Slave trade in the Volta Region

Ghana’s colonial name ‘Gold Coast’ may downplay the high number of slaves shipped out, coming from as far as Nigeria, walking to the many castles and ports along the Gulf. One such place was the Danish pride, Fort Prinzenstein, or ‘Prince’s Rock,’ that was ultimately sold to the British in 1850.

Fort Prinzenstein, 1970

Unlike the Portuguese fort Cabo Corso, which became Cape Coast Castle, Fort Prinzenstein had very limited structural reinforcement. Furthermore, it was unfortunately constructed on the Keta isthmus, and the deteriorating coastlines brought sand erosion and sea storms to the fort’s back gate – the Gate of No Return – ultimately demolishing half the structure in 1980. To have seen Fort Prinzenstein in its former glory would certainly have been marvelous. I lamented that such an important element of historical remembrance and emotional closure was fading away with each passing year.

Like any slave castle, the stories are gruesome. The prison cells (for Prinzenstein served as a prison for the community until the 1980s) and former slave holdings are inhumane. Unique to Fort Prinzenstein, however, are the myths surrounding certain tribes’ abilities to pass through walls – corroborated by the human remains inexplicably lodged in the 3-foot-thick walls – add an aura of mystery perhaps missing from the Cape Coast tour.

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An afternoon at Cape Coast Castle

In Washington, DC I grew accustomed to memorials to fallen heroes, innocent victims, and admirable leaders. Their prevalence, however, has yet to minimize the impact of first seeing a museum or memorial to honor truly horrific events.

Enter scene: the slave trade.

Cape Coast Castle was not the first slave trade fort, nor the largest, but it was the final stopping place for thousands from all over West Africa. The name is an English bastardization of ‘Cabo Corso,’ Portuguese for ‘Short Cape.’

European occupation of the site varied as different strongmen journeyed to the southwestern African coast to stake their country’s claim. The Portuguese were the first to the Gold Cost, constructing the nearby Elmina Castle in the 15th century. They were eventually usurped from Cabo Corso by the Swedes, who began construction of the fort in 1653. Over time, the Dutch drove out the Swedes; the Danes drove out the Dutch; and finally, the Brits drove out the Danes, holding power until Ghana reclaimed its independence and converted Cape Coast Castle to a monument honoring its shackled and deported countrymen.

The castle is beautiful – built in a distinctly European style, the archways and ornamentation would certainly make for pleasant accommodations…for the governor, that is. Not to mention, Cape Coast itself is quite lovely.

In contrast to the dark dungeons where thousands of slaves were kept, the governor enjoyed a bedroom and salon all to himself with a total of eleven windows.

The view from the governor’s western window:

A private walkway connected his quarters to the sorting room where slaves were  bargained for and branded appropriate to the company that would transport them across the Atlantic Ocean.

Perhaps most impressive is the aptly named ‘Door of No Return’ through which passed every man and woman branded for the Americas. A haunting tunnel leads to the creaky wooden door; slave ships waiting just beyond.

A female holding cell to the left of the door kept the pregnant women (ineligible for sale). After giving birth, the half-white child was taken and enrolled in the school attached to the castle. Slave castles ran the first schools in Ghana, for European children only. The mother returned to the dungeons to await her eventual sale or death.

Today the Door of No Return has been rebranded. Once in a while, diaspora families arrive searching for their link to the continent, an emotionally jarring experience, and the Castle welcomes them.

An old fishing village, modern Cape Coasters continue the trade. They ship out into the Gulf of Guinea and net enough to stock the markets and restaurants for locals and tourists alike. I arrived in late afternoon, in time to see the boats all returned and the men mending their nets.

I am unsure how to process the few hours I spent in the castle. I know, though, that I am certainly glad I went.