Wealth, Law, and Moral Authority: Marriage and Christian Mobilization in Interwar Cameroon

Before European colonization, bridewealth was a form of matrimonial compensation paid principally in bikié, or iron bars, along with kola nuts, palm wine, tools, and livestock, which then incorporated guns and ivory in the early and mid-nineteenth century and German marks after 1885.10 During the in...

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Veröffentlicht in:The International journal of African historical studies Jg. 48; H. 3; S. 393 - 424
1. Verfasser: Walker-Said, Charlotte
Format: Journal Article
Sprache:Englisch
Veröffentlicht: New York Boston University African Studies Center 01.01.2015
Boston University
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ISSN:0361-7882, 2326-3016
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Abstract Before European colonization, bridewealth was a form of matrimonial compensation paid principally in bikié, or iron bars, along with kola nuts, palm wine, tools, and livestock, which then incorporated guns and ivory in the early and mid-nineteenth century and German marks after 1885.10 During the interwar years, a rapidly expanding economy with complex systems of African labor management-overseen by French concessionary societies as well as administration-appointed African chiefs-generated new demands as part of bridewealth, including hard currency, as well as livestock, alcohol, tobacco, and luxury or prestige goods like metals and imported liquors.11 In Cameroon's major cities, wealthy families expanded their demands to include fine clothes, bicycles, automobiles, and sometimes tens of thousands of francs in cash.12 This inflation provoked outrage among foreigners as well as locals, prompting the administration to pass a series of laws against "bride commerce" and missionaries to restrict sanctified marriages to those who eschewed bridewealth exchange entirely.13 Burgeoning African Catholic congregations and communities also countered bridewealth aggrandizement by creating outlets for unmarried youth and young couples to critique the practice.
AbstractList Before European colonization, bridewealth was a form of matrimonial compensation paid principally in bikié, or iron bars, along with kola nuts, palm wine, tools, and livestock, which then incorporated guns and ivory in the early and mid-nineteenth century and German marks after 1885.10 During the interwar years, a rapidly expanding economy with complex systems of African labor management-overseen by French concessionary societies as well as administration-appointed African chiefs-generated new demands as part of bridewealth, including hard currency, as well as livestock, alcohol, tobacco, and luxury or prestige goods like metals and imported liquors.11 In Cameroon's major cities, wealthy families expanded their demands to include fine clothes, bicycles, automobiles, and sometimes tens of thousands of francs in cash.12 This inflation provoked outrage among foreigners as well as locals, prompting the administration to pass a series of laws against "bride commerce" and missionaries to restrict sanctified marriages to those who eschewed bridewealth exchange entirely.13 Burgeoning African Catholic congregations and communities also countered bridewealth aggrandizement by creating outlets for unmarried youth and young couples to critique the practice.
Before European colonization, bridewealth was a form of matrimonial compensation paid principally in bikié, or iron bars, along with kola nuts, palm wine, tools, and livestock, which then incorporated guns and ivory in the early and mid-nineteenth century and German marks after 1885. During the interwar years, a rapidly expanding economy with complex systems of African labor management-overseen by French concessionary societies as well as administration-appointed African chiefs-generated new demands as part of bridewealth, including hard currency, as well as livestock, alcohol, tobacco, and luxury or prestige goods like metals and imported liquors. In Cameroon's major cities, wealthy families expanded their demands to include fine clothes, bicycles, automobiles, and sometimes tens of thousands of francs in cash. This inflation provoked outrage among foreigners as well as locals, prompting the administration to pass a series of laws against "bride commerce" and missionaries to restrict sanctified marriages to those who eschewed bridewealth exchange entirely. Burgeoning African Catholic congregations and communities also countered bridewealth aggrandizement by creating outlets for unmarried youth and young couples to critique the practice.
Author Walker-Said, Charlotte
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SubjectTerms 19th century
Africa
Automobiles
Bars
Bicycles
Bridewealth
Business
Cameroon
Catholics
Christians
Clergy
Colonization
Compensation
Couples
Economic growth
Family law
French language
German language
History
Inflation
International relations
Interwar period
Language history
Law
Livestock
Management
Marriage
Marriage law
Metals
Missionaries
Mobilization
Morality
Motor cars
Noncitizens
Politics
Prestige
Religion
Religious congregations
Religious missions
Society
Tobacco
Trade
Tradition
Traditions
Wealth
Youth
Title Wealth, Law, and Moral Authority: Marriage and Christian Mobilization in Interwar Cameroon
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