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Fort Amsterdam, Ghana

Fort Amsterdam is a former slave fort in Abandze, Central region, Ghana. It was built by the English between 1638 and 1645 as Fort Cormantin or Fort Courmantyne, and was captured by admiral Michiel de Ruyter of the Dutch West India Company in 1665,[1] in retaliation for the capture of several Dutch forts by the English Admiral Holmes in 1664.[2] It was subsequently made part of the Dutch Gold Coast, and remained part of it until the fort was traded with the British in 1868. The Fort is located at Abandze, on the north-east of Cape Coast in the Mfantseman District of the Central Region of Ghana. Because of its testimony to European economic and colonial influence in West Africa and its historical importance in the Atlantic slave trade, the fort was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1979 along with other forts and castles in Ghana.[3]

Fort Amsterdam
Part of Dutch Gold Coast
Fort Amsterdam
Fort Amsterdam
Coordinates5°11′32″N 1°05′35″W / 5.192222°N 1.093056°W / 5.192222; -1.093056
Site history
Built1638 (1638)
Garrison information
OccupantsEnglish (1631-1665)
Netherlands (1665-1868)
LocationAbandze, Central Region, Ghana
Part ofForts and Castles, Volta, Greater Accra, Central and Western Regions
CriteriaCultural: (vi)
Reference34-004
Inscription1979 (3rd Session)

History edit

Early in 1782, Captain Thomas Shirley in the 50-gun ship Leander and the sloop-of-war Alligator sailed to the Dutch Gold Coast. This was during the Fourth Anglo-Dutch War in which Britain was at war with The Netherlands. Shirley captured the small Dutch forts at Moree (Fort Nassau – 20 guns), Kormantin (Courmantyne – 32 guns), Apam (Fort Lijdzaamheid or Fort Patience – 22 guns), Senya Beraku (Fort Goede Hoop – 18 guns), and Accra (Fort Crêvecoeur or Ussher Fort – 32 guns).[4]

In 1811, the people of Anomabo, who happened to be allies of the British attacked the fort, leaving it in ruins. It was unoccupied from then until its restoration in 1951 by the Ghana Museums and Monuments Board.[5]

The town of Abandze has grown around the site of the fort today.

The original structure of Fort Amsterdam edit

It had a rectangular outline with two square and two round bastions at the corners. They were linked by curtain walls. There was a central courtyard. Arranged around it were a one-storeyed building on the west side, a two-storeyed building along the north side and a line of two or three storeyed buildings on the south side.

The curtain and bastion on the north were solidly built, while the others were constructed with an earth filling between two walls of stone laid in mortar. As a result of cracks and disintegration at the time, it was left unoccupied.

The bastion on the southeast, which was designed to be hollow, had a grated ventilation in the roof, and was in addition used as a slave prison. It is believed to have been the first of its kind in the Gold Coast. Slaves taken from this fort were said to have been named Coromantee.[6]

Trade edit

From 1705 to 1716, trade figures at the fort were given as 481 marks of gold and 149 slaves. There were complaints of little trade at other times as well. This was due to wars and also because the local chief was said to have leased the site to the British, and not the Dutch. The Dutch had no jurisdiction there, and the Cormantin people blocked their trade routes whenever it suited them, until the former had paid huge sums of money.[7]

Image gallery edit

References edit

  1. ^ "Ghana Museums & Monuments Board". www.ghanamuseums.org.
  2. ^ Anquandah, James. (1999). Castles & forts of Ghana. Atalante: Ghana Museums & Monuments Board. ISBN 2951390106. OCLC 41624572.
  3. ^ "Forts and Castles, Volta, Greater Accra, Central and Western Regions". UNESCO World Heritage Convention. Retrieved 9 October 2022.
  4. ^ Crooks, John Joseph (1973), Records Relating to the Gold Coast Settlements from 1750 to 1874 (London: Taylor & Francis), p. 62. ISBN 978-0-7146-1647-6
  5. ^ Anquandah, James. (1999). Castles & forts of Ghana. Atalante: Ghana Museums & Monuments Board. ISBN 2951390106. OCLC 41624572.
  6. ^ Anquandah, James. (1999). Castles & forts of Ghana. Atalante: Ghana Museums & Monuments Board. ISBN 2951390106. OCLC 41624572.
  7. ^ Anquandah, James. (1999). Castles & forts of Ghana. Atalante: Ghana Museums & Monuments Board. ISBN 2951390106. OCLC 41624572.

