of scarlet cloth , seven long iron bars, and 10 pints of eau de vie ." The fortification permitted its factory to command foreign trade along the Senegal River . Slaves, gold, hides, beeswax, ambergris and, later, gum arabic were exported. During the Seven Years' War , British forces captured Senegal in 1758. In February 1779, French forces recaptured Saint-Louis. In

7878-670: The island was frequented by local peoples of the nearby mainland. The island of Gorée was one of the first places in Africa to be frequented by European traders, as the Portuguese traders established themselves on the island in 1444. According to Valentim Fernandes , the Portuguese established a chapel with dry stone walls and a roof made out of straw on the island. This chapel was visited by Vasco da Gama in 1502 and probably also by Amerigo Vespucci , Tristão da Cunha and Afonso de Albuquerque in 1501 and 1506, respectively. Due to

7979-565: The island with a fleet under Robert Holmes in 1663, but it was soon recaptured by Michiel de Ruyter . Repeated wars weakened the Dutch West India Company , however, and the Third Anglo-Dutch War precipitated the bankruptcy of the company in 1674. In 1677 a French fleet led by Jean d'Estrées defeated the Dutch and captured Goree and their coastal trading posts. After the French invasion in 1677, during

8080-450: The late 18th century, Saint-Louis had about 5,000 inhabitants, not counting an indeterminate number of slaves in transit. Between 1659 and 1779, nine chartered companies succeeded one another in administering Saint-Louis. As in Gorée , a Franco-African Creole, or Métis, merchant community characterized by the famous " signares ", or bourgeois women entrepreneurs, grew up in Saint-Louis during

8181-433: The later half of the 18th century, the segregation was between signares and their families and the rest of the island as well as the previous instated quarters. According to preliminary results by Ibrahim Thiaw, the levels between the pre and post European contact deposits were characterized by an obvious infestation of termite nests . One interpretation of this is the possibility that these termite nests were cause of

8282-422: The limestone bedrock. G13, a site located on the eastern side of the island, has produced cultural debris from one of its trash pits. This debris includes nails, European late pearlware and early whiteware with similar patterns dating from 1810 to 1849, sardine cans, and window glass, among other artifacts. Located near the military barracks from a military occupation in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries,

8383-452: The lives of those on Gorée, seen in the influx of ideas, complex identities and settlement structure. Atlantic trade also influenced the physiological aspects of Gorean society. Archaeology has uncovered a plethora of evidence for massive imports of alcoholic beverages on the island. The massive import of alcoholic beverages naturally suggests a high level of consumption which its effects have been recorded as drunken conflicts, commonly between

8484-437: The mainland of Senegal and Mali, the Bambara were known for being excellent slaves. Brought to Gorée by the French, the Bambara people were set to build roads, forts and houses. These buildings ( Maison des Esclaves , Quartier Bambara , and Rue des Dungeons ), made of stone or brick, contrasted with the structures built by the Africans made of straw and mud. This contrast aided in the segregation and status separation between

8585-677: The military inhabitants. The previously mentioned Dr Ibrahima Thiaw is also the author of Digging on Contested Grounds: Archaeology and the Commemoration of Slavery on Gorée Island . In this article, Thiaw discusses the difference between the historical accounts full of slavery and shackles and the lack of archaeological evidence to support those accounts. Raina Croff, one of Thiaw's colleagues, states that she personally has never found any evidence of slavery on Gorée Island, however she also includes that archaeological evidence such as shackles and chains would not be found on an island, because there

8686-404: The most characteristically French colonial destination in West Africa along with Gorée Island. Saint-Louis' Research Center and Documentation Museum of Senegal offers interesting panoramas of Senegal's history and ethnic movements over the years, expositions of traditional clothes and musical instruments, etc. Saint Louis is famous for its urban culture. The heritage of the signares lives on in

8787-545: The mouth of the Senegal River and the system of quays, gives Saint-Louis the distinctive appearance and identity that have raised the island to the rank of world heritage since 2000. The Island of Saint-Louis is inscribed on the World Heritage list on the basis of criteria II and IV: Criterion II The historic town of Saint-Louis exhibits an important exchange of values and influences on the development of education and culture, architecture, craftsmanship, and services in

8888-553: The population of Gorée had declined to only 700 inhabitants, while the population of Dakar had increased to 33,679 inhabitants. Thus, in 1929 the commune of Gorée was merged with Dakar. The commune of Gorée disappeared, and Gorée was now only a small island of the commune of Dakar. In 1996, a massive reform of the administrative and political divisions of Senegal was voted by the Parliament of Senegal . The commune of Dakar, deemed too large and too populated to be properly managed by

8989-782: The role of capital of the French West Africa federation. The colonial institutions set up in the city in the 19th century, such as the Muslim Tribunal and the School for Chiefs' Sons, were to play important roles in the history of French Africa. Though relatively small in size (population of 10,000 in 1826; 23,000 in 1914, and 39,000 in 1955) Saint-Louis dominated Senegalese politics throughout the 19th and early 20th centuries, not least because of its numerous political parties and associations and its independent newspapers. Following independence, when Dakar became sole capital of

