St. George Castle

Elmina Castle was erected by the Portuguese in 1482 as São Jorge da Mina (St. George of the Mine Castle, also known simply as Mina or Feitoria da Mina) in present-day Elmina, Ghana (formerly the Gold Coast). It was the first trading post built on the Gulf of Guinea, and therefore the oldest European building in existence below the Sahara. First established as a trade settlement, the castle later became one of the most important stops on the route of the Atlantic Slave Trade. The Dutch seized the fort from the Portuguese in 1637. The slave trade continued under the Dutch until 1872 when the fort became a possession of the British Empire. Britain granted the Gold Coast its independence in 1957, and control of the castle was transferred to the nation that was formed out of the colony, present-day Ghana. Today it is a popular historical site. The castle is recognized by UNESCO as a World Heritage Monument. ImageMetadata File history File links Download high resolution version (1152x872, 368 KB) Description: St. ... ImageMetadata File history File links Download high resolution version (1152x872, 368 KB) Description: St. ... Events Portuguese fortify Fort Elmina on the Gold Coast Tizoc rules the Aztecs Diogo Cão, a Portuguese navigator, becomes the first European to sail up the Congo. ... The Portuguese Gold Coast was a Portuguese colony on the West Afrian Gold Coast (present Ghana, on the Gulf of Guinea). ... Elmina is a town on the Atlantic Ocean coast of Ghana, lying west of Cape Coast. ... Flag of Gold Coast Map from 1896 of the British Gold Coast Colony. ... The Gulf of Guinea is the part of the Atlantic southwest of Africa. ... The Atlantic slave trade, started by the Portuguese[1], but soon dominated by the English, was the sale and exploitation of African slaves by Europeans that occurred in and around the Atlantic Ocean from the 15th century to the 19th century. ... Events February 3 - Tulipmania collapses in Netherlands by government order February 15 - Ferdinand III becomes Holy Roman Emperor December 17 - Shimabara Rebellion erupts in Japan Pierre de Fermat makes a marginal claim to have proof of what would become known as Fermats last theorem. ... Year 1872 (MDCCCLXXII) was a leap year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian Calendar (or a leap year starting on Wednesday of the 12-day slower Julian calendar). ... The British Empire in 1897, marked in pink, the traditional colour for Imperial British dominions on maps. ... 1957 (MCMLVII) was a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) is a specialized agency of the United Nations established in 1945. ...

Elmina Before the Portuguese

The people living along the West African coast at Elmina around the fifteenth century were presumably Fante. The Fante tribe is one of the branches of the Akan group. The origin of the Akan people is traced to areas north of the West African forest zone. They migrated south to the forest after attacks from Northern tribes. The Akan people then separated into the Ashanti and Fante sub-groups. The Fante people moved farther south to the coast where they settled.  Western Africa (UN subregion)  Maghreb[1] West Africa or Western Africa is the westernmost region of the African continent. ... (14th century - 15th century - 16th century - other centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 15th century was that century which lasted from 1401 to 1500. ... The MFantsefo or Fanti are an ethnic group mainly gathered in the south-western coastal region of Ghana, with some also in the Côte dIvoire. ... Akan may be: Akan people, an ethnic group from western Africa Akan States, any of several states organized in the 16th or 17th century by the Akan people Akan languages, a stock of dialects spoken by the Akan people Akan District, Hokkaido Akan, Hokkaido, a town in Akan District, Hokkaido... For other uses, see Ashanti (disambiguation). ...

The tribal people on the West African coast were organized into numerous small chiefdoms that were drawn according to kinship lines. Family was extremely important in society. Family heads were united in communities under a recognized chief. Along the Gold Coast alone, more than twenty independent kingdom-states existed. Elmina lay between two different Fante kingdoms, Fetu and Eguafo. While there was a relative degree of interstate rivalry, tribes generally intermingled freely. Trade between chiefdoms was important for the economy. The coastal people also had strong trade relations with the Sudanese empire to the north. A chiefdom is any community led by an individual known as a chief. ...

