Why did the British keep The Gambia?

Why did the British keep The Gambia?

With the British abolition of the slave trade in their settlements in 1807, they tried to look for a suitable location in The Gambia from where they would be able to monitor the river and stop ships from entering and leaving with slaves. Britain declared the Gambia River a British Protectorate in 1820.

What was Gambia known for?

The Gambia is Africa’s smallest nonisland country. The country is known for the beaches along its small Atlantic coastline and for being home to Jufureh (Juffure), the reputed ancestral village of Kunta Kinte, the main character in Alex Haley’s well-known novel Roots.

How did Gambia gain independence?

On 25 May 1765, The Gambia was made a part of the British Empire when the government formally assumed control, establishing the Province of Senegambia. In 1965, the Gambia gained independence under the leadership of Dawda Jawara, who ruled until Yahya Jammeh seized power in a bloodless 1994 coup.

Why did Gambia and Senegal separate?

The confederation was founded on 1 February 1982 following an agreement between the two countries signed on 12 December 1981. It was intended to promote cooperation between the two countries, but was dissolved by Senegal on 30 September 1989 after The Gambia refused to move closer toward union.

When did the Gambia become a crown colony?

In 1886, Gambia became a crown colony, and the following year France and Britain drew the boundaries between Senegal (by then a French colony) and The Gambia. With the slave trade at an end, the British were forced to come up with a new source of wealth to support the fledgling protectorate, which led to the planting of groundnuts.

Why was the Gambia important to the British?

They effectively outflank the British, who restrict their interests to the banks of the Gambia. As a result, when the scramble for Africabegins in 1884, the British are at a disadvantage. When boundaries are agreed between the two nations, in 1889, Britain secures only a narrow strip along each bank of the Gambia.

What did the Gambian Colony do for export?

Attempts were made to increase production of other goods for export: the Gambian Poultry Scheme pioneered by the Colonial Development Corporation aimed to produce twenty million eggs and one million lb of dressed poultry a year.

When did the Portuguese first come to the Gambia?

For a century and more the Portuguese virtually have them to themselves. They reach the Senegal in 1444 and the Gambia in 1455. In the 17th century the French and the British, by now imperial rivals, develop an interest in the two rivers.

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