I'm developing a work of short fiction* set in Leopold II's Congo*. I'd appreciate any details I can get, as well as any recommended reading material. Here are some specific questions:
I've read that the administrative language of the Free State was French, but what language would a native have spoken? Would most of them have been able to speak French too? How well could the average native communicate with soldiers and officers?
What were the native's villages like? How 'modern' were they in construction, compared to the colonial outposts? How big was the soldiers' presence in residential areas?
I've read that the admistrative practice was very non-standardised from region to region, with the governors and soldiers being permitted essentially to run whatever system they wanted as long as they collected large amounts of rubber. To what extent is this accurate? What was standardised, and what wasn't?
I think these are my main questions for now. Thanks!
*EDIT: Just to clarify, this work will not be sold commercially -- it's essentially just a way to practice writing and to do something actual with everything I've been reading about the Free State. Thanks!
Hi there - we're happy to approve your question related to your novel, and we are happy for people to answer. However, we should warn you that many flairs have become reluctant to answer questions for aspiring novelists, based on past experience: some aspiring novelists have a tendency to try to pump historians for trivia while ignoring the bigger points they were making, while others have a tendency to argue with historians when the historical reality does not line up with what's needed for a particular scene or characterization. Please respect the answers of people who have generously given you their time, even if it's not always what you want to hear.
Additionally, as amazing as our flair panel is, we should also point out that /r/AskHistorians is not a professional historical consultation service. If you're asking a question here because you need vital research for a future commercial product such as a historical novel, you may be better off engaging a historical consultant at a fair hourly rate to answer these questions for you. We don't know what the going rate for consultancy work would be in your locality, but it may be worth looking into that if you have in-depth or highly plot-reliant questions for this project. Some /r/AskHistorians flairs could be receptive to working as a consultant in this way. However, if you wish for a flair here to do this work for you, you will need to organize this with them yourselves.