In the immediate aftermath of the French abolition of slavery in 1848, many previously enslaved children suddenly became wards of the colonial state. The colonial administration in Senegal created an institution called tutelle, a form of guardianship or wardship, that aimed both to prevent the loss of labor from liberated minors and to safeguard the children's welfare. Drawing from extensive archival research, Bernard Moitt uncovers the stories of these liberated children who were entrusted to Africans, Europeans, institutions like orphanages, Catholic orders and the military, and, often, their former owners. While the literature on servitude in French West Africa has primarily focused on the period before 1848, Moitt demonstrates that tutelle allowed slavery to persist under another name, with children continuing to be subject to the same widespread labor exploitation and abuse. Using a range of rich case studies, this book offers new insights into the emancipation of enslaved people in Senegal, the tenacity of servility, and children's agency.

Winner, 2024 Choice Awards

'In 1848 France abolished slavery in its colonial empire. In this perceptive study, Bernard Moitt describes the ways the colonial regime used adoption to avoid the application of this law to children and perpetuate a form of servitude.'

Martin Klein - Professor Emeritus, University of Toronto

‘… a detailed, at times almost encyclopedic, study of tutelle that will be very useful to scholars interested in slavery, emancipation, indenture, children, and post-emancipation societies in West Africa and beyond, and to specialists of Senegalese history. As the first book detailing the institutional history of guardianship in Senegal, [this] is sure to have a lasting impact on the field.’

Kelly Duke-Bryant Source: The Journal of Development Studies

‘As the first book-length study of this much-neglected aspect of colonialism, this work makes an important contribution to the field. Highly recommended.’

E. S. Schmidt Source: CHOICE