Literature on the History of East Africa |
Mauritius | Reunion |
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 |
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 |
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] |