Child Slavery and Guardianship in Colonial Senegal
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Child Slavery and Guardianship in Colonial Senegal by Bernard Moitt
In the immediate aftermath of the French abolition of slavery in 1848, many previously enslaved children suddenly became wards of the colonial state. The colonial administration in Senegal created an institution called tutelle, a form of guardianship or wardship, that aimed both to prevent the loss of labor from liberated minors and to safeguard the children's welfare. Drawing from extensive archival research, Bernard Moitt uncovers the stories of these liberated children who were entrusted to Africans, Europeans, institutions like orphanages, Catholic orders and the military, and, often, their former owners. While the literature on servitude in French West Africa has primarily focused on the period before 1848, Moitt demonstrates that tutelle allowed slavery to persist under another name, with children continuing to be subject to the same widespread labor exploitation and abuse. Using a range of rich case studies, this book offers new insights into the emancipation of enslaved people in Senegal, the tenacity of servility, and children's agency.
'In 1848 France abolished slavery in its colonial empireIn this perceptive study, Bernard Moitt describes the ways the colonial regime used adoption to avoid the application of this law to children and perpetuate a form of servitude.' Martin Klein, Professor Emeritus, University of Toronto
'… a detailed, at times almost encyclopedic, study of tutelle that will be very useful to scholars interested in slavery, emancipation, indenture, children, and post-emancipation societies in West Africa and beyond, and to specialists of Senegalese history. As the first book detailing the institutional history of guardianship in Senegal, [this] is sure to have a lasting impact on the field.' Kelly Duke-Bryant, The Journal of Development Studies
'As the first book-length study of this much-neglected aspect of colonialism, this work makes an important contribution to the field. Highly recommended.' E. S. Schmidt, CHOICE
'… a detailed, at times almost encyclopedic, study of tutelle that will be very useful to scholars interested in slavery, emancipation, indenture, children, and post-emancipation societies in West Africa and beyond, and to specialists of Senegalese history. As the first book detailing the institutional history of guardianship in Senegal, [this] is sure to have a lasting impact on the field.' Kelly Duke-Bryant, The Journal of Development Studies
'As the first book-length study of this much-neglected aspect of colonialism, this work makes an important contribution to the field. Highly recommended.' E. S. Schmidt, CHOICE
Bernard Moitt is a Professor at Virginia Commonwealth University. Born and raised in Antigua, his research focuses on slavery in French West Africa, primarily Senegal, and the French Antilles. He has previously published Women and Slavery in the French Antilles, 1635–1848 (2001) and edited Sugar, Slavery and Society: Perspectives on the Caribbean, India, the Mascarenes and the United States (2004).
| SKU | Unavailable |
| ISBN 13 | 9781009296465 |
| ISBN 10 | 1009296469 |
| Title | Child Slavery and Guardianship in Colonial Senegal |
| Author | Bernard Moitt |
| Series | African Studies |
| Condition | Unavailable |
| Binding Type | Paperback |
| Publisher | Cambridge University Press |
| Year published | 2025-05-22 |
| Number of pages | 249 |
| Cover note | Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary. |
| Note | Unavailable |