Policy of assimilation was successfully operated by the French in

Analyze the question: It asks where the French policy of assimilation was successfully applied in their West African colonies.

Explain the concept: Assimilation was the French colonial policy of turning Africans into "Frenchmen" in culture, language, and law. Africans who adopted French language, education, and customs could become French citizens. The policy was based on the idea that French civilization was superior and could be extended to the colonies.

Where it worked: Assimilation was most successful in the Four Communes of Senegal: Saint-Louis, Goree, Dakar, and Rufisque. People there were called originaires. They:

• Were granted French citizenship
• Elected a deputy to the French National Assembly (Blaise Diagne was the first African deputy, in 1914)
• Were governed under French law

Check the options:

• A. Lome is in Togo, a French mandate/trust territory, where assimilation was not successfully applied.
• B. Goree is one of the Four Communes of Senegal, where assimilation was practised and succeeded.
• C. Bamako is in French Sudan (Mali), an interior area governed under association and direct administration, not assimilation.
• D. Abidjan is in Côte d'Ivoire, where the policy was not successfully implemented.

Answer: B. Goree.

Exam tip: Remember the Four Communes with "S-G-D-R": Saint-Louis, Goree, Dakar, Rufisque. Whenever a question asks where assimilation succeeded, look for one of these four places.