There is evidence that West African people had some connections to Phoenicians in early centuries. Some also claim that the French reached the Gold Coast in 1346 and made contact with the coastal people, but did not establish settlements. While there is some evidence to support these connections, the Portuguese are officially recorded as the first Europeans to discover the Gold Coast in 1471. Phoenician sarcophagus found in Cadiz, Spain; now in Archaeological Museum of Cádiz. ... // Events Serbian Empire was proclaimed in Skopje by Dusan Silni, occupying much of the South-Eastern Europe Foundation of the University of Valladolid Foundation of Pembroke College, University of Cambridge August 26 Battle of Crecy after which Edward the Black Prince honored the bravery of John I, Count of Luxemburg... This article is about the year 1471, not the BT caller ID service accessible by dialling 1-4-7-1. ...

The Portuguese Arrival

The Portuguese first reached what became known as the Gold Coast in 1471. Prince Henry the Navigator first sent ships to explore the African coast in 1418. The Portuguese had several motives to voyage south. They were attracted by rumors of fertile African land that was rich in gold and ivory. They also sought a Southern route to India so as to evade Arab traders and establish direct trade with the East. In line with the strong religious sentiments of the time, another focus of the Portuguese was Christian evangelization. They also sought to form an alliance with the legendary Prestor John, who was believed to be the leader of a great Christian nation somewhere in Africa. This article is about the year 1471, not the BT caller ID service accessible by dialling 1-4-7-1. ... Infante Dom Henrique (4 March 1394 - 13 November 1460) was a prince of Portugal, often regarded as the most important figure in the early days of European colonial expansion. ... Events May 19 - Capture of Paris by John, Duke of Burgundy September - Beginning of English Siege of Rouen Mircea the Old, ruler of Wallachia dies and is succeeded by Vlad I Uzurpatorul. ... GOLD refers to one of the following: GOLD (IEEE) is an IEEE program designed to garner more student members at the university level (Graduates of the Last Decade). ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Languages Arabic other languages (Arab minorities) Religions Predomiantly Sunni Islam as well as Shia Islam, Coptic Orthodox Church, Greek Orthodoxy, Greek Catholic, Maronite, Alawite Islam, Druze and Ibadi Islam An entry was temporarily removed here. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Prester John The legend of Prester John (also Presbyter John), popular in Europe from the 12th through the 17th centuries, told of a mythical Christian patriarch and king said to rule over a Christian nation lost amidst the Muslims and pagans in the Orient. ...

These motives prompted the Portuguese to form the Guinea Trade. They made gradual progress down the African coast, each voyage reaching a subsequently farther point. After fifty years of coastal exploration, the Portuguese finally reached Elmina in 1471 during the reign of Prince Henry’s successor, King Alphonso V. However, because royalty had lost interest in African exploration as a result of delayed returns, the Guinea Trade was put under the possession of the Portuguese trader Fernão Gomes. Upon reaching present day Elmina, Gomes discovered a strong gold trade. He established a trading post, and the point on the coast where it resided hence became known to the Portuguese as “Elmina” (the Mine) because of the gold that could be found there. Fernão Gomes was a Portuguese merchant and explorer from Lisbon. ...

