We have all heard the story of the slave trade in Africa. We heard of how slave masters bought, shipped, maltreated and abused African slave trades. Every year, many African countries celebrate their independence from colonial masters. But, if you really want to experience and have a feel of how the slave trade was centuries ago, visit the Elmina Castle in Ghana.
The Elmina Castle is the first European building in Sub-Saharan Africa. They built it in 1482 by the Portuguese who first visited the Gold Coast.
They wanted to build a gargantuan structure with various facilities near the port to help in gold trading with the local people. That was the initial intent for the Elmina Castle.
Initially, the castle had the name, “Castelo de São Jorge da Mina” which means St. George of the Mine Castle). That’s why people also refer to the castle as St. George Castle.
Because of the main operation going on in the castle, the Portuguese further named it, “Da Costa de el Mina de Ouro” which means The Coast of Gold Mines. Later, the castle became the most prominent building on the shores of the Gulf of Guinea.
It was at that time the Dutch emerged at the Gold Coast. The Dutch snatched the castle and the gold coastlines from the Portuguese and became the new owners in 1637.
It was during this time that slave trading began. Then, the Dutch used the fort for the commercial slave trade. The British saw how the Dutch were flourishing from the trade.
With their troops, they took over the fort from the Dutch and became owners in 1814. The British ruled the Gold Coast and further used the fort as a slave trade hub before Ghana gained independence on 6th March 1957. After independence, the castle was kept by the State and used for a tourist hub.
The Elmina Castle is historic for being the oldest European building in Sub-Saharan Africa. When you tour the castle, you will see where African slaves were held before they shipped them to various destinations. Tears will flow from your chicks when you see how slaves were treated and kept in the fort.
You can find the castle in Elmina. In 1987, Werner Herzog used the fort as a premier place for his famous film, Cobra Verde. Later on, UNESCO nominated the castle as a World Heritage Site. It is for these historic backgrounds that many African-Americans love visiting the Elmina Castle. They get to see, know and feel their root.
