Cape Coast Castle
The Cape Coast Castle is currently the talk of the international media following America’s First Lady Melania Trump’s visit to the destination as part of her trip to Ghana.
Indeed, the castle is one of Ghana’s biggest attractions. It means a lot, not only to Ghanaians but most people around the world, especially African Americans because of its history with slave trade.
Ghana is currently a treasure trove of the slave history, and the Cape Coast Castle is one of the main castles people come to connect with the history.
This week, NEWS-ONE is focusing attention on the castle for visitors to know more about the castle before visitation, as well as get gist about world personalities who once toured the castle.
This is part of an initiative by the office of the Ministry of Tourism Arts & Culture to guide tourists to the best destinations in Ghana.
The castle is a UNESCO World Heritage site now and one of the most meaningful ways to dive into the history of the Transatlantic Slave Trade.
The colonial fort was used as the final holding place for captive slaves before they made their journey across the Atlantic Ocean.
Over the years and till date, the castle is used to educate tourists about the dark history of the slave trade.
Building History
The Cape Coast Castle is one of the many large commercial forts built on the Coast of Ghana by European traders. The original settlement of the castle was a small lodge built by the Portuguese called Cabo Corco. In 1652, it was found abandoned and occupied by the Swedes who in 1657 built Fort Carolusborg, which was used for trade in timber and gold, but later used in the Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade.
Building Takeover
The Cape Coast Castle has seen many occupations by numerous foreign powers. In 1663, it was captured by the Dutch, then recaptured by the English in 1664 and again improved and enlarged in 1673. In 1681 it was attacked by the people of the town, and subsequently bombarded by the French fleet in 1703 and also in 1757. It was the object of the Anglo Dutch rivalry and hostilities during that period. Its rebuilding in 1757 was undertaken by the Royal African Company, one of the three principal English trading companies formed to trade in the Gold Coast among others.
Trade Activities
The castle was originally built for Swedish colonisers to transport timber and gold out of Africa. Before that it had been used as a trading lodge by the Portuguese. Originally, it was called Carlosborg Fort after King Charles X of Sweden. It was used by the Swedes to trade until Denmark took control of the region. For five years, it was fought over by the Danes, Dutch and Swedes before the British seized control in 1664 in the second Anglo-Dutch war. The Brits then renamed it Cape Coast Castle.
Slave Trade Activities
The slave trade was already slowly growing at the time after being started by the Portuguese in the 15th Century. They had started capturing West Africans after finally reaching the continent and bringing them back to Europe but it did not boom until the 17th Century when a sudden growth in sugar plantations in the Caribbean spiked the demand for labour.
Britain became involved by first capturing slaves to sell in Spanish colonies in the Americas but its role grew exponentially with the sugar rush and the formation of the Royal Africa Company in 1672 which gave a monopoly to ports in England.
The formality of it launched what became known later as the Triangular Slave Trade. It operated in three steps – European boats travelled to Africa where they exchanged goods for slaves. They then took the slaves to the Americas and exchanged them for sought-after commodities that were not available in Europe, including rum, gun powder and textiles.
They would then load ships with their new goods and return to Europe, having deposited the slaves to their new owners in the Americas.
Cape Coast Castle was one of the largest in size along the Gold Coast of West Africa. At any given time, there would be 1500 men and women being held in its dungeons.
The population of its occupants was ordinarily two thirds men, one third women and they were held in separate dungeons.
There were no windows or facilities for the enslaved Africans to go to the bathroom.
Urine and faeces were often strewn on the floors of the dungeons. Slaves would be held there for up to 12 weeks at a time before being traded for goods and loaded onto the cargo ships to be taken to America.
Their final voyage was through the ‘door of no return’ which led from the dungeon to the seaboard side of the castle, where boats would be waiting to take them onto cargo ships bound for the ‘new world’. At any given time, 1500 slaves were held in horrifying conditions inside. Men and women were held in separate dungeons, crammed in by the hundreds with nowhere to go to the bathroom or get fresh air.
They spent between six and 12 weeks in the castle before being shipped to ‘the new world’.
Slave Trade Aftermath At The Castle
Britain abolished slavery in 1833 and the castle went back to being a trading post for ordinary commodities. It was then turned into a military training centre and later became a court and a school. It was finally handed over to the people of Ghana in 1957 when the country gained independence and it is currently being used a museum and UNESCO world heritage site. The Cape Coast Castle remains a haunting reminder of the millions of slaves who were captured, imprisoned and then shipped out of Africa by white masters.
Tourists & Visitors
People visit the castle for different reasons, not just for tourism. For African Americans it is to reconnect with their root and is also a reminder of the pain their ancestors went through. Thousands of tourists and foreigners visit the castle each year. Among world figures who once visited the castle were ex-American President Obama and his wife, Michelle Obama, with their children, Hollywood actor Boris Kodjoe and wife, Nicole Ari Parker, with their children, Rev. Jesse Jackson and now Melania Trump. Melania’s reportedly spent an hour at the castle and her visit is expected to bring in more people to also visit the castle.