
The history of
Senegal
Senegal, officially the Republic of Senegal, is the westernmost country in West Africa, situated on the Atlantic Ocean coastline. It borders Mauritania to Mauritania–Senegal border, the north, Mali to Mali–Senegal border, the east, Guinea t ...
is commonly divided into a number of periods, encompassing the
prehistoric
Prehistory, also called pre-literary history, is the period of human history between the first known use of stone tools by hominins million years ago and the beginning of recorded history with the invention of writing systems. The use o ...
era, the precolonial period, colonialism, and the contemporary era.
Paleolithic
The earliest evidence of human life is found in the valley of the
Falémé in the south-east.
The presence of man in the
Lower Paleolithic
The Lower Paleolithic (or Lower Palaeolithic) is the earliest subdivision of the Paleolithic or Old Stone Age. It spans the time from around 3.3 million years ago when the first evidence for stone tool production and use by hominins appears ...
is attested by the discovery of
stone tools
Stone tools have been used throughout human history but are most closely associated with prehistoric cultures and in particular those of the Stone Age. Stone tools may be made of either ground stone or knapped stone, the latter fashioned by a c ...
characteristic of
Acheulean
Acheulean (; also Acheulian and Mode II), from the French after the type site of Saint-Acheul, is an archaeological industry of stone tool manufacture characterized by the distinctive oval and pear-shaped "hand axes" associated with ''Homo ...
such as
hand axe
A hand axe (or handaxe or Acheulean hand axe) is a Prehistory, prehistoric stone tool with two faces that is the longest-used tool in human history. It is made from stone, usually flint or chert that has been "reduced" and shaped from a larger ...
s reported by
Théodore Monod at the tip of
Fann in the peninsula of
Cap-Vert
Cap-Vert, or the Cape Verde Peninsula, and Kap Weert or Bopp bu Nëtëx (in Wolof), is a peninsula in Senegal and the westernmost point of the continent of Africa and of the Afro-Eurasia mainland. Portuguese explorers called it Cabo Verde or ...
in 1938, or cleavers found in the south-east. There were also found stones shaped by the
Levallois technique
The Levallois technique () is a name given by archaeologists to a distinctive type of stone knapping developed around 250,000 to 400,000Shipton, C. (2022). Predetermined Refinement: The Earliest Levallois of the Kapthurin Formation. *Journal of ...
, characteristic of the
Middle Paleolithic
The Middle Paleolithic (or Middle Palaeolithic) is the second subdivision of the Paleolithic or Old Stone Age as it is understood in Europe, Africa and Asia. The term Middle Stone Age is used as an equivalent or a synonym for the Middle P ...
.
Mousterian
The Mousterian (or Mode III) is an Industry (archaeology), archaeological industry of Lithic technology, stone tools, associated primarily with the Neanderthals in Europe, and with the earliest anatomically modern humans in North Africa and We ...
Industry is represented mainly by
scrapers found in the peninsula of Cap-Vert, as well in the low and middle valleys of the
Senegal
Senegal, officially the Republic of Senegal, is the westernmost country in West Africa, situated on the Atlantic Ocean coastline. It borders Mauritania to Mauritania–Senegal border, the north, Mali to Mali–Senegal border, the east, Guinea t ...
and the Falémé. Some pieces are explicitly linked to hunting, like those found in
Tiémassass, near
M'Bour, a controversial site that some claim belongs to the
Upper Paleolithic
The Upper Paleolithic (or Upper Palaeolithic) is the third and last subdivision of the Paleolithic or Old Stone Age. Very broadly, it dates to between 50,000 and 12,000 years ago (the beginning of the Holocene), according to some theories ...
, while other argue in favor of the
Neolithic
The Neolithic or New Stone Age (from Ancient Greek, Greek 'new' and 'stone') is an archaeological period, the final division of the Stone Age in Mesopotamia, Asia, Europe and Africa (c. 10,000 BCE to c. 2,000 BCE). It saw the Neolithic Revo ...
.
Neolithic
In Senegambia, the period when humans became hunters, fishermen and producers (farmer and artisan) are all well represented and studied. This is when more elaborate objects and
ceramic
A ceramic is any of the various hard, brittle, heat-resistant, and corrosion-resistant materials made by shaping and then firing an inorganic, nonmetallic material, such as clay, at a high temperature. Common examples are earthenware, porcela ...
s emerged. But gray areas remain. Although the characteristics and manifestations of civilization from the
Neolithic
The Neolithic or New Stone Age (from Ancient Greek, Greek 'new' and 'stone') is an archaeological period, the final division of the Stone Age in Mesopotamia, Asia, Europe and Africa (c. 10,000 BCE to c. 2,000 BCE). It saw the Neolithic Revo ...
have been identified their origins and relationship have not yet fully defined.
What can be distinguished is:
*The dig of Cape Manuel: the Neolithic deposit Manueline Dakar was discovered in 1940.
Basalt
Basalt (; ) is an aphanite, aphanitic (fine-grained) extrusive igneous rock formed from the rapid cooling of low-viscosity lava rich in magnesium and iron (mafic lava) exposed at or very near the planetary surface, surface of a terrestrial ...
rocks including ankaramite were used for making microlithic tools such as axes or planes. Such tools have been found at
Gorée
(; "Gorée Island"; ) is one of the 19 (i.e. districts) of the city of Dakar, Senegal. It is an island located at sea from the main harbour of Dakar (), famous as a destination for people interested in the Atlantic slave trade.
Its populatio ...
and the
Magdalen Islands
The Magdalen Islands (, ) are a Canadian archipelago in the Gulf of St. Lawrence. Since 2005, the 12-island archipelago is divided into two municipalities: the majority-francophone Municipality of ÃŽles-de-la-Madeleine and the majority-angloph ...
, indicating the activity of
shipbuilding
Shipbuilding is the construction of ships and other Watercraft, floating vessels. In modern times, it normally takes place in a specialized facility known as a shipyard. Shipbuilders, also called shipwrights, follow a specialized occupation th ...
by nearby fishermen.
*The dig of
Bel-Air: Neolithic Bélarien tools, usually made out of
flint
Flint, occasionally flintstone, is a sedimentary cryptocrystalline form of the mineral quartz, categorized as the variety of chert that occurs in chalk or marly limestone. Historically, flint was widely used to make stone tools and start ...
, are present in the dunes of the west, near the current capital. In addition to axes,
adze
An adze () or adz is an ancient and versatile cutting tool similar to an axe but with the cutting edge perpendicular to the handle rather than parallel. Adzes have been used since the Stone Age. They are used for smoothing or carving wood in ha ...
s and pottery, there is also a statuette, the
Venus Thiaroye
*The dig of Khant: the Khanty creek, located in the north near
Kayar in the lower valley of the
Senegal River
The Senegal River ( or "Senegal" - compound of the Serer term "Seen" or "Sene" or "Sen" (from Roog Seen, Supreme Deity in Serer religion) and "O Gal" (meaning "body of water")); , , , ) is a river in West Africa; much of its length mark ...
, gave its name to a Neolithic industry which mainly uses bone and wood. This deposit is on the list of closed sites and monuments of Senegal.
*The dig the
Falémé located in the south-east of Senegal, has uncovered a Neolithic Falemian tools industry that produced polished materials as diverse as
sandstone
Sandstone is a Clastic rock#Sedimentary clastic rocks, clastic sedimentary rock composed mainly of grain size, sand-sized (0.0625 to 2 mm) silicate mineral, silicate grains, Cementation (geology), cemented together by another mineral. Sand ...
,
hematite
Hematite (), also spelled as haematite, is a common iron oxide compound with the formula, Fe2O3 and is widely found in rocks and soils. Hematite crystals belong to the rhombohedral lattice system which is designated the alpha polymorph of . ...
,
shale
Shale is a fine-grained, clastic sedimentary rock formed from mud that is a mix of flakes of Clay mineral, clay minerals (hydrous aluminium phyllosilicates, e.g., Kaolinite, kaolin, aluminium, Al2Silicon, Si2Oxygen, O5(hydroxide, OH)4) and tiny f ...
,
quartz
Quartz is a hard, crystalline mineral composed of silica (silicon dioxide). The Atom, atoms are linked in a continuous framework of SiO4 silicon–oxygen Tetrahedral molecular geometry, tetrahedra, with each oxygen being shared between two tet ...
, and
flint
Flint, occasionally flintstone, is a sedimentary cryptocrystalline form of the mineral quartz, categorized as the variety of chert that occurs in chalk or marly limestone. Historically, flint was widely used to make stone tools and start ...
. Grinding equipment and pottery from the period are well represented at the site.
*The Neolithic civilization of the Senegal River valley and the
Ferlo are the least well known due to not always being separated.
Prehistory
In the case of Senegal, the periodization of
prehistory
Prehistory, also called pre-literary history, is the period of human history between the first known use of stone tools by hominins million years ago and the beginning of recorded history with the invention of writing systems. The use ...
remains controversial. It is often described as beginning with the age of
metallurgy
Metallurgy is a domain of materials science and engineering that studies the physical and chemical behavior of metallic elements, their inter-metallic compounds, and their mixtures, which are known as alloys.
Metallurgy encompasses both the ...
, thus placing it between the first
metalworking
Metalworking is the process of shaping and reshaping metals in order to create useful objects, parts, assemblies, and large scale structures. As a term, it covers a wide and diverse range of processes, skills, and tools for producing objects on e ...
and the appearance of
writing
Writing is the act of creating a persistent representation of language. A writing system includes a particular set of symbols called a ''script'', as well as the rules by which they encode a particular spoken language. Every written language ...
. Other approaches exist such as that of Guy Thilmans and his team in 1980, who felt that any archeology from pre-colonial could be attached to that designation or that of
Hamady Bocoum, who speaks of "Historical Archaeology" from the 4th century, at least for the former
Tekrur.
