Tribal Relationships to Slavery in Gambia:
All ethnic groups were affected
to one extent or another by the Atlantic Slave Trade and domestic
slavery.
 Aku's
They are the descendents of European traders and their African
wives [Mulattoes], as well as of liberated slaves from Sierra
Leone. Liberated slaves also intermingled and inter-married with
other groups of freed slaves from the New World and Britain who
were already exposed to different cultures. As a result the Aku
developed their own distinctive culture, encompassing both African
and European characteristics and language. Most are Christian
and have European names and continue to figure prominently in
Gambian commerce and the civil service.
Portuguese Mulatto traders were the middlemen between African
producers and European merchants during the height of the Trans-Atlantic
Slave Trade.
Fulas
The Fulas were traditionally mainly cattle herders originating
in the area north of the Senegal River, though it is thought by
some that they originally came from much further north. The Fulas
who first immigrated into The Gambia were non-Muslim pastoralists.
There are many sub-groups of Fulas based on different places of
origin and modes of making a living. The Firdu Fulas for example,
because of their semi-sedentary nature and ethnic intermarriage
were often looked down upon as being of slave origin. Another
sub-group, the Fulbe Futa, formed warrior bands and preyed upon
other Fula groups and Mandinka communities.
Jolas
Amongst the earliest people in the Senegambia region were the
Jolas, who had migrated from Casamance
in Senegal. A Colonial Office report in 1929 described the Jola
tribe as mainly pagan.
The Jolas were the only tribe never to have had a tradition of
keeping slaves, although they did sell their own prisoners of
war to merchants. The Jolas were themselves often victims of slave
takers and were particularly subjugated by the Mandinkas.
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Mandingos
The Mandinka were the first of a series of invaders to the Senegambia
region. Gradually  the
whole of Gambia valley came under Mandinka control and they were
firmly established by the 15th century.
Trade was important in Mandinka states and long distance trade
routes were established. During the period of the Transatlantic
slave trade, slaves and firearms became the most important articles
of trade.
As well as being victims of slave takers, some Mandinkas
carried on extensive trade in slaves. Even well into the 19th
century it was "well-known and admitted fact that Mandingos...
are in the practice of obtaining and carrying off liberated slaves
from Freetown".
Sarahules
Those found in The Gambia arrived during the 19th century as refugees
from the religious wars in Senegal and are therefore the most
recent arrivals of all the Senegambian ethnic
groups. They hired land from Mandinka chiefs and, by the middle
of the century, had proved themselves useful to the kings of the
river states, acting as mercenaries.
Serrer
The Serrers are among the oldest ethnic group in the Senegambia
region, having migrated into the delta regions from the north
of Senegal. According to traditions passed on by nineteenth century
European writers, the Fulas drove the Serer out of the Futa Toro
region of Senegambia and enslaved them.
Wollof
The Wollofs are thought to have originated in Southern Mauritania
where droughts and raids forced them south into the area north
of The Gambia in western Senegal.
Early descriptions of Wollof chiefs are found in the writings
of a 15th century Portuguese explorer. He described how Wolof
kings forced some of their subjects and those of neighbouring
provinces into slavery, part whereof they employed in cultivating
the lands assigned them, with the rest sold to the Azanaghi [Moors]
and Arab merchants. For protection, the kings would surround themselves
with warriors, often of slave origin called 'Tyeddo'.
A caste system operated
within Wolof society. Household or domestic slaves could not be
sold except for serious crimes such as murder or witchcraft. In
fact many enjoyed greater power than freemen, with some acting
as trusted advisors and agents to their masters. Slaves were valuable
property and ownership of many slaves generated prestige within
the community.
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2 Slavery