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Fort Amsterdam is a former slave fort in Abandze Central region Ghana It was built by the English between 1638 and 1645 as Fort Cormantin or Fort Courmantyne and was captured by admiral Michiel de Ruyter of the Dutch West India Company in 1665 1 in retaliation for the capture of several Dutch forts by the English Admiral Holmes in 1664 2 It was subsequently made part of the Dutch Gold Coast and remained part of it until the fort was traded with the British in 1868 The Fort is located at Abandze on the north east of Cape Coast in the Mfantseman District of the Central Region of Ghana Because of its testimony to European economic and colonial influence in West Africa and its historical importance in the Atlantic slave trade the fort was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1979 along with other forts and castles in Ghana 3 Fort AmsterdamPart of Dutch Gold CoastFort AmsterdamFort AmsterdamCoordinates5 11 32 N 1 05 35 W 5 192222 N 1 093056 W 5 192222 1 093056Site historyBuilt1638 1638 Garrison informationOccupantsEnglish 1631 1665 Netherlands 1665 1868 UNESCO World Heritage SiteLocationAbandze Central Region GhanaPart ofForts and Castles Volta Greater Accra Central and Western RegionsCriteriaCultural vi Reference34 004Inscription1979 3rd Session Contents 1 History 2 The original structure of Fort Amsterdam 3 Trade 4 Image gallery 5 ReferencesHistory editEarly in 1782 Captain Thomas Shirley in the 50 gun ship Leander and the sloop of war Alligator sailed to the Dutch Gold Coast This was during the Fourth Anglo Dutch War in which Britain was at war with The Netherlands Shirley captured the small Dutch forts at Moree Fort Nassau 20 guns Kormantin Courmantyne 32 guns Apam Fort Lijdzaamheid or Fort Patience 22 guns Senya Beraku Fort Goede Hoop 18 guns and Accra Fort Crevecoeur or Ussher Fort 32 guns 4 In 1811 the people of Anomabo who happened to be allies of the British attacked the fort leaving it in ruins It was unoccupied from then until its restoration in 1951 by the Ghana Museums and Monuments Board 5 The town of Abandze has grown around the site of the fort today The original structure of Fort Amsterdam editIt had a rectangular outline with two square and two round bastions at the corners They were linked by curtain walls There was a central courtyard Arranged around it were a one storeyed building on the west side a two storeyed building along the north side and a line of two or three storeyed buildings on the south side The curtain and bastion on the north were solidly built while the others were constructed with an earth filling between two walls of stone laid in mortar As a result of cracks and disintegration at the time it was left unoccupied The bastion on the southeast which was designed to be hollow had a grated ventilation in the roof and was in addition used as a slave prison It is believed to have been the first of its kind in the Gold Coast Slaves taken from this fort were said to have been named Coromantee 6 Trade editFrom 1705 to 1716 trade figures at the fort were given as 481 marks of gold and 149 slaves There were complaints of little trade at other times as well This was due to wars and also because the local chief was said to have leased the site to the British and not the Dutch The Dutch had no jurisdiction there and the Cormantin people blocked their trade routes whenever it suited them until the former had paid huge sums of money 7 Image gallery edit nbsp Fort Amsterdam front view nbsp Main gate nbsp Fort Amsterdam nbsp Slave Dungeon in Fort Amsterdam nbsp Side front view of Fort Amsterdam in Ghana nbsp Fort Amsterdam Ghana nbsp Fort Amsterdam in Ghana nbsp Fort Amsterdam in Ghana nbsp Front view of Fort Amsterdam nbsp Fort Amsterdam in Ghana nbsp Fort Amsterdam nbsp Fort Amsterdam nbsp Sunset at the Fort Amsterdam nbsp Komantin Beach From Fort Amsterdam nbsp Canon in Fort Amsterdam nbsp Open skies in Fort AmsterdamReferences edit nbsp Wikimedia Commons has media related to Fort Kormantin Ghana Museums amp Monuments Board www ghanamuseums org Anquandah James 1999 Castles amp forts of Ghana Atalante Ghana Museums amp Monuments Board ISBN 2951390106 OCLC 41624572 Forts and Castles Volta Greater Accra Central and Western Regions UNESCO World Heritage Convention Retrieved 9 October 2022 Crooks John Joseph 1973 Records Relating to the Gold Coast Settlements from 1750 to 1874 London Taylor amp Francis p 62 ISBN 978 0 7146 1647 6 Anquandah James 1999 Castles amp forts of Ghana Atalante Ghana Museums amp Monuments Board ISBN 2951390106 OCLC 41624572 Anquandah James 1999 Castles amp forts of Ghana Atalante Ghana Museums amp Monuments Board ISBN 2951390106 OCLC 41624572 Anquandah James 1999 Castles amp forts of Ghana Atalante Ghana Museums amp Monuments Board ISBN 2951390106 OCLC 41624572 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Fort Amsterdam Ghana amp oldid 1217903860, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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