A variety of archaeological remains have been found:
* On the coast and in river estuaries of the
Senegal
Senegal, officially the Republic of Senegal, is the westernmost country in West Africa, situated on the Atlantic Ocean coastline. It borders Mauritania to Mauritania–Senegal border, the north, Mali to Mali–Senegal border, the east, Guinea t ...
,
Saloum
The Kingdom of Saloum ( Serer: ''Saluum'' or ''Saalum'') was a Serer kingdom in present-day Senegal and parts of Gambia. The precolonial capital was the city of Kahone. Re-established in 2017, Saloum is now a non-sovereign traditional monarch ...
,
Gambia
The Gambia, officially the Republic of The Gambia, is a country in West Africa. Geographically, The Gambia is the List of African countries by area, smallest country in continental Africa; it is surrounded by Senegal on all sides except for ...
, and
Casamance rivers, burial mounds with clusters of shells often referred to as
middens. 217 of these clusters have been identified in the
Saloum Delta alone,
for example in
Joal-Fadiouth, Mounds in the Saloum Delta have been dated back as far as 400 BCE, and part of the Saloum Delta is now a
World Heritage Site
World Heritage Sites are landmarks and areas with legal protection under an treaty, international treaty administered by UNESCO for having cultural, historical, or scientific significance. The sites are judged to contain "cultural and natural ...
. Funerary sites or tumuli were built there during the 8th to 16th centuries. They are also found in the north near
Saint-Louis, and in the estuary of the Casamance.
*The West is rich in burial mounds of sand that the
Wolof refer to as ''mbanaar'', which translates to "graves", A solid gold
pectoral
Pectoral may refer to:
* The chest region and anything relating to it.
* Pectoral cross, a cross worn on the chest
* a decorative, usually jeweled version of a gorget
* Pectoral (Ancient Egypt), a type of jewelry worn in ancient Egypt
* Pectora ...
of mass 191 g has also been discovered near
Saint-Louis.
*In a huge area of nearly km
2 located in the center-south around the Gambia there have been found alignments of boulders known as the
Stone Circles of Senegambia which were placed on the list of
UNESCO World Heritage
World Heritage Sites are landmarks and areas with legal protection under an international treaty
A treaty is a formal, legally binding written agreement between sovereign states and/or international organizations that is governed by int ...
sites in 2006. Two of these sites are located within the territory of Senegal:
Sine Ngayène and Sine Wanar, both located in the
Nioro du Rip Department. Sine Ngayène has 52 stone circles including a double circle. At Wanar, they number 24 and the stones are smaller. There are stone-carved lyre in the
laterite
Laterite is a soil type rich in iron and aluminium and is commonly considered to have formed in hot and wet tropical areas. Nearly all laterites are of rusty-red coloration, because of high iron oxide content. They develop by intensive and prolo ...
, Y- or A-shaped.
*The existence of proto-historic ruins in the middle Senegal River valley was confirmed in the late 1970s. Pottery, perforated
ceramic
A ceramic is any of the various hard, brittle, heat-resistant, and corrosion-resistant materials made by shaping and then firing an inorganic, nonmetallic material, such as clay, at a high temperature. Common examples are earthenware, porcela ...
discs or ornaments have been unearthed. Excavations at thé site of Sinthiou Bara, near
Matam, have proved particularly fruitful. They have revealed, for example, the flow of trans-Saharan trade from distant parts of North Africa.
Early inhabitants

In the absence of written sources and monumental ruins in this region, the history of the early centuries of the modern era must be based primarily on archaeological excavations, the writing of early Arab geographers and travelers, and data derived from oral tradition. Combining these data suggests that Senegal was first populated from the north and east in several waves of migration, the last being that of the
Wolof, the
Fulani and the
Serer who dominate the area today. Oral traditions relate that in much of northern Senegal
Mande people
Mande may refer to:
* Mandé peoples of western Africa
* Mande languages, their Niger-Congo languages
* Manding, a term covering a subgroup of Mande peoples, and sometimes used for one of them, Mandinka
* Garo people of northeastern India and no ...
were the earliest inhabitants, although archaeological evidence of this is slim. Africanist historian Donald R. Wright has suggested that place-names in the
Gambia
The Gambia, officially the Republic of The Gambia, is a country in West Africa. Geographically, The Gambia is the List of African countries by area, smallest country in continental Africa; it is surrounded by Senegal on all sides except for ...
and
Casamance regions indicate "that the earliest inhabitants might be identified most closely with one of several related groups—Bainunk, Kasanga, Beafada... To these were added Serer, who moved southward during the first millennium A.D. from the Senegal River valley, and Mande-speaking peoples, who arrived later still from the east." He also cautions, however, that attempting to project modern-day ethnic definitions onto people who lived hundreds or thousands of years ago is at best highly speculative and at worst counterproductive.
Kingdoms and empires

The medieval history of the Sahel is characterized by the consolidation of settlements into large state entities – the
Ghana Empire
The Ghana Empire (), also known as simply Ghana, Ghanata, or Wagadu, was an ancient western-Sahelian empire based in the modern-day southeast of Mauritania and western Mali.
It is uncertain among historians when Ghana's ruling dynasty began. T ...
, the
Mali Empire
The Mali Empire (Manding languages, Manding: ''Mandé''Ki-Zerbo, Joseph: ''UNESCO General History of Africa, Vol. IV, Abridged Edition: Africa from the Twelfth to the Sixteenth Century'', p. 57. University of California Press, 1997. or ''Manden ...
and the
Songhai Empire
The Songhai Empire was a state located in the western part of the Sahel during the 15th and 16th centuries. At its peak, it was one of the largest African empires in history. The state is known by its historiographical name, derived from its lar ...
. The cores of these great empires were located on the territory of the current
Republic of Mali, so current-day Senegal occupied a peripheral position.
The earliest of these empires is that of Ghana, probably founded in the
first millennium
File:1st millennium montage.png, From top left, clockwise: Depiction of Jesus, the central figure in Christianity; The Colosseum, a landmark of the once-mighty Roman Empire; Kaaba, the Great Mosque of Mecca, the holiest site of Islam; Chess, a ne ...
by
Soninke and whose
animist
Animism (from meaning 'breath, spirit, life') is the belief that objects, places, and creatures all possess a distinct spiritual essence. Animism perceives all things—animals, plants, rocks, rivers, weather systems, human handiwork, and in ...
populations subsisted by agriculture and trade across the Sahara, including gold, salt and cloth. Its area of influence slowly spread to regions between the river valleys of the
Senegal
Senegal, officially the Republic of Senegal, is the westernmost country in West Africa, situated on the Atlantic Ocean coastline. It borders Mauritania to Mauritania–Senegal border, the north, Mali to Mali–Senegal border, the east, Guinea t ...
and
Niger
Niger, officially the Republic of the Niger, is a landlocked country in West Africa. It is a unitary state Geography of Niger#Political geography, bordered by Libya to the Libya–Niger border, north-east, Chad to the Chad–Niger border, east ...
.
A contemporary empire of Ghana, but less extensive, the kingdom of
Tekrur was its vassal. Ghana and Tekrur were the only organized populations before Islamization. The territory of Tekrur approximates that of the current
Fouta Toro. Its existence in the 9th century is attested by Arabic manuscripts. The formation of the state may have taken place as an influx of
Fulani from the east settled in the Senegal valley.
John Donnelly Fage suggests that Takrur was formed through the interaction of Berbers from the Sahara and "Negro agricultural peoples" who were "essentially Serer" although its kings after 1000 CE might have been Soninke (northern Mande). The name, borrowed from Arabic writings, may be linked to that of the ethnicity
Toucouleur. Trade with the Arabs was prevalent. The Kingdom imported
wool
Wool is the textile fiber obtained from sheep and other mammals, especially goats, rabbits, and camelids. The term may also refer to inorganic materials, such as mineral wool and glass wool, that have some properties similar to animal w ...
,
copper
Copper is a chemical element; it has symbol Cu (from Latin ) and atomic number 29. It is a soft, malleable, and ductile metal with very high thermal and electrical conductivity. A freshly exposed surface of pure copper has a pinkish-orang ...
and
pearl
A pearl is a hard, glistening object produced within the soft tissue (specifically the mantle (mollusc), mantle) of a living Exoskeleton, shelled mollusk or another animal, such as fossil conulariids. Just like the shell of a mollusk, a pear ...
s and exported gold and
slaves
Slavery is the ownership of a person as property, especially in regards to their labour. Slavery typically involves compulsory work, with the slave's location of work and residence dictated by the party that holds them in bondage. Enslavemen ...
. Indeed, the growth of a vast empire by Arab-Muslim
Jihad
''Jihad'' (; ) is an Arabic word that means "exerting", "striving", or "struggling", particularly with a praiseworthy aim. In an Islamic context, it encompasses almost any effort to make personal and social life conform with God in Islam, God ...
s is not devoid of economic and political issues and brought in its wake the first real growth of the
slave trade Slave trade may refer to:
* History of slavery - overview of slavery
It may also refer to slave trades in specific countries, areas:
* Al-Andalus slave trade
* Atlantic slave trade
** Brazilian slave trade
** Bristol slave trade
** Danish sl ...
. This trade called the
trans-Saharan slave trade
The trans-Saharan slave trade, also known as the Arab slave trade, was a Slavery, slave trade in which slaves Trans-Saharan trade, were mainly transported across the Sahara. Most were moved from sub-Saharan Africa to North Africa to be sold to ...
provided North Africa and
Saharan Africa with slave labor. The Tekrur were among the first converts to
Islam
Islam is an Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic monotheistic religion based on the Quran, and the teachings of Muhammad. Adherents of Islam are called Muslims, who are estimated to number Islam by country, 2 billion worldwide and are the world ...
