Maison des Esclaves (Slave House)

A regular destination for tourists and heads of state alike, the Maison des Esclaves has come to symbolize the Atlantic slave trade more than any other building in the world. The house, built by a Dutch merchant in 1776, is situated on tiny Gorée Island, which was once a major port thanks to its location at the intersection of the trade route around Africa and the transatlantic route to the Americas.

Slaves were trafficked through Gorée until 1848 with the abolition of the slave trade in France, which controlled the island at the time. In 1978, UNESCO listed the island as a World Heritage Site. About 300 people visit the Maison des Esclaves each day.

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References

Trudy Ring, Robert Salkin, and Sharon La Boda. “International Dictionary of Historic Places.” Taylor and Francis, 1996, p. 303.

“Gorée Island.”
External Link

UNESCO: Official Site on Gorée Island.
External Link

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Discussions

Discussion for Goree Island

Many historians doubt that the Maison des Esclaves presents accurate history. “The whole story is phony,” says historian Philip D. Curtin, who insists that no…

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Design of Goree Island

Since artifacts are scarce, the Maison des Esclaves tells its story through its architecture. A horseshoe-shaped staircase divides the space between the Europeans’ rooms above…

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Related Resources

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