RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 Le Commerce entre Africains et Européens dans le Golfe de Guinée au XIXe siècle à travers les écrits de G. Nohmant
JF African Economic History
JO Afr Eco His
FD University of Wisconsin Press
SP 114
OP 135
DO 10.3368/aeh.50.2.114
VO 50
IS 2
A1 Florent, Sohi Blesson
YR 2022
UL https://aeh.uwpress.org/aeh.uwpress.org/content/50/2/114.abstract
AB Trade between Africans and Europeans in the Gulf of Guinea in the 19th century through the writings of G. Nohmant is a study that follows on from the debates that took place more than two decades ago on the capacity of Africans to undertake. The writings of G. Nohmant who is, in reality, the administrator Georges Thomann, shed new light on the commercial relations between African and European economic actors in the Gulf of Guinea, and shed more light on the commercial skills of the indigenous populations before the colonial period. This study also highlights the interest in consulting private archives. These sometimes offer documents as rich as those produced by the administrator Thomann under another identity.G. Nohmant has published four stories: Lia.s Vengeance, The Fetish, The African Loustics and The Black Star. These stories depict the traditions of the populations of southwestern Ivory Coast. they provide information on their religious beliefs, cultural events, social and political traditions. But, G. Nohmant is much more interested in the economic and commercial activities of this largely open forest area on the Atlantic coast. The Black Star, the author.s fourth account, is almost entirely devoted to it. this tale tells the story of Black-star, an English merchant sailing ship in trade with the populations of southwestern Côd.Ivoire in the 19th century. Through this story, G. Nohmant reveals the complementarity between European merchants, mostly of English origin at this period, and African traders. it shows the diversity of goods traded both from the African side and from European trading houses.