Contesting French West Africa

After the turn of the twentieth century, schools played a pivotal role in the construction of French West Africa. But as this dynamic, deeply researched study reveals, the expanding school system also became the site of escalating conflicts. As French authorities worked to develop truncated schools for colonial “subjects,” many African students and young elites framed educational projects of their own. Weaving together a complex narrative and rich variety of voices, Harry Gamble explores the high stakes of colonial education. With the disruptions of World War II, contests soon took on new configurations. Seeking to forestall postwar challenges to colonial rule, French authorities showed a new willingness to envision broad reforms, in education as in other areas. Exploiting the new context of the Fourth Republic and the extension of citizenship, African politicians and students demanded an end to separate and inferior schools. Contesting French West Africa critically examines the move toward educational integration that took shape during the immediate postwar period. Growing linkages to the metropolitan school system ultimately had powerful impacts on the course of decolonization and the making of postcolonial Africa.  

"This informative, accessible, and well-written book highlights the centrality of schools in matters of power and governance and offers new insights into the political views of Senghor. It will appeal to readers who have an interest in the history of modern France, the French Empire, West Africa, and colonial schooling."—Kelly M. Duke Bryant, Journal of Interdisciplinary History, "In this compelling, well-written study, Harry Gamble . . . shows that battles over schooling, either within the French colonial state or between Africans and French officials, encapsulated broader debates about the nature, purpose, and future of French rule in West Africa. . . . Gamble's periodization, eschewing the typical dividing points of 1914 and 1940, allows him to construct a nuanced picture of the ebbs and flows of French policy and African activism over time. . . . He consistently shows how colonial officials on the spot evaded or mitigated direction from the center and/or how Africans shaped the outcome of a particular policy."—Elizabeth A. Foster, International Journal of African Historical Studies, "Contesting French West Africa provides critical insight into colonial policy and practice. It will be essential reading for colonial historians, and provides critical context for readers of accounts such as the one written by Camara Laye."—Kathleen Keller, H-France Review, "This monograph does much to illuminate the connections between education and imperial politics in French West Africa, adding to a growing English language literature on the topic. Covering significant chronological reach and political depth, Contesting French West Africa suggests that those working on education in the region today would do well to examine this history."—Rachel Kantrowitz, French Politics, Culture and Society, “Contesting French West Africa . . . . [will prove] extremely valuable to scholars and students of colonial history, including those working on other regions of Africa. Gamble’s work will also be of interest to those working on postindependence constructions of language, race, education, and belonging and wishing to understand the historical context of these dynamics.”—Camille Jacob, Journal of African History

Harry Gamble is a professor of French and francophone studies at the College of Wooster in Ohio.