SLAVE FACTORY OF ELMINA CASTLE

During my school days, I had the opportunity to read “Uncle Tom’s Cabin”, the most popular bestseller about the slavery in America. I also read about how this book strongly influenced President Abraham Lincoln, who succeeded in abolishing slavery from America. 

The slavery was introduced in America centuries ago and the main slave trade route was from sub Saharan Africa to America. The first batch of slaves to leave Africa was from the Elmina Castle of Gold Coast. Gold Coast was colonised by Portuguese, Dutch and finally by the British invaders.  They named it Gold Coast, because of the abundance of gold in its soil. In 1957, Gold Coast had become the independent nation of Ghana.

A very long time after reading “Uncle Tom’s Cabin”, when I visited Ghana, in the year 2006, I was very particular about seeing the Elmina Castle and told this to my friend George Annan from Ghana. He arranged a trip to the central region of Ghana that included cities of Kumasi, Obuasi and the town of Elmina.  I could visit the infamous Castle of Elmina situated in the picturesque fishing town of Elmina. Elmina is around 140 kilometres from Accra, the capital city of Ghana. 

Portugal was the first colonial power to reach Ghana in the 15^th century (almost during the same period when they reached India). When they decided to set up their first trading post in the Ashanti region of Ghana, they chose the small fishing village of Elmina.  They built the castle of Elmina in the year 1482. It was the first permanent structure built by the Europeans in the sub Saharan Africa. What initially intended to be a trade post settlement for exporting gold, cocoa etc. was gradually transformed into a major hub for the trans- Atlantic slave trade.  By the seventeenth century, most trade in the region had deteriorated only to the trade of slaves.

The slaves were captured from the interior villages and also were bought in barter from the local tribal chieftains. They were sold to Portuguese traders in exchange of materials such as clothes, alcohol and other goods. The captive slaves were brought to the coast like a herd of animals on a very difficult journey which lasted many days. Many of the slaves did not even make it to the castle. The slaves were kept in the dungeons of the castle and were subjected to inhuman treatment.

Elmina castle had comfortable living quarters for the Europeans in the upper level. The slave dungeons below were filthy and cramped.  Each cell was used to house more than 200 slaves at a time. There was not enough space even for lying down. The filth and human excreta made the situation even worse. Diseases such as Malaria and Yellow fever caused many deaths. 

Women’s cells were accessible from the officers’ quarters and many young women were sexually abused and tortured. 

The slaves would wait, often, several weeks, for a ship to arrive. They were then traded for goods to the trans-Atlantic slave traders. The slaves in the castle went through the castle’s now- infamous “Door of No Return” without knowing the worse fate awaiting them. The ships would carry them on a treacherous journey across the Atlantic Ocean to North America, Caribbean, and Brazil and other destinations for reselling them as slaves. They were transported in such an unhygienic  and bad condition that several slaves were dead before arriving at the destination. By the 18^th century almost 30,000 slaves per year were traded through the Elmina Castle.

Elmina Castle is now preserved as a national museum and a historic structure. It is designated as a World Heritage Monument by the UNESCO. 

Getting inside the castle through the “Door of no return” I started my tour of the “Slave Factory” of the Elmina Castle. Once Inside the Castle, walking through the dark dungeons and cells, I could imagine how and in what condition those cells were used to house the slaves as herds of animals more than five hundred years ago. I could almost hear the cries of the tortured slaves. It was really a shocking experience.

US President Obama visited the castle in the year 2009 with his family. Inside the castle, he told the CNN correspondent "You almost feel as if the walls can speak. You try to project yourself into these incredibly harrowing moments".

The slavery was officially abolished in America on June 19^th 1865. After 144 years, a few weeks before Obama’s visit to Ghana, on June 19^th 2009, the American senate passed a resolution that acknowledged the fundamental injustice, cruelty, brutality and inhumanity of slavery and apologized to African-Americans on behalf of the people of the United States for the wrongs committed against them and their ancestors who suffered under slavery. It was a historic resolution.

The fact, that the President and the first family of USA- descendants of Africans, with roots connected to the enslaved Africans - visited a slave trade port in Ghana, is itself a more significant occurrence than an apology.

Slavery was abolished in India in 1843 by the British Empire. That was 170 years ago. Is it really abolished from the Indian society? I believe slavery remains in India in different forms.

As Rousseau said "Man is born free, and everywhere he is in chains”.