Assimiles need not convert to Christianity and had no legal definition until 1912

Evidence

The as similes as a group were not necessarily converts to Christianity; some remained practicing Muslims. There was no legal definition of the term assimile until I9I2, although an attempt was made in I903 to determine who exactly belonged in this category and what rights the term conferred. — Alice L. Conklin, A Mission to Civilize_ The Republican…, 1057

Categorization

• DEFINE: Clarifies the category ‘assimile’ - important for the reader’s project of tracing republican ideas forced onto West Africa.