Photos and History of Fort Amsterdam, Ghana

Ghana has more European castles than any other country outside of Europe. There are 43 caslte and forts along the coast in different states of upkeep or ruin. The one we are looking at today is Fort Amsterdam, it is in a small town just a little to the east of Cape Coast called Abanze. It was built by the English in 1638 and Called For Cormantin. It was attacked and captured by the Dutch West India Company in 1665. It then remained in dutch hands and part of the Dutch Gold Coast unitl 1868 when it was traded to the English and became part of the English Gold Coast Colony.

During the early years of the fort it would have been used as a trading outpost for the English and then the Dutch West Indies Company. Trade would have been in gold, lumber, ivory, and other natural resources. Into the 18th century as the trans atlantic slave trade heated up the primary export would have been for slaves. The primary trade during those times for human lives were cooking pots, guns, booze, beads, and iron rods. All of which were intentionally made poor quality. The human cargo would have been sent to the new world the West Indies colonies of the Dutch there like Aruba to work on plantations.

Fort Amsterdam was a smaller fort and not a major trading outpost so there are not great statistics out there of how much business and slavery was done.

Each of the forts along the coast protected the business interests of the owners from both the locals and the other European powers. There was a lot of flux in the area of ownership between the Swedes, and Danes in the early years, and then British, Dutch, and Portuguese later on. There was even pressure from pirates and bandits. This fort was razed in 1811 the locals in a neighboring community who were allied with the British. They ruined the fort and it was not used until it was partially restored to its current state in 1951.

Years facts and figures were referenced here https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fort_Amsterdam,_Ghana

This fort overlooks the main Accra, Cape Coast highway which you can see below in the picture. The village has grown up around the fort in the years since its use.

Seems a lot of the guns were pointed inland as well even though a lot of the risk came from ships at sea.

In the court yard is a mangled tree, I can imagine if this tree was growing in the time of the early days of the fort what it has seen, the horrors and different faces being that it could be close to 400 years old.

This area with little steps was said to be for the alarm parrots it was near the gate and they would roost in the bottom and climb the stairs and make a racket if anyone was at the gate.

Above the main gate is a hole that the guide told us was for dropping hot liquid or oil on any intruders.

One of the many gun ports now providing an interesting view of the community below.

A sign as a reminder of the dark history of the fort.

A view down to the busy fishing landing beach and Abanze Beach Resort in the distance.

Some young men hanging out and having some fun on one of the guns at the gate.

A look down the path down the hill into the town.

An overhead view of the courtyard from the upper wall.

A view of the fishing beach. The sky is very hazy from the dust in the air from the Hamattan winds.

The upper gun platform overlooking the community.

A look down the coast to the west towards Cape Coast.

I find the composition of the 400 year old structure very interesting. They brought many stones from Europe for the early forts is what is said, and it looks like they make a lime based concrete from burning sea shells with a lot of the aggregate being more sea shells. It looks more sound than many of the structures that we build in "modern times."

All photos taken by myself with a Canon Eos Rebel, in 2011.