History by Country . A . B . C . D . E . F . G . HI . JK . L . M . N . OP . QR . S . TUV . WXYZ

Literature on the History of East Africa
Mauritius Reunion
First posted on July 2nd 2002, last revised on November 21st 2013







History of the Seychelles : Narrative . References : Online Secondary Sources . Online Primary Sources . Bibliographic and Print Sources



NARRATIVE
17561814 . 1814-1903 . 1903-1976 . since 1976


1756-1814
The Seychelles were uninhabited when French Captain Nicholas Morphy claimed them for France in 1756. Frenchman Lazare Picault had visited the island in 1742, and named the main island Mahe, after the governor of Mauritius, Mahe de la Bourdonnais. The island group was named after Victomte Moreau de Seychelles, Controller General of the Finances under King Louis XV.
In 1768 the French settled the island, which remained subordinate to the governor of Mauritius. They introduced a plantation economy and slave labour (1771). The Seychelles also served as a place to banish political prisoners of status, such as the Dauphin, Louis XVII.
During the Napoleonic Wars, a British fleet arrived at Mahe in 1794. They declared the islands occupied and placed Frenchman Jean Baptiste Queau de Quinssy in charge.

1814-1903
In 1814, France ceded Mauritius with the Seychelles to Britain. The British left Jean Baptiste Queau de Qunissy, who now spelled his name de Quincy, in charge (until 1827). In 1888, a separate Administrative Council was established for the Seychelles. In 1897 the administrator of the Seychelles assum,ed the powers of a colonial governor, and in 1903 the Seychelles were declared a separate Crown Colony.
The plantation economy meanwhile has been affected by the abolition of slavery in 1834.
The British used the Seychelles as a place to banish political priosoners of status, such as King Prempeh of the Ashanti (Gold Coast) and Archbishop Makarios of Nicosia, later President of Cyprus.

1903-1976
In 1903, the Seychelles, with the Aldabra Islands, were declared a Crown Colony. In 1908, Coetivity was annexed (hitherto to Mauritius), in 1922 the Farquhar Islands (hitherto to Mauritius).
The capital was Victoria, located on Mahe.
In 1948 a constitutional reform gave the voting right to adults who owned property. They elected the members of a Legislative Council, which was to advise the governor.
In 1965, Britain separated the Isles Desroches, the Aldabra and Farquhar Islands from the Seychelles, incorporating them into the British Indian Ocean Territory.
In 1967, Universal Adult Suffrage was introduced. In 1970 a government was established, responsible for internal matters. In 1975, Self-Government was granted, in 1976 independence proclaimed. The Iles Desroches, Aldabra and Farquhar Islands were returned to the Seychelles.

since 1976
The Seychelles proclaimed independence in 1976. The constitution is that of a Republic, with a president and a prime minister. The Seychelles are a member of the Commonwealth of Nations. In Creole, it is called Republik Sesel.
The political history of the tiny republic was turbulent; there was a coup in 1977, the constitution suspended and one-party-rule introduced in 1979; a couple of attempts to oust President Rene failed. Parliamentary democracy was reestablished in 1993.

In 1756 France / the French East India Compagny took possession of the Seychelles; in 1811 Britain. In 1903 the Seychelles were turned into a separate crown colony; until then, under the French as well as under the British, it had been a dependency of Mauritius. In 1976 the Seychelles were released into independence.

