melissa

What happened on the Gold Coast of Ghana between 1500 and 1800CE? During the 1500's began the conversions of Black people. In 1503 near a castle, a chapel was built dedicated to Santiago, this chapel was used until 1596. Elmina Castle was important of trade purposes, the trade goods were gold, ivory, sugar, wax, pepper, hides, and slaves. The beginning of the Portuguese installation at Sao Jorge, busniess relations were established with adjoining African statesm to increase the trade. The Portuguese power in the Gold Coaset never went beyond the coast line. They bult the fort of Santo Antonie de Axim in 1503, which maintained a trading post at Shama and in 1576 a fortress at Accra. In 1596 during the govern of Cristóvão de Melo a dutch expedition, equipped by dutch commerical trading house of Moucheron, attacked the castle for the first time which failed. In 1606 the butch made another attemp to capture Sao Jorge. The protuguese governor with his troops made an ambush that was successful, after 2 hours of fighting the dutch were in retreat. In December 1606 and January 1607 the dutch made repeated assaults on Sao Jorge, but gave up in january 1607. A violen earthquake damaged the walls of the fortress and a bastion collapsed in 1615. After the dutch was aware of this, they made three unsuccessful attacks against Elmina. In 1637 the first dutch move in the attack was the seizure of the unfortified hill of Santiago, after that they shelled Sao Jorge castle. The Portuguese surrendered to the dutch, this being a strategical move, the dutch conquered Elmina on August 29th 1637. After 150 years of a new European power ruling, the Netherlands ruled on the Gold Coast. After the conquest, the Dutch foritified the hill of Santiago, later the fort on the hill, Fort Conradsburg, was improved and enlarged, this was completed by 1666. The Fort was in dutch hands until 1872 when it was sold to the British. Britain made the Gold Coast a crown colony.

http://www.ghanaweb.com/GhanaHomePage/history/ http://www.colonialvoyage.com/ghana.html




 * || Elmina: Fort Sao Jorge da Mina, Ghana. ||