The island is popular with tourists, especially African-Americans because of the symbolic status it has assumed as a place where African slaves were shipped off to the Americas.
An old Dutch slave house on the island has been turned into a museum and offers a glimpse into the horrific conditions these slaves had to endure before they embarked on their journey. For three centuries, the Africans who were reduced to slavery and embarked from Gorée Island were shipped to America (mainly south Louisiana) and the West Indies. It is said that before embarking, the slaves were labeled with their masters’ names. On the ships, they were jam-packed into holds, living in inhuman conditions. Many died before they reached land.
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