Historical Atlas, Seychelles .. British East Africa Page






WEB-BIBLIOGRAPHY . . . EXTERNAL SECONDARY SOURCES
Country Profiles . Links . Organizations . Accounts of History . Politics . Military History . Economic History . Social History . Ethnography
History of Religion . Regional History . Local History . Institutions . Culture . Biography . Environmental History . Others
Country Profiles Modern from CIA World Factbook; BBC Country Profiles; World Desk Reference; Index Mundi, Nations Encyclopedia
Library of Congress, Country Studies : Seychelles
Article : Seychelles, from Wikipedia
Country Profile : Seychelles, from ISS
Historical Chapter V : Rodrigue, Seychelles etc., pp.397-404 in R.M. Martin, The British Colonial Library: Southern Africa, 1844, GB
C. Keller, Madagascar, Mauritius and the other East-African Islands, 1901, IA; on the Seychelles pp.200-217
Links General from African Studies at UPenn; from Africa South of the Sahara at Stanford; from Library of Congress, Portals to the World; from BUBL
Category : Seychelles, from Wikipedia
on History Category : History of Seychelles, from Wikipedia
Organizations
Historical Dictionaries
Timelines from timelines.ws; from BBC News
Accounts of History General, Modern from Wikipedia
General, Historical
Specific Periods EISA : Seychelles: Settlement and the development of the plantation economy (1770-1944) 2011
EISA : Seychelles: Post-war developments (1944-1976) 2011
EISA : Seychelles: Independence and the one party state (1976-1993) 2011
EISA : Seychelles: Multi-party democracy (1993-2004) 2011
Politics Politics of the Seychelles, from Wikipedia; Political Resources on the Net : Somalia
Governments on the WWW : Somalia
Entry Seychelles, from EISA Web Encyclopedia (on elections)
DADM, Seychelles, 1976-present
Military Wars of the Seychelles, 1800-1999, from ACED
Orders, Decorations and Medals from Seychelles, posted by Jean Paul le Blanc
Economy & Finances Entry Seychelles, from Global History of Currencies, by Bryan Taylor, Currency Boards and Dollarization by Kurt Schuler; click for Seychelles
Article Economy of Seychelles, from Wikipedia
Category : Economy of Seychelles, from Wikipedia
S.J. Galbraith, Vanilla culture as practiced in the Seychelles Islands 1898, IA
Social History Seychelles, from Crime and Society, A Comparative Crimonology Tour of the World (R. Winslow)
Ethnography Languages of the Seychelles (3), from Ethnologue
World Directory of Minorities and Indigenous Peoples : Seychelles
Religion Chronology of Catholic Dioceses : Seychelles, from Kirken i Norge
Category : Religion in Somalia, from Wikipedia
History of Regions Districts of Seychelles, from www.statoids.com
J.M. Merklin, Countries and Territories of the 20th Century, 2009 : British Colony of Seychelles 1900-07-08, British Crown Colony of Seychelles 1908-07-08, 1918-07-08, 1928-07-08, 1938-07-08, 1948-07-08, 1958-07-08, 1968-07-08, Republic of Seychelles 1978-07-08, 1988-07-08, 1998-07-08, 2008-07-08
Local History List of Cities in Seychelles, from Wikipedia
Article : Victoria, from Wikipedia
Institutions Seychelles, from Airline History
Structurae : Seychelles, search Lighthouse Explorer for Seychelles
Cultural History Article Seychelles at the Olympics, from Wikipedia
Biographies List of Seychellois People, from Wikipedia
African Women Bibliographic Database
Dictionary of African Christian Biography
Environmental History Afrotropic Ecoregion, from WWF
Disaster History by Country : Seychelles, from Relief Web
Others