, certainly before 1040.

Two other major political entities were formed and grew during the 13th and 14th century: the
Mali Empire
The Mali Empire (Manding languages, Manding: ''Mandé''Ki-Zerbo, Joseph: ''UNESCO General History of Africa, Vol. IV, Abridged Edition: Africa from the Twelfth to the Sixteenth Century'', p. 57. University of California Press, 1997. or ''Manden ...
and the
Jolof Empire
The Jolof Empire (), also known as Great Jolof or the Wolof Empire, was a Wolof state in modern-day Senegal, that ruled portions of Mauritania and Gambia from the mid-14th centuryFage, J. D.; Oliver, Roland; "The Cambridge History of Africa." Vo ...
which become the vassal of the first in its heyday. Originating in the Mandinka invasion, Mali continued to expand, encompassing first eastern Senegal, and later almost all the present territory. Founded in the 14th century by the possibly mythical chief of the Wolof
Ndiadiane Ndiaye, who was a Serer of
Waalo
Waalo () was a kingdom on the lower Senegal River in West Africa, in what is now Senegal and Mauritania. It included parts of the valley proper and areas north and south, extending to the Atlantic Ocean. To the north were Moorish emirates; to the ...
(Ndiaye is originally a Serer surname
which is also found among the Wolof). Djolof expanded its dominance of small chiefdoms south of the Senegal River (
Waalo
Waalo () was a kingdom on the lower Senegal River in West Africa, in what is now Senegal and Mauritania. It included parts of the valley proper and areas north and south, extending to the Atlantic Ocean. To the north were Moorish emirates; to the ...
,
Cayor
The Cayor Kingdom (; ) was from 1549 to 1876 the largest and most powerful kingdom that split off from the Jolof Empire in what is now Senegal. The Cayor Kingdom was located in northern and central Senegal, southeast of Waalo, west of the kingdom ...
,
Baol
Baol or Bawol was a kingdom in what is now central Senegal. Founded in the 11th century, it was a vassal of the Jolof Empire before becoming independent in the mid-16th century. The ruler bore the title of Teigne (title), Teigne (or Teeň) and re ...
,
Sine
In mathematics, sine and cosine are trigonometric functions of an angle. The sine and cosine of an acute angle are defined in the context of a right triangle: for the specified angle, its sine is the ratio of the length of the side opposite th ...
–
Saloum
The Kingdom of Saloum ( Serer: ''Saluum'' or ''Saalum'') was a Serer kingdom in present-day Senegal and parts of Gambia. The precolonial capital was the city of Kahone. Re-established in 2017, Saloum is now a non-sovereign traditional monarch ...
), bringing together all the Senegambia to which he gave religious and social unity: the "Grand Djolof" which collapsed in 1550.
The Jolof Empire was founded by a voluntary confederacy of States; it was not an empire built on military conquest in spite of what the word "empire" implies.
The Serer tradition of Sine attests that the
Kingdom of Sine
The Kingdom of Sine (or Siin in Serer, variations: ''Sin'' or ''Siine'') was a post-classical Serer kingdom along the north bank of the Saloum River delta in modern Senegal.
Toponymy and Demonym
During the Guelowar Era the region was named a ...
never paid tribute to Ndiadiane Ndiaye nor to any member of his descendants that ruled Djolof. Historian
Sylviane Diouf states that "Each vassal kingdom—Walo, Takrur, Kayor, Baol, Sine, Salum, Wuli, and Niani—recognized the hegemony of Jolof and paid tribute." It went on to state that, Ndiadiane Ndiaye himself received his name from the mouth of
Maissa Wali (the King of Sine).
[Diouf, Niokhobaye. "Chronique du royaume du Sine" par suivie de Notes sur les traditions orales et les sources écrites concernant le royaume du Sine par Charles Becker et Victor Martin. Bulletin de l'Ifan, Tome 34, Série B, n° 4, 1972. p706] In the epics of Ndiadiane and Maissa Wali, it is well acknowledged that Maissa Wali was pivotal in the founding of this Empire. It was he who nominated Ndiadiane Ndiaye and called for the other states to join this confederacy, which they did, and the "empire" headed by Ndiadiane, who took residence at Djolof.
It is for this reason scholars propose that the empire was more like a voluntary confederacy than an empire built on military conquest.
[Charles, Eunice A. Precolonial Senegal: the Jolof Kingdom, 1800–1890. African Studies Center, Boston University, 1977. p 3][Ham, Anthony. West Africa. Lonely Planet. 2009. p 670. ()]
The arrival of Europeans engendered autonomy of small kingdoms which were under the influence of
Djolof. Less dependent on trans-Saharan trade with the new shipping lanes, they turn more readily to trade with the
New World
The term "New World" is used to describe the majority of lands of Earth's Western Hemisphere, particularly the Americas, and sometimes Oceania."America." ''The Oxford Companion to the English Language'' (). McArthur, Tom, ed., 1992. New York: ...
. The decline of these kingdoms can be explained by internal rivalries, then by the arrival of Europeans, who organized the mass exodus of young Africans to the New World.
Ghazis, wars, epidemics and famine afflicted the people, along with the
Atlantic slave trade
The Atlantic slave trade or transatlantic slave trade involved the transportation by slave traders of Slavery in Africa, enslaved African people to the Americas. European slave ships regularly used the triangular trade route and its Middle Pass ...
, in exchange for weapons and manufactured goods. Under the influence of
Islam
Islam is an Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic monotheistic religion based on the Quran, and the teachings of Muhammad. Adherents of Islam are called Muslims, who are estimated to number Islam by country, 2 billion worldwide and are the world ...
, these kingdoms were transformed and
marabouts played an increasing role.
In
Casamance, the
Baïnounks, the
Manjaques and
Diola
The Jola or Diola (endonym: Ajamat) are an ethnic group found in Senegal, the Gambia, and Guinea-Bissau. Most Jola live in small villages scattered throughout southern Senegal, especially in the Lower Casamance region. The main dialect of the J ...
inhabited the coastal area while the mainland – unified 13th century under the name of
Kaabu
Kaabu (1537–1867), also written Gabu, Ngabou, and N'Gabu, was a federation of Mandinka kingdoms in the Senegambia region centered within modern northeastern Guinea-Bissau, large parts of today's Gambia, and extending into Koussanar, Kou ...
– was occupied by the
Mandingo. In the 15th century, the king of one of the tribes, Kassas gave his name to the region: Kassa
Mansa (King of Kassas). Until the French intervention The Casamance was a heterogeneous entity, weakened by internal rivalries.
The era of trading posts and trafficking
According to several ancient sources, including occasions by the ''Dictionnaire de pédagogie et d'instruction primaire'' by
Ferdinand Buisson in 1887, the first French settlement in Senegal dates back to the
Dieppe
Dieppe (; ; or Old Norse ) is a coastal commune in the Seine-Maritime department, Normandy, northern France.
Dieppe is a seaport on the English Channel at the mouth of the river Arques. A regular ferry service runs to Newhaven in England ...
Mariners in the 14th century. Flattering for Norman sailors, this argument gives credence also to the idea of a precedence of the French presence in the region, but it is not confirmed by subsequent work.
In the mid-15th century, several European nations reached the coast of West Africa, vested successively or simultaneously by the Portuguese, the Dutch, the English and French. Europeans first settled along the coasts, on islands in the mouths of rivers and then a little further upstream. They opened trading posts and engaged in the "trade:" – a term which, under the
Ancien Régime
''Ancien'' may refer to
* the French word for " ancient, old"
** Société des anciens textes français
* the French for "former, senior"
** Virelai ancien
** Ancien Régime
** Ancien Régime in France
{{disambig ...
, means any type of trade (wheat,
pepper,
ivory
Ivory is a hard, white material from the tusks (traditionally from elephants) and Tooth, teeth of animals, that consists mainly of dentine, one of the physical structures of teeth and tusks. The chemical structure of the teeth and tusks of mamm ...
...), and not necessarily, or only, the
slave trade Slave trade may refer to:
* History of slavery - overview of slavery
It may also refer to slave trades in specific countries, areas:
* Al-Andalus slave trade
* Atlantic slave trade
** Brazilian slave trade
** Bristol slave trade
** Danish sl ...
, although this "infamous traffic", as it was called at the end of the 18th century, was indeed at the heart of a new economic order, controlled by powerful companies in
privilege.
The Portuguese navigators

Encouraged by
Henry the Navigator
Princy Henry of Portugal, Duke of Viseu ( Portuguese: ''Infante Dom Henrique''; 4 March 1394 – 13 November 1460), better known as Prince Henry the Navigator (), was a Portuguese prince and a central figure in the early days of the Portuguese ...
and always in search of the
Passage to India, and not forgetting gold and
slave
Slavery is the ownership of a person as property, especially in regards to their labour. Slavery typically involves compulsory work, with the slave's location of work and residence dictated by the party that holds them in bondage. Enslavemen ...
s,
Portuguese explorers explored the African coast and ventured still farther south.
In 1444
Dinis Dias went off the mouth of the
Senegal River
The Senegal River ( or "Senegal" - compound of the Serer term "Seen" or "Sene" or "Sen" (from Roog Seen, Supreme Deity in Serer religion) and "O Gal" (meaning "body of water")); , , , ) is a river in West Africa; much of its length mark ...
to reach the westernmost point of Africa he calls ''Cabo Verde'', Cape Vert, because of the lush vegetation seen there. He also reached the island of
Gorée
(; "Gorée Island"; ) is one of the 19 (i.e. districts) of the city of Dakar, Senegal. It is an island located at sea from the main harbour of Dakar (), famous as a destination for people interested in the Atlantic slave trade.
