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Women prisoners transported to Cayenne
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Women prisoners transported to Cayenne
At Toulon, young female prisoners embark for Cayenne, having chosen marriage in the colonies rather than a prison sentence. Date: 1866
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Media ID 20142325
© Bubblepunk
1866 Cayenne Chosen Colonies Embark Females Prison Prisoners Prisons Sentence Toulon Transported
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EDITORS COMMENTS
This evocative image captures the moment of departure for a group of young women from the port of Toulon, France, bound for the French colonies in South America, specifically Cayenne. The year was 1866, and these women, convicted of various crimes, faced a choice between serving out their prison sentences in France or embarking on a new life in the colonies through the 'marriage law.' The 'marriage law,' also known as the 'law of exchange,' was a controversial French penal policy in which female convicts could be transported to the colonies and offered to settlers as wives, in exchange for their agreement to take on the women's prison sentences. The women in this photograph appear somber and resigned, their expressions reflecting the gravity of their circumstances. The scene at the dock is bustling with activity, as the women prepare to board the ship that will carry them across the Atlantic. Their belongings are carefully loaded onto the vessel, and they are surrounded by a mix of officials, family members, and onlookers. The women wear simple, practical clothing, and some cling to each other for comfort and support. Despite the uncertainty and hardships that awaited them, many of these women saw the marriage law as a better alternative to a lengthy prison sentence. The promise of a new life, even one fraught with challenges, held the possibility of redemption and a fresh start. As the ship sails away from the shore, the women are carried further from their old lives and closer to their uncertain futures in the French colonies.
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