WEB-BIBLIOGRAPHY . . . EXTERNALLY POSTED PRIMARY SOURCES
Historical Data . Statistical Data . Documents Newspapers . Yearbooks . Image Databanks . Archival Deposits . Laws . Historiography
Document Collections . Historical Maps . Historical Encyclopedia Articles . Travelogues . Institutions . National Symbols
Historical Data Lists of Statesmen from World Statesmen (B. Cahoon), from Rulers (B. Schemmel), from World Rulers (E. Schulz, illustrated)
Lists of Ambassadors U.S. Ambassadors to the Seychelles, from NNDB: from Political Graveyard
Chinese Ambassadors to Seychelles, from PRC MOFA
Lists of Bishops
Statistical Data Responsible Institution National Bureau of Statistics, Seychelles
Population Figures from Population Statistics, Univ. Utrecht
Historical Abortion Statistics : Seychelles, from Johnston's Archive
World Life Expectancy : Health Profile : Seychelles
Exchange Rates Historical Exchange Rates, from Oanda, since 1990
Historical Exchange Rates, from FXTop, since 1965
Inflation Rates Trading Economics : Seychelles Inflation Rate, 2003-
Index Mundi, Seychelles Inflation Rate, 1999-2011
Election Results from Psephos, since 2001; from IFES Election Guide, since 1998; from African Elections Database, since 1970
Search IPU Parline for "Seychelles"
EISA : Elections Archive
Documents Historical Newspapers History of the Seychelles, from World History Archives
Modern Newspapers Newspapers and News Media : Seychelles, from ABYZ; from Online Newspapers, from World Newspapers (links)
Individual Articles
Online Yearbooks - Seychelles Entries Statesman's Year-Book, Seychelles 1919, pp.196-197, IA, 1921, pp.198-200, IA
Yearbook of the United Nations, 1946-2007
Africa : 1977, 1981, 1982, 1983
Staatskalender
Image Databanks Systematic Collections
General
Systematic Collections
Specialist
Accidental Collections
Universal Collections
Items on the Seychelles
Wikimedia Commons
License Plates, from Francoplaque, from License Plates around the World
Airline Timetable Images : Seychelles
Archival Deposits Search National Archives (UK) for the Seychelles
Foreign & Commonwealth Office, Archive Records
Laws South African Legal Information Institute, Databases (scroll down for Seychelles etc.)
List of Ratifications of International Labour Conventions by Seychelles, from ILO, 27 docs. since 1977
Treaties
Consular Reports Supplement to Commerce reports : daily consular and trade reports issued by the Bureau of Foreign and Domestic Commerce, Department of Commerce British East Africa, Seychelles, 14 May 1918
Historiography
Document Collections
Individual Documents Memorandum of Depots of Slaves in the Seychelles, 1821, in vol.16 of Report of the Committee of the African Institution, 1822, GB
UN Security Council Resolutions 1976 res. 394
Historical Maps responsible institutions Ministry of Land Use and Habitat, Centre for GIS, National Mapping Agencies in Africa
collections Seychelles Maps, PCL, UTexas
Atlas of Seychelles, Wikimedia Commons
David Rumsey Map Collection, Seychelles
Seychelles, Modern
Seychelles, Contemporary Plan des Isles de Mahe, 1750s, Gallica
R. de Lannoy de Bissy, Carte de l'Afrique ?l'?helle de 1:2 000 000, 42bis Mahe, 1888, Gallica
Seychelles 1910, Pennymead (commercial site)
Detail, Modern
Detail, Contemporary Plan of the harbour of Seychelles / from an actual survey made in 1771 , Gallica
Plan of the harbour of Praslin 1771, Gallica
Plan of Eagle island ; Plan of Bird island / from an actual survey made in august 1771, Gallica
Plans des ?es de l'Assomption, de Cosmolido, du bois & de fable 1782, Gallica
Mahe 1910, Pennymead (commercial site)
Historical
Encyclopedia Entries
Secular Articles Seychelles, Aldabra, EB 1911, from Classic Encyclopedia, Internet Archive Wayback Machine
Article Seschellen, from Meyers Konversationslexikon 1885-1892, in German
Religious Article Port Victoria, from Catholic Encyclopedia 1907
Economic
Geographical Dependencies of Mauritius : Seychelles, pp.518-519 in R.M. Martin, Statistics of the colonies of the British empire, 1839, GB
Ethnographical E. Reclus, A.H. Keane, The Earth and its Inhabitants Africa vol.4 : South and East Africa, 1890, IA : Seychelles, pp.471-
E. Reclus, A.H. Keane, Africa and its Inhabitants vol.4 1899, IA; Seychelles pp.471-
Historical
Parliamentary Debates Hansard (British Parliament)
Travelogues The Seychelles Islands, pp.96-102 in W.F.W. Owen, Narrative of voyages to explore the shores of Africa, Arabia, and Madagascar, 1833, GB
Residence Memoirs E.P. Wright, Six months at the Seychelles, 1868, GB
Institutions Archives
Musea
Monuments
Libraries
Official Symbols Flags, Coats of Arms Flag, from FOTW; Coat of Arms, from International Civic Heraldry
National Anthem, from David's National Anthem Reference Page
Coins, Banknotes Banknotes of the Seychelles, from World Currency Museum, from Ron Wise's World Paper Money
Coin Catalog of Seychelles, from Numismaticon; Seychelles coins from World Coin Gallery; Seychelles, from Encyclopedia of Small Silver Coins
Stamps Rare Seychelles Stamps, from Sandafayre Stamp Gallery; Catalogue Seychelles Stamps 1890-1912, from Stamps Catalogue 1840-1920 by Evert Klaseboer

