Ghana and a "much too close" look at the Slave Trade

It's easier not to think about it really

 

One of the big draws for me on this adventure was to better understand the origins of the Trans- Atlantic Slave Trade. Barry was well on board with this historical "Journey of  Discovery" so we planned on visiting both Elmina and Cape Coast Castles which were more aptly referred to as "warehouses" for slaves bound for the West Indies and America mostly. Ahhh the new world!!!

I suspect the Portuguese who got the "Slave trade" ball rolling didn't intend that to be the case. From trinkets and muskets to people is a big leap but that's what happened. But before we start getting too indignant about the Europeans it's worth taking a moment to recognize that this was a really good way for Africans to get rid of the unwanted Africans. I'm sure President Trump would do the same with the Democrats if the opportunity was presented.

Firstly, the castles are remarkably well preserved. It's a surprising fact given the amount of time that has passed and that the ocean is at the doorsteps and constantly pounding on the door. Second - it's such an utterly beautiful setting it's hard to imagine the ugly truths that haunts humanity and became all too clear as we explore these two castles.

Here are some numbers: while records are hard to find and verify it's generally agreed that 12 million slaves left Africa on ships built for that purpose. Now that does seem like a lot given the population of Africa at the time and various other realities.

BUT - this went on for over 300 years. In our modern era of zip zip this and that - we can barely conceive of something continuing for that amount of time. The Portuguese did it for 100 years and then the Dutch another 200 after that....so 12 million is a possibility.






Now - how many slaves were actually brought to the "warehouses" to be shipped and didn't live past the warehousing and storage phase? This part is even more foggy as estimates of 2/10 to 5/10 didn't live long enough to put a foot on soil in the West. So that means that between 24 million and 60 million Africans were taken from the dark continent to feed the worlds' never ending maniacal lust for productivity through the ownership of others.


So those are some of the numbers but let me say - that when you see it, smell it, feel it -- it makes the numbers meaningless compared to the moments of clarity when you connect with the absolute suffering inflicted on these people.

A thousand slaves were kept at Cape Coast at any given time for up to 3 months. Standing room only. Most horrifying were the consequences of those who dared challenges the guards or refused to be raped.They were simply put in a room (shown here on the left) with out food, water, light or ventilation. They died quickly and then were simply pushed into the sea beyond.


It was in imagining this and standing in the very space that I was overwhelmed. They didn't die all at once of course - so you sat amongst the dead waiting and hoping to expire sooner rather than later all the while wondering what you did to deserve such a horrible fate.




As mentioned - the experience is very real  - so real in fact that at Cape Coast as you stand in the mens' dungeon, you stand on about 10 centimeters of ground and pounded human remains, feces, food scraps and so on.

In the picture on the right with yours truly is the famous "door of no return". The slaves were funneled down long dark and narrow corridors to this door where they boarded a ship to either die at sea, at the merciless hands of their new owners or the diseases of the new world for which they were completely unprepared.

It's a terrible chapter in human history, perhaps the worst given both the sheer numbers and the complete absence of humanity in our treatment of one another. We should never forget what we are capable of....

Thnaks for reading...... Layno!!!