Its populatio ...
, referred to by its inhabitants as ''Berzeguiche'', but which he called ''Ilha de Palma'', the island of Palms. The Portuguese did not settle there permanently, but used the site for landing and engaged in commerce in the region. They built a chapel there in 1481. Portuguese trading posts were installed in Tanguegueth in
Cayor
The Cayor Kingdom (; ) was from 1549 to 1876 the largest and most powerful kingdom that split off from the Jolof Empire in what is now Senegal. The Cayor Kingdom was located in northern and central Senegal, southeast of Waalo, west of the kingdom ...
, a town they renamed ''Fresco Rio'' (the future
Rufisque
Rufisque (; Wolof: Tëngeéj) is a city in the Dakar region of western Senegal, at the base of the Cap-Vert Peninsula east of Dakar, the capital. It has a population of 295,459 (2023 census). ) because of the freshness of its sources in the
Baol
Baol or Bawol was a kingdom in what is now central Senegal. Founded in the 11th century, it was a vassal of the Jolof Empire before becoming independent in the mid-16th century. The ruler bore the title of Teigne (title), Teigne (or Teeň) and re ...
Sali (later the seaside town of
Saly
Saly (also called Sali or Saly Portudal) is a seaside resort and urban commune in Thiès Region on the Petite Côte of Senegal, south of Dakar. It is a major tourist destination in Senegal.
History
Saly was originally a Portuguese trading post kn ...
) which takes the name of ''Portudal'', or to
Joal in the
Kingdom of Sine
The Kingdom of Sine (or Siin in Serer, variations: ''Sin'' or ''Siine'') was a post-classical Serer kingdom along the north bank of the Saloum River delta in modern Senegal.
Toponymy and Demonym
During the Guelowar Era the region was named a ...
.
They also traversed the lower
Casamance and founded
Ziguinchor in 1645. The introduction of Christianity accompanied this business expansion.
The Dutch West India Company
After the
Act of Abjuration in 1581, the
United Provinces flouted the authority of the
King of Spain
The monarchy of Spain or Spanish monarchy () is the constitutional form of government of Spain. It consists of a Hereditary monarchy, hereditary monarch who reigns as the head of state, being the highest office of the country.
The Spanish ...
. They based their growth on maritime trade and expanded their colonial empire in Asia, the
Americas
The Americas, sometimes collectively called America, are a landmass comprising the totality of North America and South America.''Webster's New World College Dictionary'', 2010 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio. When viewed as a sing ...
and South Africa. In West Africa trading posts were opened at some points of the current
Senegal
Senegal, officially the Republic of Senegal, is the westernmost country in West Africa, situated on the Atlantic Ocean coastline. It borders Mauritania to Mauritania–Senegal border, the north, Mali to Mali–Senegal border, the east, Guinea t ...
,
Gambia
The Gambia, officially the Republic of The Gambia, is a country in West Africa. Geographically, The Gambia is the List of African countries by area, smallest country in continental Africa; it is surrounded by Senegal on all sides except for ...
,
Ghana
Ghana, officially the Republic of Ghana, is a country in West Africa. It is situated along the Gulf of Guinea and the Atlantic Ocean to the south, and shares borders with Côte d’Ivoire to the west, Burkina Faso to the north, and Togo to t ...
and
Angola
Angola, officially the Republic of Angola, is a country on the west-Central Africa, central coast of Southern Africa. It is the second-largest Portuguese-speaking world, Portuguese-speaking (Lusophone) country in both total area and List of c ...
.

Created in 1621, the
Dutch West India Company
The Dutch West India Company () was a Dutch chartered company that was founded in 1621 and went defunct in 1792. Among its founders were Reynier Pauw, Willem Usselincx (1567–1647), and Jessé de Forest (1576–1624). On 3 June 1621, it was gra ...
purchased the island of
Gorée
(; "Gorée Island"; ) is one of the 19 (i.e. districts) of the city of Dakar, Senegal. It is an island located at sea from the main harbour of Dakar (), famous as a destination for people interested in the Atlantic slave trade.
Its populatio ...
in 1627. The company built two forts that are in ruins today: in 1628 on the face of Nassau Cove and 1639 at Nassau on the hill, as well as warehouses for goods destined for the mainland trading posts .
In his ''Description of Africa'' (1668), the
humanist
Humanism is a philosophical stance that emphasizes the individual and social potential, and agency of human beings, whom it considers the starting point for serious moral and philosophical inquiry.
The meaning of the term "humanism" ha ...
Dutch
Olfert Dapper gives the etymology of the name given to it by his countrymen, ''Goe-ree'' ''Goede Reede'', that is to say "good harbor"., which is the name of (part of) an island in the Dutch province of Zeeland as well.
The Dutch settlers occupied the island for nearly half a century, dealing in wax,
amber
Amber is fossilized tree resin. Examples of it have been appreciated for its color and natural beauty since the Neolithic times, and worked as a gemstone since antiquity."Amber" (2004). In Maxine N. Lurie and Marc Mappen (eds.) ''Encyclopedia ...
, gold,
ivory
Ivory is a hard, white material from the tusks (traditionally from elephants) and Tooth, teeth of animals, that consists mainly of dentine, one of the physical structures of teeth and tusks. The chemical structure of the teeth and tusks of mamm ...
and also participated in the
slave trade Slave trade may refer to:
* History of slavery - overview of slavery
It may also refer to slave trades in specific countries, areas:
* Al-Andalus slave trade
* Atlantic slave trade
** Brazilian slave trade
** Bristol slave trade
** Danish sl ...
, but kept away from foreign trading posts on the coast. The Dutch were dislodged several times: in 1629 by the Portuguese, in 1645 and 1659 by the French and in 1663 by the English.
Against the backdrop of Anglo-French rivalry
The "trade" and the slave trade intensified in the 17th century. In Senegal, the French and British competed mainly on two issues, the island of
Gorée
(; "Gorée Island"; ) is one of the 19 (i.e. districts) of the city of Dakar, Senegal. It is an island located at sea from the main harbour of Dakar (), famous as a destination for people interested in the Atlantic slave trade.
Its populatio ...
and
St. Louis
St. Louis ( , sometimes referred to as St. Louis City, Saint Louis or STL) is an independent city in the U.S. state of Missouri. It lies near the confluence of the Mississippi and the Missouri rivers. In 2020, the city proper had a populatio ...
. On 10 February 1763 the
Treaty of Paris ended the
Seven Years' War
The Seven Years' War, 1756 to 1763, was a Great Power conflict fought primarily in Europe, with significant subsidiary campaigns in North America and South Asia. The protagonists were Kingdom of Great Britain, Great Britain and Kingdom of Prus ...
and reconciled, after three years of negotiations, France, Great Britain and Spain. Great Britain returned the island of Gorée to France. Britain then acquired from France, among many other territories, "the river of Senegal, with forts & trading posts St. Louis, Podor, and Galam and all rights & dependencies of the said River of Senegal.".
Under
Louis XIII
Louis XIII (; sometimes called the Just; 27 September 1601 – 14 May 1643) was King of France from 1610 until his death in 1643 and King of Navarre (as Louis II) from 1610 to 1620, when the crown of Navarre was merged with the French crown.
...
and especially
Louis XIV
LouisXIV (Louis-Dieudonné; 5 September 16381 September 1715), also known as Louis the Great () or the Sun King (), was King of France from 1643 until his death in 1715. His verified reign of 72 years and 110 days is the List of longest-reign ...
, the privileges were quite extensively granted to certain French shipping lines, which still faced many difficulties. In 1626
Richelieu founded the
Norman Company, an association of
Dieppe
Dieppe (; ; or Old Norse ) is a coastal commune in the Seine-Maritime department, Normandy, northern France.
Dieppe is a seaport on the English Channel at the mouth of the river Arques. A regular ferry service runs to Newhaven in England ...
and
Rouen
Rouen (, ; or ) is a city on the River Seine, in northwestern France. It is in the prefecture of Regions of France, region of Normandy (administrative region), Normandy and the Departments of France, department of Seine-Maritime. Formerly one ...
merchants responsible for the operation in Senegal and
the Gambia
The Gambia, officially the Republic of The Gambia, is a country in West Africa. Geographically, The Gambia is the List of African countries by area, smallest country in continental Africa; it is surrounded by Senegal on all sides except for ...
. It was dissolved in 1658 and its assets were acquired by the
Company of Cape Vert and Senegal, itself expropriated following the creation by
Colbert in 1664 of the
French West India Company.
The
Company of Senegal was in turn founded by Colbert in 1673. It became the major tool of French colonialism in Senegal, but saddled with debt, it was dissolved 1681 and replaced by another that lasted until 1694, the date of creation of the Royal Company of Senegal, whose director,
Andre Brue, would be captured by
Lat Sukaabe Fall the
Damel of
Cayor
The Cayor Kingdom (; ) was from 1549 to 1876 the largest and most powerful kingdom that split off from the Jolof Empire in what is now Senegal. The Cayor Kingdom was located in northern and central Senegal, southeast of Waalo, west of the kingdom ...
and released against ransom in 1701. A third Company of Senegal was founded in 1709 and lasted until 1718. On the British side, the monopoly of trade with Africa was granted to the
Royal African Company in 1698.
Grand Master of the naval war of
Louis XIV
LouisXIV (Louis-Dieudonné; 5 September 16381 September 1715), also known as Louis the Great () or the Sun King (), was King of France from 1643 until his death in 1715. His verified reign of 72 years and 110 days is the List of longest-reign ...