Building Sao Jorge de Mina

Trade between Elmina and Portugal grew throughout the decade following the establishment of the trading post under Gomes. In 1481, the recently crowned King John II decided to build a fort on the coast in order to ensure the protection of this trade, which was once again held as a royal monopoly. King John sent all materials needed to build this fort from Portugal to the Gold Coast on ten caravels and two transport ships. The supplies, which included everything from heavy foundation stones to roof tiles, were sent in ready-made form along with provisions for six hundred men. Under the command of Diogo de Azambuja, the fleet set sail on December 11, 1481 and arrived at Elmina a little over a month later on January 19, 1482. Some historians note that Christopher Columbus was among those to make the voyage to the Gold Coast on this fleet. Events May 3 - Mehmed II, Sultan of the Ottoman Empire dies and is succeeded by his son Beyazid II. May 21 - Christian I, King of Denmark and Norway dies and is succeeded by his son John (1481-1513) With the death of Duke Charles IV of Anjou, Anjou was reverted... John II of Portugal João II of Portugal (Portuguese pron. ... A caravel is a small, highly maneuverable, three-masted ship used by the Spanish for long voyages of exploration beginning in the 15th century. ... Diogo de Azambuja (1432-1518) Portuguese explorer of the African coast, lead an expedition into the Gold Coast with Bartolomeu Dias, in 1481. ... Events Portuguese fortify Fort Elmina on the Gold Coast Tizoc rules the Aztecs Diogo Cão, a Portuguese navigator, becomes the first European to sail up the Congo. ... Christopher Columbus (1451 – May 20, 1506) was a navigator and maritime explorer credited as the discoverer of the Americas. ...

Upon the fleet’s arrival, de Azambuja contracted a Portuguese trader who had lived at Elmina for some time to arrange and interpret an official meeting with the local chief, Kwamin Ansa (interpreted from the Portuguese “Caramansa”). Concealing his self-serving interests with elegant presentation and friendliness, de Azambuja imparted to the chief the great advantages of building a fort, including protection from the very powerful King of Portugal.

Chief Kwamin Ansa, while accepting de Azambuja as he had any other Portuguese trader who arrived on his coast, was wary of a permanent settlement. However, with plans of great financial investment, the Portuguese could not be deterred. After offering gifts, making promises, and hinting at consequences of noncompliance, the Portuguese finally gained the reluctant agreement of Chief Kwamin Ansa.

When construction began the next morning, the chief’s qualms were immediately proved to be well-founded. In order to build the fort in the most defensible position on a peninsula, the Portuguese had to demolish some of the homes of the villagers, who consented only upon the payment of gifts in return. The Portuguese also tried to quarry a nearby rock that the people of Elmina believed to be the home of the god of the nearby River Benya. In response to this, the local people forged an attack that resulted in several Portuguese deaths before an understanding could be met. Continued opposition led the Portuguese to burn the local village in retaliation. Even amidst this tension, the first story of the tower was completed after only twenty days, as a result of the great amount of prepared materials. The rest of the fort and an accompanying church were completed soon after despite resistance.

Immediate Impact of the Fort

The fort was the first pre-cast building to have been planned and executed in Sub-Saharan Africa. Upon its completion, Elmina was established as a proper city. De Azambuja was named governor, and King John added the title “Lord of Guinea” to his noble classifications. São Jorge da Mina took on the military and economic importance that had previously been held by the Portuguese factory of Arguim Island on the southern border of the African Arab world. At the height of the gold trade in the early sixteenth century, 24,000 ounces of gold were exported from the Gold Coast, accounting for one-tenth of the world’s supply. A political map showing national divisions in relation to the ecological break (Sub-Saharan Africa in green) A geographical map of Africa, showing the ecological break that defines the sub-Saharan area Sub-Saharan Africa is the term used to describe the area of the African continent which lies south... Arguin is an island off the west coast of Mauritania in the Bay of Arguin, at 20° 36 N., 16° 27 W. It is 6 km long by 2 broad. ... GOLD refers to one of the following: GOLD (IEEE) is an IEEE program designed to garner more student members at the university level (Graduates of the Last Decade). ...

The new fort, signifying the permanent involvement of Europeans in West Africa, had a considerable effect on Africans living on the coast. Elmina declared itself an independent state at the urging of the Portuguese, whose Governor then took control of the town’s affairs. The people of Elmina were offered Portuguese protection against attacks from neighboring coastal tribes, with whom the Portuguese had much less genial relations, even while they were friendly with the powerful trading nations in the African interior. If any tribe attempted to trade with a nation other than Portugal, the Portuguese reacted with aggressive force, often forming alliances with the betraying nation’s enemy states. Hostility between tribes thus increased, and the traditional organization of society suffered, especially with the introduction of guns which made easier the domination of stronger kingdoms over weaker states.

