During the French colonization of West Africa, the French Navy constructed some of the first schools in Mali.[17] In 1877, the French introduced the first public schools to Mali which were collectively known as the Schools of Hostages, a name inspired by the tensions between the French and indigenous chiefs.[3] However, by 1899, these public schools were renamed to the Schools for Sons of Chiefs, or Les Ecoles des Fils des Chefs, as a part of a larger French effort to cooperate with the indigenous population.[17][3] Joseph Gallieni and Louis Archinard are two individuals who contributed to the opening of some of these first schools during the 19th century.[17]