, Admiral
Jean II d'Estrées
Jean may refer to:
People
* Jean (female given name)
* Jean (male given name)
* Jean (surname)
Fictional characters
* Jean Grey, a Marvel Comics character
* Jean Valjean, fictional character in novel ''Les Misérables'' and its adaptations
* J ...
seized
Gorée
(; "Gorée Island"; ) is one of the 19 (i.e. districts) of the city of Dakar, Senegal. It is an island located at sea from the main harbour of Dakar (), famous as a destination for people interested in the Atlantic slave trade.
Its populatio ...
on 1 November 1677. The island was taken by the English on 4 February 1693 before being again occupied by the French four months later. In 1698 the Director of the Company of Senegal,
Andre Brue, restored the fortifications. But Gorée was again
captured by the British in 1758 during the
Seven Years' War
The Seven Years' War, 1756 to 1763, was a Great Power conflict fought primarily in Europe, with significant subsidiary campaigns in North America and South Asia. The protagonists were Kingdom of Great Britain, Great Britain and Kingdom of Prus ...
. However, under the
1763 Treaty of Paris ending the war, although Senegal was given to the British, the island of Gorée was returned to France.
["His Britannick Majesty shall restore to France the island of Goree in the condition it was in when conquered: and his Most Christian Majesty cedes, in full right, and guaranties to the King of Great Britain the river Senegal, with the forts and factories of St. Lewis, Podor, and Galam, and with all the rights and dependencies of the said river Senegal." – Article X of the ]
Treaty of Paris (1763)
The Treaty of Paris, also known as the Treaty of 1763, was signed on 10 February 1763 by the kingdoms of Kingdom of Great Britain, Great Britain, Kingdom of France, France and Spanish Empire, Spain, with Kingdom of Portugal, Portugal in agree ...
at Wikisource
Wikisource is an online wiki-based digital library of free-content source text, textual sources operated by the Wikimedia Foundation. Wikisource is the name of the project as a whole; it is also the name for each instance of that project, one f ...
.
The excellent location of St. Louis caught the attention of the English, who occupied it three times, first for a few months in 1693, second during the
Seven Years' War
The Seven Years' War, 1756 to 1763, was a Great Power conflict fought primarily in Europe, with significant subsidiary campaigns in North America and South Asia. The protagonists were Kingdom of Great Britain, Great Britain and Kingdom of Prus ...
from 1758 until it was retaken for the French by
Armand Louis de Gontaut
Armand Louis de Gontaut (), duc de Lauzun, later duc de Biron, and usually referred to by historians of the French Revolution simply as Biron (13 April 174731 December 1793), was a French soldier and politician, known for the part he played in t ...
in 1779, and lastly from 1809 to 1816 during the Napoleonic wars.
After the 1763 Treaty of Paris, the British united their colony of
The Gambia
The Gambia, officially the Republic of The Gambia, is a country in West Africa. Geographically, The Gambia is the List of African countries by area, smallest country in continental Africa; it is surrounded by Senegal on all sides except for ...
with Senegal into
Senegambia
The Senegambia (other names: Senegambia region or Senegambian zone,Barry, Boubacar, ''Senegambia and the Atlantic Slave Trade'', (Editors: David Anderson, Carolyn Brown; trans. Ayi Kwei Armah; contributors: David Anderson, American Council of Le ...
. The British retook Gorée during the
Anglo-French War; however, British possession of Gorée was brief.
In 1783 the
Treaty of Versailles
The Treaty of Versailles was a peace treaty signed on 28 June 1919. As the most important treaty of World War I, it ended the state of war between Germany and most of the Allies of World War I, Allied Powers. It was signed in the Palace ...
returned Senegal to France, and Senegambia was no more.
Nine companies, in succession, received the African monopoly of
gum acacia from the French Crown. Seven of them went bankrupt. Among them were the ''
Compagnie d’Afrique'' and the ''
Compagnie du Sénégal''. The last was the ''Compagnie de la Gomme'' which failed in 1793.
Appointed governor in 1785,
Knight Boufflers focuses for two years to enhance the colony, while engaged in the smuggling of gum arabic and gold with
signares.
In 1789 the people of
St. Louis
St. Louis ( , sometimes referred to as St. Louis City, Saint Louis or STL) is an independent city in the U.S. state of Missouri. It lies near the confluence of the Mississippi and the Missouri rivers. In 2020, the city proper had a populatio ...
wrote a
List of Grievances. The same year the French were driven out of Fort St. Joseph in Galam (Gajaaga) and the
Kingdom of Galam.
A trading economy
The Europeans were sometimes disappointed because they hoped to find more gold in West Africa, but when the development of
plantation
Plantations are farms specializing in cash crops, usually mainly planting a single crop, with perhaps ancillary areas for vegetables for eating and so on. Plantations, centered on a plantation house, grow crops including cotton, cannabis, tob ...
s in the Americas, mainly in the Caribbean, in Brazil and in the south of the United States raised a great need for cheap labor, the area received more attention. The
Papacy
The pope is the bishop of Rome and the Head of the Church#Catholic Church, visible head of the worldwide Catholic Church. He is also known as the supreme pontiff, Roman pontiff, or sovereign pontiff. From the 8th century until 1870, the po ...
, who had sometimes opposed
slavery
Slavery is the ownership of a person as property, especially in regards to their labour. Slavery typically involves compulsory work, with the slave's location of work and residence dictated by the party that holds them in bondage. Enslavemen ...
, did not condemn it explicitly to the end of the 17th century; in fact the
Church
Church may refer to:
Religion
* Church (building), a place/building for Christian religious activities and praying
* Church (congregation), a local congregation of a Christian denomination
* Church service, a formalized period of Christian comm ...
itself has an interest in the colonial system. Traffic of "ebony" was an issue for warriors who traditionally reduced the vanquished to slavery. Some people specialized in the slave trade, for example the
Dyula in West Africa. States and kingdoms competed, along with private traders who became much richer in the
triangular trade
Triangular trade or triangle trade is trade between three ports or regions. Triangular trade usually evolves when a region has export commodities that are not required in the region from which its major imports come. It has been used to offset ...
(although some shipments resulted in real financial disaster). Politico-military instability in the region was compounded by the slave trade.

The
Black Code, enacted in 1685, regulated the trafficking of slaves in the American colonies.
In Senegal, trading posts were established in
Gorée
(; "Gorée Island"; ) is one of the 19 (i.e. districts) of the city of Dakar, Senegal. It is an island located at sea from the main harbour of Dakar (), famous as a destination for people interested in the Atlantic slave trade.
Its populatio ...
,
St. Louis
St. Louis ( , sometimes referred to as St. Louis City, Saint Louis or STL) is an independent city in the U.S. state of Missouri. It lies near the confluence of the Mississippi and the Missouri rivers. In 2020, the city proper had a populatio ...
,
Rufisque
Rufisque (; Wolof: Tëngeéj) is a city in the Dakar region of western Senegal, at the base of the Cap-Vert Peninsula east of Dakar, the capital. It has a population of 295,459 (2023 census). ,
Portudal and
Joal and the upper valley of the
Senegal River
The Senegal River ( or "Senegal" - compound of the Serer term "Seen" or "Sene" or "Sen" (from Roog Seen, Supreme Deity in Serer religion) and "O Gal" (meaning "body of water")); , , , ) is a river in West Africa; much of its length mark ...
, including Fort St. Joseph, in the
Kingdom of Galam, was in the 18th century a French engine of trafficking in
Senegambia
The Senegambia (other names: Senegambia region or Senegambian zone,Barry, Boubacar, ''Senegambia and the Atlantic Slave Trade'', (Editors: David Anderson, Carolyn Brown; trans. Ayi Kwei Armah; contributors: David Anderson, American Council of Le ...
.
In parallel, a mestizo society develops in St. Louis and Gorée.
Slavery
Slavery is the ownership of a person as property, especially in regards to their labour. Slavery typically involves compulsory work, with the slave's location of work and residence dictated by the party that holds them in bondage. Enslavemen ...
was abolished by the
National Convention
The National Convention () was the constituent assembly of the Kingdom of France for one day and the French First Republic for its first three years during the French Revolution, following the two-year National Constituent Assembly and the ...
in 1794, then reinstated by
Bonaparte in 1802. The
British Empire
The British Empire comprised the dominions, Crown colony, colonies, protectorates, League of Nations mandate, mandates, and other Dependent territory, territories ruled or administered by the United Kingdom and its predecessor states. It bega ...
abolished slavery in 1833; in France it was finally abolished in the
Second Republic in 1848, under the leadership of
Victor Schœlcher
Victor Schœlcher (; 22 July 1804 – 25 December 1893) was a French abolitionist, writer, politician and journalist, best known for his leading role in the End of slavery in France, abolition of slavery in France in 1848, during the French Secon ...
.
The progressive weakening of the colony
In 1815, the
Congress of Vienna
The Congress of Vienna of 1814–1815 was a series of international diplomatic meetings to discuss and agree upon a possible new layout of the European political and constitutional order after the downfall of the French Emperor Napoleon, Napol ...
condemned
slavery
Slavery is the ownership of a person as property, especially in regards to their labour. Slavery typically involves compulsory work, with the slave's location of work and residence dictated by the party that holds them in bondage. Enslavemen ...
. But this would not change much economically for the Africans.
After the departure of
Governor Schmaltz (he had taken office at the end of the ''wreck of the Medusa''),
Roger Baron particularly encouraged the development of the
peanut
The peanut (''Arachis hypogaea''), also known as the groundnut, goober (US), goober pea, pindar (US) or monkey nut (UK), is a legume crop grown mainly for its edible seeds. It is widely grown in the tropics and subtropics by small and large ...
, "the earth pistachio", whose
monoculture
In agriculture, monoculture is the practice of growing one crop species in a field at a time. Monocultures increase ease and efficiency in planting, managing, and harvesting crops short-term, often with the help of machinery. However, monocultur ...
would be long because of the severe economic backwardness of Senegal. Despite the ferocity of the Baron, the company was a failure.
