My fourth visit to Tanzania and I must confess, I really didn't know anything about Bagamoyo. As I tell you about it, you will realise why I feel embarrassed about knowing so little of Tanzanias most important history.
This town lies along the coast to the north of Dar es Salaam.
As you can see from the map it is just across from the island of Zanzibar. This town was at the end of a long trade route from the centre of Africa. From Bagamoyo slaves, ivory, salt and copra were transported by sea around the world.
Slaves?
Yes slaves. People were captured all over Africa and marched for hundreds of miles to Bagamoyo and other cities on the coast to be transported to other countries to be sold as slaves. We know now that this is very wrong and is illegal in nearly every country in the world. However back in the early to mid 1800's, capturing and selling slaves was a big business. The slaves who arrived in Bagamoyo were shipped to Zanzibar where they were sold in the Slave Markets.
In 1868 French missionaries established Freedom Village at Bagamoyo as a shelter for freed slaves. These slaves had been bought by the missionaries and were now free to live as human beings again. Unfortunately a lot of these former slaves had not lived in freedom for years, had been marched hundreds of miles from their homes and did not know how to return home. At the time, most African people lived in tribes and did not mix beyond their own tribe. Each tribe spoke their own language and had their own customs. Going back was really not an option as it was so far, they were not sure where they came from and their families had all been killed or taken as slaves.
The missionaries set up schools and workshops educating the freed slaves and teaching them vocational skills to enable them to work and support themselves.
From 1887 to 1891 Bagamoyo was actually the capital of German East Africa but in 1991 the capital was transferred to Dar es Salaam.
In 1868 French missionaries established Freedom Village at Bagamoyo as a shelter for freed slaves. These slaves had been bought by the missionaries and were now free to live as human beings again. Unfortunately a lot of these former slaves had not lived in freedom for years, had been marched hundreds of miles from their homes and did not know how to return home. At the time, most African people lived in tribes and did not mix beyond their own tribe. Each tribe spoke their own language and had their own customs. Going back was really not an option as it was so far, they were not sure where they came from and their families had all been killed or taken as slaves.
The missionaries set up schools and workshops educating the freed slaves and teaching them vocational skills to enable them to work and support themselves.
From 1887 to 1891 Bagamoyo was actually the capital of German East Africa but in 1991 the capital was transferred to Dar es Salaam.
Catholic Church built 1910-1914
New Church
The missionaries buried in Bagamoyo.
Cross commemorating the arrival of the first mission in 1868, set up by Fr Antoine Horner.
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