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HBC has little information on French colonial fashions in the 19th century, but believes that they were probably quite similar to fashions in metropolitan France, especially southern France. Available images on Algeria during the 20th century show boys wearing the same fashions that they would have in France, although the warmer Algerian climate may have made for some minor differences. The colonization of Algeria was the first step after the Napoleonic Wars in restablishing a French empire. It was also after the American Barbary Wars, the next step in supressing the Barbary Pirates. French colonial rule beginning in the 1830s had considerable influence on Algerian fashions, especially men and boy's fashions. This was especially true in the more urban areas. There were two distincr communities, French colonial and Algerian Arab. The two comminities blired to an extent in the cities with many Algerian arabs adopting Western clothing. Algerian boys in the cities , however, might not wear short pants as much as the French boys--especially the older boys. As one moved south in rural areas and villages, Arab fashions continued to be worn. This was especially the case with women, but men also wore traditional Arab dress. There were no schools in Algeria that we know of beyond madrasas attached to local mosques. French fashion predominated in schools which were conducted in the French language. Many Algerians, especially in rurl areas, refused to send their children to the French schools. This was especially true of girls. The Algerians abnd French were seoarated religiously. Few Algerians converted to Christianity and virtually no French converts to Islam. Arab dress predominated in the mosques, espoecially outside the major cities. And the French dressed for church and relgious events just as they did in Metropolitan France.
The colonization of Algeria was the first step after the Napoleonic Wars in restablishing a French empire. It was also after the American Barbary Wars, the next step in supressing the Barbary Pirates. French colonial rule beginning in the 1830s had considerable influence on Algerian fashions, especially men and boy's fashions. This was especially true in the more urban areas. HBC has little information on French colonial fashions in the 19th century, but believes that they were probably quite similar to fashions in metropolitan France, especially southern France. Available images on Algeria during the 20th century show boys wearing the same fashions that they would have in France, although the warmer Algerian climate may have made for some minor differences. The Arab-Bedouine fashions we see seem little changed during the colonial era, although our archive is limited. We see some Arabs wearing Western dress, at least in the cities by the 20th century. School photography shows this with Arab countries wearing Western clothes to school. Many Arab children, however, did not attend school.
Most of our information on Algeria at this time comes from the colonial era. France was the colonial power. The French introduced the first schools in Algeria. Until the arrival of the French, education in Algetria as very limited. There was some limited education conducted through the mosques, but the curriculum was largely limited to reading Arabic and memorization of Koranic tects. Education in French controlled Algeria followed trends in metroploitan France. Thus secular schools were opened with high European standards. These schools were open to Algerians, but many Algerian parents were suspicious of what was being taught. Thus few Algerians away from the coastal cities attended the French schools. This was especially true for Algerian girls. We have acquired some images from European schools that existed in the country before independence. The school clothing reflects the clothing worn by contemporary European boys--there is little evidence of Algerian clothing styles. Some schools appear to have restricted the entry of Algerian boys, but we have view details about this. A more important factor may be the attitudes of Algerian parents. Algerians fought a long and brutal war during the 1950s and early 60s, at times looking more like a civil war, to achieve independemcein 1962 ( Accord de Genèvre ).
Islam and Roman Catholocism were the two primary religions in French colonial Algeria. The French colonization of Algeria was perhaps the most intimate colision with the West experienced by any Muslim country. It was also the first time since the Crusades that Muslims in thevMiddle-East/North Africa found themselves under Christian rule since the Crusades. Early resistance to France was led by Abd al-Qadir and had a significant Islamic component. Many Islamic cholars during the French colonial period left Algeria, taking up residence in neigbiting Arab countries as well as Egypt, Syria, and the Hijaz. Within Algeria there were many rebellions. Many were led by Sufi orders or other Islamic elements. As a result of the failed rebellions, some Algerian leaders began to promote the idea of cooperatiin with the French to secure concessions for Muslim cultural, political, and economic rights in colonial Algeria. As military revolts subsided and France entered the Scramble for Africa in Sub-Sahara Africa, the country tended to develop a more tolerant attitude toward Islam. This reflected Frenchefforts to work with Muslims in their new colonies, especially West Africa. French Islamic specialists worked closely with Algerian scholars. The French helped promote the International Congress of Orientalists at Algiers (1905). Ironically, it was not Catholocism, but France's growing secular traditions that alienated many Muslims. The French parliament passed a law separating religion and state (1905). French Catholics could accept a secular school system. The conceot was alien an unacceotable to even the loyal colonial Algerian Islamic religious establishment. We are not sure how many Algerians converted to Catholocism. Aparently relatively few. Without state sabctions, however, it was more difficult for Islamic authorities to maintain a strict commitment ton Islam. French colonists who cane to Algeria were uniformily Catholic, although varies in their devotion. Virtually none of the colonists converted to Islam. They oracticed their Catholic faith as if they were in France. Catholic churches were built in the various communities where the French settled.
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