University of Florida Homepage

King or Knave? Felix Adende Rapontchombo and Political Survival in the Gabon Estuary

by Jeremy Rich Introduction In the late nineteenth century, the town of Libreville on the Gabon Estuary went through numerous changes as it moved from a marginal French naval base to become the capital of the rapidly expanding colony of French Congo.  European officials, through a combination of force and gifts, had managed to obtain […]