French West Africa

Long ago, France ruled lands in West Africa. This group of lands was very large. It had eight parts. A leader lived in a place called Dakar.

For a long time, things were not fair. Many people did not have rights. They could not vote.

Later, people worked hard to change this. They wanted to have a say. Some lands even became free. It was a big change for everyone.

French West Africa was a large group of lands. It had eight parts. These parts are now countries like Mali and Senegal. The group lasted from 1895 until 1958. A leader lived in the city of Dakar.

For a long time, things were not fair. Most Africans were called subjects. They did not have the same rights as French citizens. They could not vote or own property. However, people in four towns in Senegal had rights. In 1914, a man named Blaise Diagne was elected to represent them. Later, more people gained the right to vote.

Slavery was also a big problem. France made laws to stop it. In 1905, they officially ended slavery in most areas. Many people fled to find freedom. After World War II, things changed again. New leaders were elected.

They worked to give people more power. By 1960, many of these lands became their own free countries.

French West Africa was a very large group of lands. It was a federation of eight different territories. These places included Mauritania, Senegal, French Sudan, French Guinea, Ivory Coast, Upper Volta, Dahomey, and Niger. This group lasted from 1895 until 1958. The land was huge. It was eight times the size of France. The main city for the group was Saint-Louis until 1902. After that, the capital moved to Dakar in Senegal.

For many years, the people living there did not have the same rights as people in France. Most Africans were called "French subjects." This meant they could not vote or own property. They also had limits on where they could travel. However, things were different in four towns in Senegal. These were called the Four Communes. People born in these towns could be full citizens. They could even vote for leaders. In 1914, a man named Blaise Diagne was elected to the French Parliament.

Slavery was a very hard part of life in these lands. France had made laws to stop slavery in 1848. But these laws did not always help everyone. They mostly helped people who were already French citizens. Between 1903 and 1905, leaders began to enforce laws against slave owners. In 1905, slavery was officially ended in most of French West Africa. This change helped many people. Between 1906 and 1911, over one million people fled from their masters to find freedom.

After World War II, the way the lands were run began to change. In 1945, the French government gave the region some seats in a new assembly. This led to a new generation of African leaders.

In 1945, six Africans were elected to help write new rules. Some of these leaders included Lamine Guèye and Léopold Sédar Senghor. In 1946, a law gave some citizenship rights to more people. Later, in 1956, a new law allowed everyone to vote in elections. This was a big step toward more power for the local people.

By the end of the 1950s, the federation began to break apart. In 1958, the structure changed again into something called the French Community. Most lands stayed in this new group, but Guinea chose to become independent.

By 1960, the old federation was gone for good. Some lands joined together to form new groups. For example, Senegal and French Sudan became the Mali Federation. Other lands like Ivory Coast and Niger also became their own countries. These changes shaped the map of Africa that we see today.

French West Africa, known as the AOF, was a large federation of eight colonial territories. These lands were located in West Africa. They included Mauritania, Senegal, French Sudan, French Guinea, Ivory Coast, Upper Volta, Dahomey, and Niger. The federation existed from 1895 until 1958. It was a massive area covering 4,689,000 square kilometers. This made it eight times larger than Metropolitan France. The capital was Saint-Louis in Senegal until 1902. After that, the capital moved to Dakar.

The administration of the AOF followed a strict hierarchy. The French government in Paris managed the colonies through the Minister of Colonies. This minister gave orders to a Governor-General based in Dakar. The Governor-General oversaw the different territories. Each territory was managed by a Lieutenant Governor.

At the local level, the French used the Cercle system. A Cercle was a small unit of political administration. It was led by a European officer called a Cercle Commander. This commander had authority over many villages and cantons. In some places, a single commander could rule hundreds of thousands of people.

Legal rights were not the same for everyone in the federation. Most Africans were considered "French subjects" rather than citizens. As subjects, they lacked many rights. They could not vote in elections or own property freely. They also faced restrictions on where they could travel. However, there was an exception in the Four Communes of Senegal. These were the towns of Dakar, Gorée, Saint-Louis, and Rufisque. Residents born in these towns were legally French citizens. They could vote and elect representatives to the French parliament.

In 1914, Blaise Diagne became the first African elected to the French Parliament. He was a deputy for Senegal. In 1916, he helped pass a law that gave full citizenship to everyone in the Four Communes. He did this by promising to help recruit Africans to fight in World War I. This period saw significant changes in how people were treated under the law. Later, after World War II, the French government began to grant more limited political rights. In 1945, ten seats were allocated to French West Africa in a new assembly. This helped a new generation of French-educated African leaders rise to power.

Six Africans were elected to this assembly in October 1945. These leaders included Lamine Guèye, Léopold Sédar Senghor, and Félix Houphouët-Boigny. Others were Sourou-Migan Apithy, Fily Dabo Sissoko, and Yacine Diallo. They were re-elected in 1946. New laws, like the Loi Lamine Guèye, granted limited citizenship rights to more people. By 1946, the French Empire became the French Union. This allowed territories to elect local representatives to General Councils. These councils had limited power, but they could approve local budgets.

Slavery was a major issue that the French addressed through gradual legal changes. While slavery was illegal for French citizens in 1848, it did not always apply to indigenous subjects. Between 1903 and 1905, French authorities began enforcing anti-slavery laws more strictly. They stopped the slave trade and did not return fugitive slaves to their owners. In 1905, slavery was officially abolished in most of French West Africa. This led to a period of great movement. Between 1906 and 1911, over one million enslaved people fled to find freedom.

The structure of the colonies changed many times due to wars and new laws. During World War II, some territories declared allegiance to the Vichy regime. After the war, the Loi Cadre of 1956 brought universal suffrage to the colonies. This meant that all adults could vote in elections. In 1958, the federation changed into the French Community. Most colonies chose to stay in this new structure, but Guinea voted for independence.

By 1960, the federation had completely dissolved. Some areas joined to form new groups, like the Mali Federation, while others became independent nations. This process transformed the political map of West Africa.