Thousands fled French forced labor by migrating to the British Gold Coast

Evidence

In passing this decree the government stressed “oblig- atory public labor” rather than “forced labor” in references to French labor policies. The term “forced labor,” it was argued, evoked the horrors of the slave trade, whereas “obligatory public labor” underscored progress. It is im- portant to note that although Paris passed this decree in 1930, it was not promulgated in West Africa until three years later. — Alice L. Conklin, A Mission to Civilize_ The Republican…, 1407 (#expands, via linked claim)

Categorization

Category: Definitional Content

Related

• Labor requisitions drove tens of thousands of French West Africans to British colonies (similarity 0.86)
• West African migration to British colonies was flight from French forced labor (similarity 0.84)
• France renamed forced labor as obligatory public labor to signal progress (similarity 0.83)
• Colonial labor coercion was rhetorically rebranded as progress rather than slavery (similarity 0.82)
• Each French West African colony’s labor fate hinged on land and population (similarity 0.80)
• French officials euphemized forced labor to distance themselves from slavery (similarity 0.80)
• The 1920s labor code aimed to civilize Africans through compulsory work, not protect rights (similarity 0.79)
• France used drafted African military reservists as forced labor on public works (similarity 0.78)
• French West Africa abolished slavery yet embraced forced labor as civilizing progress (similarity 0.78)
• French colonial forced labor abuses helped trigger the ILO’s anti-forced-labor treaty (similarity 0.78)

Broader Connections

• French colonial authorities euphemized forced labor as obligatory public labor #expands (0.60) — Alice L. Conklin, A Mission to Civilize_ The Republican…, 1407
• France’s colonial recruiting pushed African populations to revolt #corroborates (0.55)