Fort San Sebastian
For the fort in Mozambique, see Fort São Sebastião.
Fort San Sebastian | |
---|---|
Part of Dutch Gold Coast | |
Fort San Sebastian in 1890. | |
Fort San Sebastian | |
Coordinates | 5°00′39″N 1°37′45″W / 5.010825°N 1.629199°W |
Site history | |
Built | 1523 |
Garrison information | |
Occupants |
Portugal (1523-1642) Netherlands (1642-1872) |
Fort San Sebastian located in Shama, Ghana is the third oldest fortification in Ghana.[1]
History
It was built by the Portuguese from 1520 to 1526 as a trading post in and captured by the Dutch West India Company in 1642. The original purpose of the fort was to serve as a deterrent to English sailors interfering in Shama trade.[1] The first black European university professor, Anton Wilhelm Amo, lies interred in the fort's graveyard. The fort was ceded with the entire Dutch Gold Coast to Britain in 1872.
During the time of the African Slave Trade, kidnapped slaves were imprisoned here while awaiting transport to North America.[2]
Gallery
- Fort St Sebastian - close up
- View of the fort from a boat
- View from the gate to the front part of the fort, in the back the main gate with stairs to Shama
- View of Shama from the fort
- The front part of the fort
References
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Fort San Sebastian (Ghana). |
- 1 2 "Fort San Sebastian, Shama (1526)". Ghana Museums and Monuments Board. Retrieved 10 April 2014.
- ↑ Harrold, Darlene Clark Hine, William C. Hine, Stanley C (2014). The African-American odyssey : the combined volume (6th edition, combined volume. ed.). ISBN 0205940455.
Coordinates: 5°00′39″N 1°37′45″W / 5.010825°N 1.629199°W
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