Ex-British West African Colonies

Gambia:

The first Europeans to reach the river were the Portuguese in 1455. Their main aim was to trade in Slave
and gold. By the end of the 16th century (1588), they were ousted by the British and sold their trading rights to
the British merchants. In the 18th century, The British and French competed for the control of the trade of the
area building ports on opposite sides of Gambia. During that period, Gambia and most of Senegal were one
territory called Seno-Gambia. This fact led France and Britain to negotiate the separation of both territories.
Indeed, in 1783 they settled a treaty whereby The Gambia section ended to be a British colony and were
placed under the charge of Freetown in sierra-Leone. But the colonialist controls of the two territories were
finally separated in 1888. In 1889, The Gambia’s boundaries were defined, and in 1894 the interior was
declared a British protectorate.

Gold Coast:

During the 15th century, the first European fort was established by the Portuguese. Trade was begun
largely in exchange for gold. Their forts were built to protect their trade. Other European traders followed
such the English, Danish and Dutch, and built in their turn forts. In 1874, the British defeated the Ashanti;
then, the Gold coast was declared a British colony.

Sierra- Leone:

In the 15 th century, Portuguese sailors were the first European explorers to detail their adventures along
the coast of Sierra Leone. Later on, European ships arrived not for land procession but to the coast to trade
with local chiefs in slaves and ivory. 1787 the British abolitionists were given the permission by “KING
TOM” to establish Freetown for freed slaves in England and slaves rescued from the slave ships. In early
1808, the British took over Freetown. Many schools and churches were founded and Christianity became
wide-spread among the freed-slaves. In 1896, the whole Sierra Leone was proclaimed a protectorate.

Nigeria:

In the late 15th c. Portuguese navigators became the first Europeans to visit Nigeria for slave trade. They
were after followed by other Europeans who came for the same aim. In the 19th c, and after the abolition of
the slave trade, the British started thinking about more legal trade in Palm Oil, rubber and other raw materials.
Then, Anti- slave’s treaties negotiations were opened with local chiefs. Their aim was to guarantee the
suppression of the slave commerce.

In addition, a consul is appointed to take responsibility for the Bights of Biafra and Benin. In order to stop the
slave trade there, Britain annexed Lagos in 1861. Meanwhile, the British traders entered into the interior and
in 1885, a protectorate was declared over the whole coastal territory and much of the hinterland. The later,
was controlled by the Royal Niger Company. The British expanded rapidly into the interior reaching the
Muslim north. In fact, in 1900, a protectorate of Northern Nigeria was declared .Then because of some
problems, the charter of the Royal Niger Company was repealed. By 1906, Britain controlled Nigeria, which
was divided into the Colony; Lagos and its interior as a colony and a Southern and Northern Nigeria as
protectorates In 1914 the two regions were combined.