▁of ▁the ▁royal ▁palace ▁was ▁effectively ▁put ▁down ▁at ▁the ▁end ▁of ▁ 1 8 9 7 . ▁ ▁Under ▁colonial ▁rule , ▁plant ations ▁were ▁established ▁for ▁the ▁production ▁of ▁a ▁variety ▁of ▁export ▁cro ps . ▁S la very ▁was ▁abol ished ▁in ▁ 1 8 9 6 ▁and ▁approximately ▁ 5 0 0 , 0 0 0 ▁slaves ▁were ▁fre ed ; ▁many ▁remained ▁in ▁their ▁former ▁master s ' ▁homes ▁as ▁servants ▁or ▁as ▁share cro ppers ; ▁in ▁many ▁parts ▁of ▁the ▁island ▁strong ▁disc rimin atory ▁views ▁against ▁slave ▁descend ants ▁are ▁still ▁held ▁today . ▁W ide ▁p aved ▁bou lev ards ▁and ▁gather ing ▁places ▁were ▁constructed ▁in ▁the ▁capital ▁city ▁of ▁Ant an an ar ivo ▁and ▁the ▁R ova ▁palace ▁comp ound ▁was ▁turned ▁into ▁a ▁museum . ▁Add itional ▁schools ▁were ▁built , ▁particularly ▁in ▁rural ▁and ▁coast al ▁areas ▁where ▁the ▁schools ▁of ▁the ▁Mer ina ▁had ▁not ▁reached . ▁Education ▁became ▁mand atory ▁between ▁the ▁ages ▁of ▁ 6 ▁to ▁ 1 3 ▁and ▁focused ▁primarily ▁on ▁French ▁language ▁and ▁practical ▁skills . ▁ ▁The ▁Mer ina ▁royal ▁tradition ▁of ▁tax es ▁paid ▁in ▁the ▁form ▁of ▁labor ▁was ▁continued ▁under ▁the ▁French ▁and ▁used ▁to ▁construct ▁a ▁railway ▁and ▁roads ▁linking ▁key ▁coast al ▁cities ▁to ▁Ant an an ar ivo . ▁Mal ag asy ▁troops ▁fought ▁for ▁France ▁in ▁World ▁War ▁I . ▁In ▁the ▁ 1 9 3 0 s , ▁Naz i ▁political ▁think ers ▁developed