Goree Island and the Slave Trade

Goree is a small island 3km off of the Cape Vert Peninsula and now part of the city of Dakar. Goree was principally a trading post, trading beeswax, hides, grains, and most notably, slaves.

The shipping of slaves from Goree began in 1536 when the Portuguese launched the slave trade and the French continued it when they gained control in 1688 until it was halted in 1848.  On the island there is a small fort known as "Maison des esclaves" (Slave House).  This served as a slave warehouse through which Africans passed on their way to the Americas.

 During the Transatlantic slave trade millions passed through the island and other similar trading posts to work in the plantations of the New World, including those in the United States and the Caribbean.

President Obama visits Goree in 2013.

The island's small size made it easy for merchants to control their captives.  The surrounding waters are so deep that many attempt at escaping would mean sure drowning, especially considering the fact that most captured Africans wore a 5 kg metal ball permanently attached to their feet or necks.

The Door of No Return

The island's remained continuously French until 1960, when Senegal was granted independence. In 1978, Gorée Island was designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.  It is now a popular destination for tourists and school groups looking to learn more about the history of the slave trade in West Africa.

Above excerpts courtesy of:
the official!Peace!Corps!Senegal!website,!www.pcsenegal.org,!February!2009
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Senegal#Ethnicity,!February!2009
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/3054442.stm,!http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Goree_Island,!February!2009