9090-450: The school "On the picturesque island of Goree whose ancient ramparts face modern and commercial Dakar I saw two or three hundred fine black boys of high school rank gathered in from all Senegal by competitive tests and taught thoroughly by excellent French teachers in accordance with a curriculum which, as far as it went, was equal to that of any European school," while faulting Colonial France for how limited its public education infrastructure

9191-503: The slaves were shipped from Senegal to the Americas, whereas the remaining 11.5 million enslaved Africans came from the other (West) African shores. Ndiaye's graphic descriptions of the conditions of the slaves allegedly kept at the "Maison des Esclaves" are not supported by any historical documentation and according to De Roux, they may have served to drum up business, especially from African-American tourists. In response to these accusations, several Senegalese and European researchers convened

9292-1111: The south in the Gambia , at the mouths of major rivers for trade. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and was one of the first 12 locations in the world to be designated as such in 1978. The name is a corruption of its original Dutch name Goeree, named after the Dutch island of Goeree . The island was also known as Palma, or Bezeguiche in Portuguese. [REDACTED] Portugal 1444–1588 [REDACTED]   Dutch Republic 1588 [REDACTED] Portugal 1588–1621 [REDACTED]   West India Company 1621–1663 [REDACTED]   England 1663–1664 [REDACTED]   West India Company 1664–1677 [REDACTED] France 1677–1758 [REDACTED]   Great Britain 1758–1763 [REDACTED] France 1763–1779 [REDACTED]   Great Britain 1779–1783 [REDACTED]   France 1783–1801 [REDACTED]   Great Britain 1801–1804 [REDACTED]   France 1804 [REDACTED]   Great Britain 1804–1815 [REDACTED]   France 1815–1960 [REDACTED]   Senegal 1960–present Gorée

9393-592: The terms of trade on the river. Louis Faidherbe , who became the Governor of the Colony of Senegal in 1854, contributed greatly to the development and modernization of Saint Louis. His large-scale projects included the building of bridges, provisioning of fresh drinking water, and the construction of an overland telegraph line to Dakar . Saint-Louis became capital of the federation of French West African colonies in 1895, but relinquished this role to Dakar in 1902. Saint-Louis's fortunes began to wane as those of Dakar waxed. Access to its port became increasingly awkward in

9494-435: The tourist traffic. Gorée is known as the location of the House of Slaves ( French : Maison des esclaves ), built by an Afro-French Métis family about 1780–1784. The House of Slaves is one of the oldest houses on the island. It is now used as a tourist destination to show the horrors of the slave trade throughout the Atlantic world. As discussed by historian Ana Lucia Araujo , the building started gaining reputation as

9595-486: The transatlantic slave trade for touristic reasons. This was spearheaded by the Senegalese government, begun under President Léopold Sédar Senghor, who had tasked his special appointee Ndiaye with this goal. In 2013, journalist Jean Luc Angrand chronicled how Ndiaye began his lobbying campaign among African-American communities in the US, as he tried to capitalize on their desire to look for their own heritage in Africa that arose in

9696-551: The use of space and overall settlement development on the island. Archaeology shows this development in the soil; the constructions, levelling, reconstructions, some of which can be linked to a change in the European ruler at the time. However, this evidence of development too show results of the consequences from contemporary activity, thus it is an intricate puzzle to determine complex social identities and groups, such as slave or free or African or Afro-European. An overall deduction can be made however: Atlantic trade significantly impacts

9797-480: The whole of Africa", citing climate change and a failed 2004 river and tidal canal project as the cause. According to a Senegalese government study, up to 80% of the city could be at risk of flooding by 2080. As of 2020, the coast of the community has eroded by 1–2 meters a year. Saint Louis has economically declined since the transfer of the capital to Dakar, but has remained an important tourist and trading center. The city's economy, though not entirely recovered,

9898-416: Was also no sign of iron or its usage before the eighteenth century. Due to a plethora of features containing ritual pots found in the core of the pre European settlement, Thiaw has concluded that the island may have been primarily used for ritual activity and practices. Nevertheless, abandonment is archaeologically evident by the middle of the fifteenth century, possibly due to a mighty termite invasion. There

9999-580: Was born on Gorée. From a peak of about 4,500 in 1845, the population fell to 1,500 in 1904. In 1940 Gorée was annexed to the municipality of Dakar. From 1913 to 1938, Gorée was home to the École normale supérieure William Ponty , a government teachers' college run by the French Colonial Government. Many of the school's graduates would one day lead the struggle for independence from France. In 1925 African-American historian, sociologist, and Pan-Africanist W. E. B. Du Bois wrote of

10100-523: Was further consolidated in 1872, when Saint-Louis became a French "commune". After the decline of the Atlantic slave trade after 1790, the trade in gum arabic replaced it as the major economic engine of Saint Louis. Trade was increasingly concentrated in the lower river valley and the desert-side escales , rather than further upriver in Gajaaga as it had been previously. The city was again captured by

10201-475: Was in the country overall and expressing pessimism about further investment. Gorée is connected to the mainland by regular 30-minute ferry service, for pedestrians only; there are no cars on the island. Senegal's premier tourist site, the island was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1978. It now serves mostly as a memorial to the slave trade. Many of the historic commercial and residential buildings have been turned into restaurants and hotels to support

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