Being almost devoid of drinking water, Gorée was not settled before the arrival of Europeans, although the presence of domesticated sheep noted by Portuguese explorers indicates the island was frequented by local peoples of the nearby mainland.

[5] Possession of Goree was the key to accessing the trade of the entire coast south of the Cap Vert, including that of the Gambia river, as it served as a warehousing and transshipment point.

[7] From the 1620s to the 1670s, the Dutch West India Company dominated all the trade in the area, including shipping slaves out of the Portuguese post at Cacheu to Curacao.

[10] Having lost almost all the trade in gum arabic, bezoar stone, ambergris and ostrich feathers, the DWIC wanted to regain its position.

The Frenchman Jean du Casse, head of the Compagnie de Sénégal, reached an agreement with the local leaders, who decided to destroy the Dutch trading posts and the DWIC lost its position for good.