In the Spotlight
Slavery and the Culture of Violence in Saint-Louis (1770–1848)

Article written by Dominique Houchard, palaeographer.

Plantation slavery was a pervasive phenomenon, firstly because it directly affected the majority of the population, but also because it shaped the very lives and experiences of all those involved. Brutality was accepted within this system, even valued socially and enshrined in laws which sought to normalise the use of violence. A study of the archives of the region of Saint-Louis reveals frequent and persistent acts of aggression and political violence.

Various parties committed acts of brutality, either to reinforce their domination or to resist oppression. The slave trade constituted the primary form of violence: the capture and subsequent deportation of men and women served to instigate, legitimise and reinforce the use of force on a daily basis. Acts of brutality were then perpetuated and adjusted in accordance with the requirements of maintaining order in the colony.

The life stories of two Malagasy slaves, Diamfalam and Isaac, as well as the history of the Nairac family (owners of the Maison-Rouge estate in Saint-Louis), illustrate the tragic links between strategies put in place by local powers and the establishment of a worldwide, colonialist and slave-based system.