The colonization of
Casamance also continued. The island of
Carabane
Carabane, also known as Karabane, is an island and a village located in the extreme south-west of Senegal, in the mouth of the Casamance River. This relatively recent geological formation consists of a shoal and alluvium to which soil is added b ...
, acquired by France in 1836, was profoundly transformed between 1849 and 1857 by the resident
Emmanuel Bertrand Bocandé, a
Nantes
Nantes (, ; ; or ; ) is a city in the Loire-Atlantique department of France on the Loire, from the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic coast. The city is the List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, sixth largest in France, with a pop ...
businessman.
Modern colonialism
Various European powers – Portugal, the Netherlands, and England – competed for trade in the area from the 15th century onward, until in 1677, France ended up in possession of what had become a minor slave trade departure point—the infamous island of
Gorée
(; "Gorée Island"; ) is one of the 19 (i.e. districts) of the city of Dakar, Senegal. It is an island located at sea from the main harbour of Dakar (), famous as a destination for people interested in the Atlantic slave trade.
Its populatio ...
next to modern
Dakar
Dakar ( ; ; ) is the capital city, capital and List of cities in Senegal, largest city of Senegal. The Departments of Senegal, department of Dakar has a population of 1,278,469, and the population of the Dakar metropolitan area was at 4.0 mill ...
.
["Goree and the Atlantic Slave Trade", Philip Curtin, History Net](_blank)
, accessed 9 July 2008. In 1758 the French settlement was
captured by a British expedition as part of the
Seven Years' War
The Seven Years' War, 1756 to 1763, was a Great Power conflict fought primarily in Europe, with significant subsidiary campaigns in North America and South Asia. The protagonists were Kingdom of Great Britain, Great Britain and Kingdom of Prus ...
, but was later returned to France. It was only in the 1850s that the French, under the governor,
Louis Faidherbe, began to expand their foothold onto the Senegalese mainland, at the expense of the native kingdoms.
The
Four Communes of
Saint-Louis,
Dakar
Dakar ( ; ; ) is the capital city, capital and List of cities in Senegal, largest city of Senegal. The Departments of Senegal, department of Dakar has a population of 1,278,469, and the population of the Dakar metropolitan area was at 4.0 mill ...
,
Gorée
(; "Gorée Island"; ) is one of the 19 (i.e. districts) of the city of Dakar, Senegal. It is an island located at sea from the main harbour of Dakar (), famous as a destination for people interested in the Atlantic slave trade.
Its populatio ...
, and
Rufisque
Rufisque (; Wolof: Tëngeéj) is a city in the Dakar region of western Senegal, at the base of the Cap-Vert Peninsula east of Dakar, the capital. It has a population of 295,459 (2023 census). were the oldest colonial towns in
French controlled west Africa. In 1848, the
French Second Republic
The French Second Republic ( or ), officially the French Republic (), was the second republican government of France. It existed from 1848 until its dissolution in 1852.
Following the final defeat of Napoleon, Napoleon Bonaparte at the Battle ...
extended the rights of full French citizenship to their inhabitants. While those who were born in these towns could technically enjoy all the rights of native French citizens, substantial legal and social barriers prevented the full exercise of these rights, especially by those seen by authorities as full blooded Africans.
Most of the African population of these towns were termed ''originaires'': those Africans born into the commune, but who retained recourse to African and/or Islamic law (the so-called "personal status"). Those few Africans from the four communes who were able to pursue higher education and were willing to renounce their legal protections could "rise" to be termed
Évolué
In the Belgian colonial empire, Belgian and French colonial empires, an (, 'evolved one' or 'developed one') was an African who had been Europeanised through education and cultural assimilation, assimilation and had accepted European values and ...
("Evolved") and were nominally granted full French citizenship, including the vote. Despite this legal framework, Évolués still faced substantial discrimination in Africa and the
Metropole alike.
On 27 April 1848, following the February revolution in France, a law was passed in Paris enabling the Four Communes to elect a Deputy to the French Parliament for the first time. On 2 April 1852 the parliamentary seat for Senegal was abolished by
Napoleon III
Napoleon III (Charles-Louis Napoléon Bonaparte; 20 April 18089 January 1873) was President of France from 1848 to 1852 and then Emperor of the French from 1852 until his deposition in 1870. He was the first president, second emperor, and last ...
. Following the downfall of the
French Second Empire
The Second French Empire, officially the French Empire, was the government of France from 1852 to 1870. It was established on 2 December 1852 by Louis-Napoléon Bonaparte, president of France under the French Second Republic, who proclaimed hi ...
, the Four Communes was again allowed a parliamentary seat which was granted by law on 1 February 1871. On 30 December 1875 this seat was again abolished, but only for a few years as it was reinstated on 8 April 1879, and remained the single parliamentary representation from sub-Saharan Africa anywhere in a European legislature until the fall of the third republic in 1940.
It was only in 1916 that ''originaires'' were granted full voting rights while maintaining legal protections.
Blaise Diagne, who was the prime advocate behind the change, was in 1914 the first African deputy elected to the
French National Assembly
The National Assembly (, ) is the lower house of the Bicameralism, bicameral French Parliament under the French Fifth Republic, Fifth Republic, the upper house being the Senate (France), Senate (). The National Assembly's legislators are known ...
. From that time until independence in 1960, the deputies of the Four Communes were always African, and were at the forefront of the
decolonisation
Decolonization is the undoing of colonialism, the latter being the process whereby Imperialism, imperial nations establish and dominate foreign territories, often overseas. The meanings and applications of the term are disputed. Some scholar ...
struggle.
List of deputies elected to the French Parliament
The
French Second Republic
The French Second Republic ( or ), officially the French Republic (), was the second republican government of France. It existed from 1848 until its dissolution in 1852.
Following the final defeat of Napoleon, Napoleon Bonaparte at the Battle ...
:
*
Barthélémy Durand Valantin 1848–1850 (Mixed race)
*Vacant 1850–1852
*Abolished 1852–1871

The
French Third Republic
The French Third Republic (, sometimes written as ) was the system of government adopted in France from 4 September 1870, when the Second French Empire collapsed during the Franco-Prussian War, until 10 July 1940, after the Fall of France durin ...
:
*
Jean-Baptiste Lafon de Fongauffier 1871–1876 (Mixed race)
*Abolished 1876–1879
*
Alfred Gasconi 1879–1889 (Mixed race)
*
Aristide Vallon 1889–1893
*
Jules Couchard 1893–1898
*
Hector D'Agoult 1898–1902
*
François Carpot 1902–1914 (Mixed race)
*
Blaise Diagne 1914–1934 (African)
*
Galandou Diouf 1934–1940 (African)
1945–1959:
*
Amadou Lamine Guèye 1945–1951 (African)
*
Léopold Sedar Senghor 1945–1959 (African)
*
Abbas Guèye 1951–1955 (African)
*
Mamadou Dia
Mamadou Dia (18 July 1910 – 25 January 2009) was a Senegalese politician who served as the first Prime Minister of Senegal from 1957 until 1962, when he was forced to resign and was subsequently imprisoned amidst allegations that he was p ...
1956–1959 (African)
Following the 1945 elections to the Constituent Assembly in France, which were held with a very limited franchise, the French authorities gradually extended the franchise until—in November 1955—the principle of
universal suffrage
Universal suffrage or universal franchise ensures the right to vote for as many people bound by a government's laws as possible, as supported by the " one person, one vote" principle. For many, the term universal suffrage assumes the exclusion ...
was passed into law and implemented the following year. The first electoral contests held under universal suffrage were the municipal elections of November 1956. The first national contest was the 31 March 1957 election of the Territorial Assembly.
Independence

In January 1959, Senegal and the
French Sudan
French Sudan (; ') was a French colonial territory in the Federation of French West Africa from around 1880 until 1959, when it joined the Mali Federation, and then in 1960, when it became the independent state of Mali. The colony was formall ...
merged to form the
Mali Federation, which became fully independent on 20 June 1960. The transfer of power agreement with France was signed on 4 April 1960. Due to internal political difficulties, the Federation broke up on 20 August 1960. Senegal and Soudan (renamed the Republic of
Mali
Mali, officially the Republic of Mali, is a landlocked country in West Africa. It is the List of African countries by area, eighth-largest country in Africa, with an area of over . The country is bordered to the north by Algeria, to the east b ...
) proclaimed independence.
Léopold Senghor, internationally known poet, politician, and statesman, was elected Senegal's first president in August 1960.
The 1960s and early 1970s saw the continued and persistent violating of Senegal's borders by the Portuguese military from
Portuguese Guinea
Portuguese Guinea (), called the Overseas Province of Guinea from 1951 until 1972 and then State of Guinea from 1972 until 1974, was a Portuguese overseas province in West Africa from 1588 until 10 September 1974, when it gained independence as G ...
. In response, Senegal petitioned the
United Nations Security Council
The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) is one of the six principal organs of the United Nations (UN) and is charged with ensuring international peace and security, recommending the admission of new UN members to the General Assembly, an ...
in 1963,
1965
Events January–February
* January 14 – The First Minister of Northern Ireland and the Taoiseach of the Republic of Ireland meet for the first time in 43 years.
* January 20
** Lyndon B. Johnson is Second inauguration of Lynd ...
,
1969 (in response to shelling by Portuguese artillery),
1971 *
The year 1971 had three partial solar eclipses (Solar eclipse of February 25, 1971, February 25, Solar eclipse of July 22, 1971, July 22 and Solar eclipse of August 20, 1971, August 20) and two total lunar eclipses (February 1971 lunar eclip ...
and finally in
1972
Within the context of Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) it was the longest year ever, as two leap seconds were added during this 366-day year, an event which has not since been repeated. (If its start and end are defined using Solar time, ...