BIBLIOGRAPHY AND PRINT SOURCES
Bibliographies . Online Libraries . Thesis Servers . Online Journals . General Accounts . Specific Topics . Historical Dictionaries . Statistical Data . Yearbooks
Bibliographies general Search ISBN Database
RHS Bibliography
UK National Archive Online Library
on the Seychelles survey of bibliographies
bibliographic database AfricaBib : Africana Periodical Literature, African Women, Women Travelers, Explorers and Missionaries to Africa
African Borderlands Research Network : Bibliography
general bibliographies The Online Books Page
Seychelles Bibliography, from NNDB
annual bibliographies
specialist bibliographies
serial publications
general bibliographies
Seychelles entries
J. Gay, Bibliographie des ouvrages relatifs a l'Afrique et a l'Arabie : catalogue methodique de tous les ouvrages français et des principaux en langues etrangeres traitant de la geographie, de l'histoire, du commerce, des lettres et des arts de l'Afrique et de l'Arabie 1875, in French, Gallica
Roots Institute, Bibliography of Published Primary Sources in African History (English Language)
Seychellen-Bibliographie, from Afrika-Handbuch, at Univ. of Vienna
booksellers
Online Libraries general Google Books; Internet Archives; Gutenberg Library Online; HathiTrust; Gallica
International Boundary Studies
on the Seychelles Aluka, African Online Digital Library (AODL), African Digital Library (ADL)
Thesis Server Open Access Theses and Dissertations
Online Journals On the Indian Ocean
General Accounts
Specific Topics
Historical Dictionaries
Statistical Data IHS : B.R. Mitchell, International Historical Statistics. Africa, Asia & Oceania 1750-2000, London : Palgrave 2003 [G]
Yearbook Entries Britannica Book of the Year Article : Seychelles, in : Britannica Book of the Year 1913 p. 647 [G]
Article : British East Africa, in : Britannica Book of the Year 1944 p.127, 1945 pp.124-125, 1946 pp.146-147, 1947 pp.149-150, 1948 pp.139-140, 1949 pp.118-120, 1950 pp.127-128, 1951 pp.124-125, 1952 pp.122-123, 1953 pp.123-124, 1954 pp.121-124, 1955 pp.181-183, 1956 pp.120-122, 1957 pp.180-182 [G]
Article : Seychelles, in : Britannica Book of the Year 1958 p.620, 1959 p.614, 1960 p.616, 1961 p.621, 1962 p.613 [G]
Article : Colonies and Other Dependencies : Seychelles, in : Britannica Book of the Year 1966 p.204, 1967 p.219, 1968 p.217 [G]
Article : Dependent States : Seychelles, in : Britannica Book of the Year 1970 p.278, 1971 p.268, 1978 p.627, 1979 p.618, 1984 pp.613-614, 1985 pp.473, 775, 1988 pp.396, 694, 1990 pp.413, 710, 1993 pp.368-369, 710, 1994 pp.367, 709, 1995 pp.467, 709 [G]
Statesman's Yearbook Article Mauritius - Seychelles, in : Statesman's Year Book 1895 p.184 [G]
Article : Seychelles, in : Statesman's Year Book 1905 pp.243-244, 1910 pp.185-186, 1919 pp.196-197, 1924 pp.205-206, 1925 pp.209-210, 1926 pp.213-214, 1928 pp.211-212, 1929 pp.211-213, 1932 pp.215-216, 1937 pp.234-236, 1943 pp.226-228 [G]
Article : Seychelles, in : Statesman's Yearbook 1970-1971 pp.154-155, 1975-1976 pp.466-468 [G]
Article : Seychelles, in : Statesman's Yearbook 1978-1979 pp.1043-1045, 1980-1981 pp.1047-1049, 1983-1984 pp.1049-1051, 1984-1985 pp.1046-1048 1985-1986 pp.1047-1049, 1987-1988 pp.1052-1054, 1988-1989 pp.1056-1058, 1989-1990 pp.1067-1069, 1990-1991 pp.1068-1070, 1991-1992 pp.1069-1071, 1992-1993 pp.1157-1159, 1993-1994 pp.1155-1157, 1994-1995 pp.1157-1160, 1995-1996 pp.1149-1152, 1996-1997 pp.1125-1128, 1997-1998 pp.1127-1130, 1998-1999 pp.1230-1233, 2000 pp.1377-1380, 2001 pp.1340-1344, 2002 pp.1395-1399, 2003 pp.1394-1398, 2004 pp.1414-1419, 2005 pp.1425-1429 [G]
Other Article : Africa, in : The American Annual Cyclopaedia and Register of Important Events 1863 pp.1-2 [G]
Article : Seychelles, in : Americana Annual 1940 pp.706-707, 1943 p.656, 1944 p.633, 1945 p.646, 1946 pp.668-669, 1947 p.635, 1957 p.692, 1961 p.663, 1962 p.669, 1963 p.594, 1964 p.589 [G]
Seychelles pp.140-146, in : Year Book and Guide to East Africa 1963 [G]
Article : Seychelles, in : The World in Figures 1st ed. 1976 pp.92-93, 2nd ed. 1978 pp.92-93, 4th ed. 1984 p.92 [G]
Entry : Seychelles, in : The Commonwealth Yearbook 1989 pp.319-323 [G]








Impressum · Datenschutz