[18th century French Maps of the Senegal River]

Mapping the foothold of France’s colonial empire in Senegal.

This collection of French maps of the Senegal River was created by Jacques Nicolas Bellin and originally published as part of 18th-century travel volumes issued between the 1740s and 1770s. Various scales are used to great effect to provide a detailed overview of the course of the river from its mouth on the Atlantic into the largely unknown interior. European forts (including Saint Louis), native villages, prominent landmarks, and other features of interest are labeled throughout.

France’s economic interests in the river’s mouth, largely revolving around the slave trade, began during the late 17th century with the establishment of the Compagnie du Senegal and the acquisition of Goree Island from the Dutch. Around the time of publication, the area was of particular geopolitical interest as part of France’s vulnerable overseas territories during the Seven Years’ War. A 1758 expedition by the British successfully captured French Senegal, but it was returned in 1783, following the American Revolutionary War. It would serve as a critical base for the further French conquest of much of West Africa during the 19th century.