.
After the breakup of the Mali Federation, President Senghor and Prime Minister
Mamadou Dia
Mamadou Dia (18 July 1910 – 25 January 2009) was a Senegalese politician who served as the first Prime Minister of Senegal from 1957 until 1962, when he was forced to resign and was subsequently imprisoned amidst allegations that he was p ...
governed together under a parliamentary system. In December 1962, their political rivalry led to an
attempted coup by Prime Minister Dia. The coup was put down without bloodshed and Dia was arrested and imprisoned. Senegal adopted a new constitution that consolidated the President's power.
Senghor was considerably more tolerant of opposition than most African leaders became in the 1960s. Nonetheless, political activity was somewhat restricted for a time. Senghor's party, the Senegalese Progressive Union (now the
Socialist Party of Senegal), was the only legally permitted party from 1965 until 1975. In the latter year, Senghor allowed the formation of two opposition parties that began operation in 1976—a Marxist party (the
African Independence Party) and a liberal party (the
Senegalese Democratic Party).
In 1980, President Senghor retired from politics, and handed power over to his handpicked successor, Prime Minister
Abdou Diouf, in 1981.
1980–present
Senegal joined with
The Gambia
The Gambia, officially the Republic of The Gambia, is a country in West Africa. Geographically, The Gambia is the List of African countries by area, smallest country in continental Africa; it is surrounded by Senegal on all sides except for ...
to form the nominal confederation of
Senegambia
The Senegambia (other names: Senegambia region or Senegambian zone,Barry, Boubacar, ''Senegambia and the Atlantic Slave Trade'', (Editors: David Anderson, Carolyn Brown; trans. Ayi Kwei Armah; contributors: David Anderson, American Council of Le ...
on 1 February 1982. However, the envisaged integration of the two countries was never carried out and the union was dissolved in 1989. Despite peace talks, a southern separatist group in the
Casamance region has clashed sporadically with government forces since 1982. Senegal has a long history of participating in international peacekeeping.
Abdou Diouf was president between 1981 and 2000. Diouf served four terms as president. In the presidential election of 2000, he was defeated in a free and fair election by opposition leader
Abdoulaye Wade
Abdoulaye Wade (, ; born 29 May 1926) is a Senegalese politician who served as the third president of Senegal from 2000 to 2012. He is also the Secretary-General of the Senegalese Democratic Party (PDS), having led the party since it was founded ...
. Senegal experienced its second
peaceful transition of power
A peaceful transition or transfer of power is a concept important to democracy, democratic governments in which the leadership of a government peacefully hands over control of government to a newly elected leadership. This may be after elections o ...
and its first from one political party to another.
On 30 December 2004, President Abdoulaye Wade announced that he would sign a peace treaty with two separatist factions of the
Movement of Democratic Forces of Casamance (MFDC) in the
Casamance region. This will end West Africa's longest-running civil conflict. As of late 2006, it seemed the peace treaty was holding, as both factions and the Senegalese military appeared to honor the treaty. With recognized prospects for peace,
refugees
A refugee, according to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), is a person "forced to flee their own country and seek safety in another country. They are unable to return to their own country because of feared persecution as ...
began returning home from neighboring
Guinea-Bissau
Guinea-Bissau, officially the Republic of Guinea-Bissau, is a country in West Africa that covers with an estimated population of 2,026,778. It borders Senegal to Guinea-Bissau–Senegal border, its north and Guinea to Guinea–Guinea-Bissau b ...
. However, at the beginning of 2007, refugees began fleeing again as the sight of Senegalese troops rekindled fears of a new outbreak of violence between the separatists and the government.
Abdoulaye Wade conceded defeat to
Macky Sall
Macky Sall (, , ; born 11 December 1961) is a Senegalese politician who served as the fourth president of Senegal from 2012 to 2024. He previously served as the eighth Prime Minister of Senegal, prime minister from 2004 to 2007, under President ...
in the
election of 2012. In February 2019, president Macky Sall was
re-elected and he won a second term. The length of presidential term was reduced from seven years to five.
In March 2024, Opposition candidate
Bassirou Diomaye Faye
Bassirou Diomaye Diakhar Faye (; born 25 March 1980), commonly known mononymously as Diomaye, is a Senegalese politician and former tax official who is serving as the fifth and current president of Senegal since 2024. He is the general secretary ...
won the Senegal’s presidential
election
An election is a formal group decision-making process whereby a population chooses an individual or multiple individuals to hold Public administration, public office.
Elections have been the usual mechanism by which modern representative d ...
over the candidate of the ruling coalition, becoming the youngest president in Senegal’s history. In December 2024, President Bassirou Diomaye Faye announced that France should shut down its military bases in Senegal. The status of the end of the presence of French forces in Senegal is planned for September 2025.
See also
*Dakar
history
History is the systematic study of the past, focusing primarily on the Human history, human past. As an academic discipline, it analyses and interprets evidence to construct narratives about what happened and explain why it happened. Some t ...
and
timeline
A timeline is a list of events displayed in chronological order. It is typically a graphic design showing a long bar labelled with dates paralleling it, and usually contemporaneous events.
Timelines can use any suitable scale representing t ...
*
Four Communes
*French , 1817–1946
*
History of Africa
Archaic humans Out of Africa 1, emerged out of Africa between 0.5 and 1.8 million years ago. This was followed by the Recent African origin of modern humans, emergence of anatomically modern humans, modern humans (''Homo sapiens'') in East A ...
*
History of West Africa
*
Politics of Senegal
*
President of Senegal
The president of Senegal () is the head of state of Senegal. In accordance with the 2001 Senegalese constitutional referendum, constitutional reform of 2001 and since a 2016 Senegalese constitutional referendum, referendum that took place on 20 ...
*
Prime Minister of Senegal
The prime minister of Senegal () is the head of government of Senegal. The prime minister is appointed by the president of Senegal, who is directly elected for a five-year term. The prime minister, in turn, appoints the Cabinet of Senegal, afte ...
*Saint-Louis
history
History is the systematic study of the past, focusing primarily on the Human history, human past. As an academic discipline, it analyses and interprets evidence to construct narratives about what happened and explain why it happened. Some t ...
and
timeline
A timeline is a list of events displayed in chronological order. It is typically a graphic design showing a long bar labelled with dates paralleling it, and usually contemporaneous events.
Timelines can use any suitable scale representing t ...
*
References
Further reading
English Language
*Auchnie, Ailsa. ''"The commandement indigène" in Senegal. 1919–1947'', London: SOAS, 1983, 405 pages (Thèse)
*
*Chafer, Tony. ''The End of Empire in French West Africa: France's Successful Decolonization''. Berg (2002).
* Gellar, Sheldon. ''Senegal: an African nation between Islam and the West'' (Boulder: Westview Press, 1982).
*Idowu, H. Oludare. ''The Conseil General in Senegal, 1879–1920'', Ibadan: University of Ibadan, 1970 (Thèse)
*Leland, Conley Barrows. ''Général Faidherbe, the Maurel and Prom Company, and French Expansion in Senegal'', University of California, Los Angeles, 1974, XXI-t.1, pp. 1–519; t.2, pages 520–976, (thèse)
* Nelson, Harold D., et al. ''Area Handbook for Senegal'' (2nd ed. Washington: American University, 1974
full text online 411pp;
*Robinson Jr, David Wallace ''Faidherbe, Senegal and Islam'', New York, Columbia University, 1965, 104 pages (thèse)
*
* Wikle, Thomas A., and Dale R. Lightfoot. "Landscapes of the Slave Trade in Senegal and The Gambia", ''Focus on Geography'' (2014) 57#1 pp. 14–24.
French language
Primary sources
*
Michel Adanson, ''Histoire naturelle du Sénégal. Coquillages. Avec la relation abrégée d'un voyage fait en ce pays pendant les années 1749, 50, 51, 52 et 53'', Paris, 1757, réédité partiellement sous le titre ''Voyage au Sénégal'', présenté et annoté par Denis Reynaud et Jean Schmidt, Publications de l'Université de Saint-Étienne, 1996.
*
Stanislas, chevalier de Boufflers, ''Lettres d'Afrique à Madame de Sabran'', préface, notes et dossier de François Bessire, s. l., Babel, 1998, 453 pages (coll. Les Épistolaires)
*Marie Brantôme, ''Le Galant exil du marquis de Boufflers'', 1786
*
Jean Baptiste Léonard Durand, ''Voyage au Sénégal 1785–1786'', Paris: Agasse, 1802.
*Georges Hardy, ''La mise en valeur du Sénégal de 1817 à 1854'', Paris: Larose, 1921, XXXIV + 376 pages (Thèse de Lettres)
*André Charles, marquis de La Jaille, ''Voyage au Sénégal pendant les années 1784 et 1785, avec des notes jusqu’à l'an X par P. Labarthe'', Paris, Denter,1802.
*
Saugnier, ''Relation des voyages de Saugnier à la côte d'Afrique, au Maroc, au Sénégal, à Gorée, à Galam'', publiée par Laborde, Paris: Lamy, 1799.
*René Claude Geoffroy de Villeneuve, ''L’Afrique ou Histoire, mœurs, usages et coutumes des Africains : le Sénégal, orné de 44 planches exécutées la plupart d'après des dessins originaux inédits faits sur les lieux'', Paris: Nepveu,1814.
Secondary sources
*
Gravrand, Henry, "La Civilisation Sereer – ''Pangool''", vol. 2, Les Nouvelles Editions Africaines du
Senegal
Senegal, officially the Republic of Senegal, is the westernmost country in West Africa, situated on the Atlantic Ocean coastline. It borders Mauritania to Mauritania–Senegal border, the north, Mali to Mali–Senegal border, the east, Guinea t ...
