Brief History of Cape Coast Castle

Overview

• Cape Coast Castle, a British castle built in 1665.
• Located in Ghana with three major castles and over 14 forts.

Other Significant Castles in Ghana

• St. George's Castle (Elmina Castle):
  • Largest and oldest in West Africa.
  • Built by the Portuguese in 1482.
  • 535 years old.
• Christianborg Castle:
  • Built by Denmark in Accra in 1661.
  • 356 years old.

Construction and Ownership

• Cape Coast Castle initially built as a fort by the Swedish in 1654.
• Originally named Fort Carolusborg after King Charles X of Sweden.
• It changed ownership multiple times:
  • Denmark (1658)
  • Local people (1661)
  • Dutch (1664)
  • English (Post Anglo-Dutch War)
• Took 60 years to transform from a fort to a castle.

UNESCO World Heritage Site

• Listed as a World Heritage site by UNESCO in 1979.

Role in Slave Trade

General Facts

• Used for trading enslaved Africans.
• Captives included criminals, rebellious individuals, and innocents.
• Strong captives identified for manual labor (commercial captives) and weaker ones for domestic labor.

Male Dungeon

• Held 1,000 captives at a time, with five chambers (200 per chamber).
• Located below a church of the Society for the Propagation of the Gospel.

Conditions

• Terrible living conditions:
  • Sloping, slippery floors due to waste build-up.
  • High mortality rate due to disease and poor conditions.
• Branding of slaves with symbols of their traders.
• Regular shipments every three months to the Americas.
• High death rate: many died from disease, starvation, and poor sanitation.

Symbolism and Modern Implications

Church Above Dungeon

• Contrasting placement of a place of worship above a place of suffering.

Modern Slavery

• Despite the end of the transatlantic slave trade, modern forms of slavery exist such as human trafficking and child prostitution.

Final Sections of the Castle Tour

Condemned Cell

• Held 50 male captives without food, water, light, or air until death.
• Guard room for white soldiers on violation duty.

European Section

• Nearby shore area once used for European recreation.
• Modern interventions include educational sections and memorials.

Governor’s Quarters

• Included better living arrangements.

Lasting Legacy and Apology

• Apology plaque by the National House of Chiefs as a sign of remorse.
• Hope for remembrance of past sufferings and prevention of future injustices.