Trade with the Europeans helped make certain goods such as cloth and beads more available to the coastal people, but European involvement also disrupted traditional trade routes between coastal people and northern tribes by cutting out the African middlemen. The population of Elmina swelled with traders from other towns hoping to trade with the Europeans, who gradually established a West African monopoly.

The Atlantic Slave Trade

By the seventeenth century, most trade in West Africa concentrated on the sale of slaves. São Jorge da Mina played a significant part in the Atlantic Slave Trade. The castle acted as a depot where slaves were bought in bartering fashion from local African chiefs and kings. The slaves, often captured in the African interior by the slave-catchers of coastal tribes, were sold to Portuguese traders in exchange for goods such as textiles and horses. The slaves were held captive in the castle before exiting through the castle’s infamous “Door of No Return” to be transported and resold in newly colonized Brazil and other Portuguese colonies. (16th century - 17th century - 18th century - more centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 17th century was that century which lasted from 1601-1700. ...  Western Africa (UN subregion)  Maghreb[1] West Africa or Western Africa is the westernmost region of the African continent. ... The Atlantic slave trade, started by the Portuguese[1], but soon dominated by the English, was the sale and exploitation of African slaves by Europeans that occurred in and around the Atlantic Ocean from the 15th century to the 19th century. ... This article is about the type of fabric. ... horse, see Horse (disambiguation). ...

Control by Other European Nations

In 1637 the fort was taken over by the Dutch, who made it the capital of Dutch Guinea. During the period of Dutch control, the castle was also known as Fort Conraadsburg, Fort de Veer, Fort Java, Fort Scomarus, and Fort Naglas. The Dutch continued the triangular Atlantic slave route until 1872 when the castle was seized by the British. Events February 3 - Tulipmania collapses in Netherlands by government order February 15 - Ferdinand III becomes Holy Roman Emperor December 17 - Shimabara Rebellion erupts in Japan Pierre de Fermat makes a marginal claim to have proof of what would become known as Fermats last theorem. ... Year 1872 (MDCCCLXXII) was a leap year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian Calendar (or a leap year starting on Wednesday of the 12-day slower Julian calendar). ...

Renovation

Elimina Castle Renovation, August 2006

The castle was extensively restored by the Ghanaian government in the 1990s. Renovation of the castle continues as part of the Elmina Strategy 2015 project. The bridge leading into the castle is one of the highest priority tasks in the project. As of August 2006, the bridge renovation has been completed and construction on the upper terraces continues. Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (2078x1750, 572 KB) Taken by Clint Herron (myself) on August 7th, 2006 at Elmina Castle in Ghana. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (2078x1750, 572 KB) Taken by Clint Herron (myself) on August 7th, 2006 at Elmina Castle in Ghana. ...

Sources and References

• Andrea, Alfred J and James H. Overfield. “African Colonialism,” The Human Record: Sources of Global History, Fifth Edition, Volume 2. Houghton Mifflin Company: Boston, 2005.
• Bruner, Edward M. "Tourism in Ghana: The representation of slavery and the return of the Black Diaspora." American Anthropologist 98 (2): 290-304.
• Claridge, Walton W. A History of the Gold Coast and Ashanti, Second Edition. Frank Cass & Co. Ltd.: London, 1964.
• Daaku, Kwame Yeboa. Trade & Politics on the Gold Coast 1600-1720. Oxford University Press: London, 1970.
• DeCorse, Christopher R. An Archaeology of Elmina: Africans and Europeans on the Gold Coast, 1400-1900. Smithsonian Institution Press: Washington, 2001
• Pacheo, Duarte. Esmeraldo de situ orbis, c. 1505-1508.
• Forts of Ghana
• World Statesmen-Ghana
• Strategy 2015 Project