, 1990, pp, 9, 20 & 77, 91,
*Gravrand, Henry, "La civilisation Sereer, Vol. 1, Cosaan: les origines", Nouvelles Editions africaines, 1983,
*
University of Calgary
{{Infobox university
, name = University of Calgary
, image = University of Calgary coat of arms without motto scroll.svg
, image_size = 150px
, caption = Coat of arms
, former ...
, Dept. of Archaeology, Society of Africanist Archaeologists in America, Society of Africanist Archaeologists, ''Newsletter of African archaeology'', Issues 47–50, Dept. of Archaeology, University of Calgary, 1997, pp. 27, 58
*Becker, Charles, "Vestiges historiques, trémoins matériels du passé clans les pays
sereer", Dakar (1993), CNRS – ORS TO M
*Foltz, William J., "From French West Africa to the
Mali Federation", Volume 12 of Yale studies in political science, p. 136,
Yale University Press
Yale University Press is the university press of Yale University. It was founded in 1908 by George Parmly Day and Clarence Day, grandsons of Benjamin Day, and became a department of Yale University in 1961, but it remains financially and ope ...
, 1965
*
Diop, Cheikh Anta, Modum, Egbuna P., "Towards the African renaissance: essays in African culture & development", 1946–1960, p. 28, Karnak House (1996).
*Coifman, Victoria Bomba, "History of the Wolof state of Jolof until 1860 including comparative data from the Wolof state of Walo", p. 276, University of Wisconsin–Madison, 1969
*Diouf, Niokhobaye. "Chronique du royaume du Sine" par suivie de Notes sur les traditions orales et les sources écrites concernant le royaume du Sine par Charles Becker et Victor Martin. Bulletin de
l'Ifan, Tome 34, Série B, n° 4, 1972, p. 706
*
Sarr, Alioune, "Histoire du
Sine
In mathematics, sine and cosine are trigonometric functions of an angle. The sine and cosine of an acute angle are defined in the context of a right triangle: for the specified angle, its sine is the ratio of the length of the side opposite th ...
–
Saloum
The Kingdom of Saloum ( Serer: ''Saluum'' or ''Saalum'') was a Serer kingdom in present-day Senegal and parts of Gambia. The precolonial capital was the city of Kahone. Re-established in 2017, Saloum is now a non-sovereign traditional monarch ...
", Introduction, bibliographie et Notes par Charles Becker, BIFAN, Tome 46, Serie B, n° 3–4, 1986–1987
*Rodolphe Alexandre, ''La Révolte des tirailleurs sénégalais à Cayenne, 24–25 février 1946'', 1995, 160 pages
*Jean-Luc Angrand, ''Céleste ou le temps des signares'', Éditions Anne Pépin, 2006
*Boubacar Barry, ''La Sénégambie du XVe au XIXe siècle. Traite négrière, Islam et conquête coloniale'', Paris, L'Harmattan, 1991 (rééd.), 544 pages
*Boubacar Barry, ''Le Royaume du Waalo : le Sénégal avant la Conquête'', Karthala, 2000 (rééd.), 420 pages
*
Abdoulaye Bathily, ''Les Portes de l'or : le royaume de Galam (Sénégal) de l'ère musulmane au temps des négriers (VIIIe-XVIIIe siècles)'', Paris: L'Harmattan, 1989.
*Claire Bernard, ''Les Aménagements du bassin fleuve Sénégal pendant la colonisation française (1850–1960)'', ANRT, 1996,
*Germaine Françoise Bocandé, ''L’implantation militaire française dans la région du Cap-Vert : causes, problèmes et conséquences des origines à 1900'', Dakar, Université de Dakar, 1980, 112 pages (Mémoire de Maîtrise)
*Jean Boulègue, ''Le Grand Jolof : XIIIe-XVIe siècles, les Anciens royaumes Wolof, t. 1'', Karthala, 1987, 207 pages
*Paul Bouteiller, ''Le Chevalier de Boufflers et le Sénégal de son temps (1785–1788), Lettres du Monde'', Paris, 1995.
*Bruno A. Chavane, ''Villages de l'ancien Tekrour : recherches archéologiques dans la moyenne vallée du fleuve Sénégal'', Karthala-CRA, 2000 (rééd.)
*
Sékéné Mody Cissoko, ''Le Khasso face à l'empire Toucouleur et à la France dans le Haut- Sénégal 1854–1890'', Paris: L'
Harmattan
The Harmattan is a season in West Africa that occurs between the end of November and the middle of March. It is characterized by the dry and dusty northeasterly trade wind, of the same name, which blows from the Sahara over West Africa into th ...
, 1988, 351 pages
*
Catherine Clément, ''Afrique esclave'', Agnès Vienot, 1999, 200 pages
*Cyr Descamps, ''Contribution à la préhistoire de l'Ouest-sénégalais'', Paris: Université de Paris, 1972, 345 pages Thèse de 3
e cycle publiée en 1979, Dakar, Travaux et Documents Faculté des Lettres, 286 pages
*Falilou Diallo, ''Histoire du Sénégal : de la conférence de Brazzaville à la fondation du bloc démocratique sénégalais : 1944–1948'', Paris: Université de Paris I, 1983, 318 pages (Thèse de 3rd cycle)
*Papa Momar Diop, ''Les administrateurs coloniaux au Sénégal. 1900–1914'', Dakar: Université de Dakar, 1985, 107 pages (Mémoire de Maîtrise)
*
Mamadou Diouf, ''Le Kajoor au XIX
e'', Karthala, 1989
*Mamadou Diouf, ''Le Sénégal sous Abdou Diouf'', Karthala, 1990
*Mamadou Diouf, ''Une histoire du Sénégal : le modèle islamo-wolof et ses périphéries'', Paris: Maisonneuve & Larose, 2001, 250 pages
*Babacar Fall, ''Le Travail forcé en Afrique Occidentale Française (1900–1946)'', Karthala, 2000, 336 pages
*Denys Ferrando-Durfort, ''Lat Dior le résistant'', Paris : Chiron, 1989. – 45 pages
*Jean Girard, ''L'Or du Bambouk : du royaume de Gabou à la Casamance une dynamique de civilisation ouest-africaine'', Genève: Georg, 1992, 347 pages
*Bernard Grosbellet, ''Le'' Moniteur du Sénégal et dépendances '' comme sources de l'histoire du Sénégal pendant le premier gouvernement de Faidherbe (1856–1861)'', Dakar:
Université de Dakar, 1967, 113 pages (Diplôme d'Etudes Supérieures)
*Gerti Hesseling, ''Histoire politique du Sénégal: institutions, droit et société'' (translation Catherine Miginiac), Karthala, 2000, 437 pages
*Abdoulaye Ly, ''La Compagnie du Sénégal'', Karthala, 2000, 448 pages
*Mahamadou Maiga, ''Le Bassin du fleuve Sénégal – De la traite négrière au développement'', Paris, L’Harmattan, 1995, 330 pages
*Laurence Marfaing, ''Évolution du commerce au Sénégal : 1820–1930'', Paris, L’Harmattan, 1991, 320 pages
*Saliou Mbaye, ''Le Conseil privé du Sénégal de 1819 à 1854'', Paris,
Université de Paris, 1974, 431 pages (Thèse de l'École des Chartes)
*
Djibril Tamsir Niane, ''Soundjata ou l'épopée Mandingue'',
Présence africaine, 2000 (rééd.) 160 pages
*Jean-Pierre Phan, ''Le Front Populaire au Sénégal (1936–1938)'', Paris, Université de Paris I, 1974, 176 pages (Mémoire de Maîtrise)
*Christian Roche, ''Histoire de la Casamance : Conquête et résistance 1850–1920'', Karthala, 2000, 408 pages
*Christian Roche, ''Le Sénégal à la conquête de son indépendance, 1939–1960. Chronique de la vie politique et syndicale, de l'Empire français à l'Indépendance'', Paris: Karthala, 2001, 286 pages
*Yves-Jean Saint-Martin, ''Une source de l'histoire coloniale du Sénégal. Les rapports de situation politique (1874–1891)'', Dakar: Université de Dakar, 1964, 147 pages (Diplôme d'Etudes Supérieures)
*Yves-Jean Saint-Martin, ''La formation territoriale de la colonie du Sénégal sous le Second Empire 1850–1871'', Nantes: Université de Nantes, 1980, 2 vol. 1096 pages (Thèse d'État)
*Yves-Jean Saint-Martin, ''Le Sénégal sous le Second Empire'', Karthala, 2000, 680 pages
*H. Y. Sanchez-Calzadilla, ''A l'origine de l'expansion française, la commission des comptoirs du Sénégal'', Paris: Université de Paris I, 1973 (Mémoire de Maîtrise)
*Alain Sinou, ''Comptoirs et villes coloniales du Sénégal: Saint-Louis, Gorée, Dakar'', Karthala, 1999, 344 pages
*Charles Uyisenga, ''La participation de la colonie du Sénégal à l'effort de guerre 1914–1918'', Dakar: Université de Dakar, 1978, 216 pages (Mémoire de Maîtrise)
*Nicole Vaget Grangeat, ''Le Chevalier de Boufflers et son temps, étude d'un échec'', Paris, Nizet, 1976
*Baïla Wane, ''Le Conseil colonial du Sénégal, 1920–1946'', Paris:
Université de Paris VII, 1978, 20 pages (Diplôme d'Études Approfondies).
External links
"VIIe Colloque euroafricain"Aline Robert – Les sources écrites européennes du XVe au XIXe s : un apport complémentaire pour la connaissance du passé africain
{{DEFAULTSORT:History Of Senegal
Senegal (colonial)