Book ID: CBB001422392

Migrants, Credit and Climate: The Gambian Groundnut Trade, 1834--1934 (2006)

unapi

Swindell, Ken (Author)
Jeng, Alieu (Author)


Brill


Publication Date: 2006
Physical Details: xxxvi + 264 pp.; ill.
Language: English

After the ending of the Atlantic slave trade West Africa experienced a period of transition to legitimate trade, which provided agricultural staples for the burgeoning European market. One early example was the groundnut trade, which developed along the River Gambia where myriad households grew the crop, which was purchased and transported by the merchant interest. Of crucial importance were pioneer migrant farmers, whose numbers were later swelled by other labour migrants drawn from a wide area. The trade pre-dated colonial partition, and producers were integrated into the international market by extended chains of merchant credit and indebtedness. By the latter part of the 19th century the vagaries of the world market were becoming apparent, as well as the climate, which together affected output and incomes. Colonial rule created conditions for the expansion of the trade, but food supply in the face of groundnut specialization became a fundamental issue and led to experiments with irrigation and mixed farming. In the 20th century the trade was marked by drought, the First World War, credit crises, de-monetization and trade depression, while throughout it remained a migrant driven economy.

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Reviewed By

Review Lambert, Michael C. (2015) Review of "Migrants, Credit and Climate: The Gambian Groundnut Trade, 1834--1934". Environmental History (pp. 550-551). unapi

Citation URI
https://data.isiscb.org/isis/citation/CBB001422392/

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Authors & Contributors
Jim Mills
Kerkhoff, Kathinka Sinha
Economos, Jeannie
Slongwhite, Dale Finley
Veen, Marijke van der
Suzanne, Schwarz
Concepts
Agriculture
Economic botany; plant cultivation; horticulture
Colonialism
Farmers
Cross-cultural interaction; cultural influence
Slavery and slaves
Time Periods
20th century
19th century
18th century
17th century
Early modern
21st century
Places
West Africa
United States
Europe
Africa
Indian Ocean
Virginia (U.S.)
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