BTW...The trip to Komasi will be the 30th for two days. Komasi was the center or hub of the Sub Saharan and Slave trade routes. All points east/west/north/south passed through Komasi; therefore it was a very important city. I am so looking forward to this trip. Look for pictures after we return.
Also...We are trying to get thirty people to make a trip to Togo next month. Stay tuned for more on that if we are successful.
First I will post pictures of the Slave Trade exhibit of the two hundred and eleven pictures I took. If you would like to see them all post a comment with your email address or email me at: crosers@aol.com and I will send them to you individually. It will take too much time to put them all on the blog.
If you do not mind I will include a little history lesson also. Many of our followers are interested in this part of our adventure. Also it gives me a chance to refresh myself with what I am learning which will help me when exam time comes. Help a sista out, ok? :-)
The slave trade from the African perspective is very important to me and my historical education, because what I have learned so far is from the Western perspective and I believe it is important to look at it from this side of the Atlantic for comparison, to get a better understanding of it all, and to dispel some of the myths about slavery.
From Dr. Churchill and my Black Diaspora class I learned that 50% of the estimated 12 million Africans who were captured and taken away from their homeland came from west and central Africa.
From Dr. Perbi's Ghana History class I learned that sixty-four forts were built along Africa's west coast by the Portuguese, British, Dutch, and Danes. These forts were built for protection; however they also served as "castles" for the Europeans and dungeons for the captured Africans.
Ghana is in western Africa and the southern region of this country is on the coast.The majority of these forts were built in Ghana; therefore Ghana played a pivotal part in the slave trade. (We talked about our visit to Cape Coast Castle earlier.)
Of the estimated 12 million captured Africans only 10 million survived the Middle Passage, meaning approximately 2 million died of different causes: disease, killed on board, jumping overboard in desperation, or being deliberately pushed overboard. 6 million went to Brazil (Portuguese colonies), 3.2 million to British colonies ( to include Jamaica), 1.4 million to French colonies (to include Haiti), 1 million to Spanish colonies, (to include Cuba), 500,000 to Dutch colonies, 300,000 to US colonies and 100,000 to Danish colonies. (From Black Diaspora.)
Entrance to the Slave Trade exhibit
The slave trade route, or "triangle" as it was also called, was from Europe to Africa, to the Caribbean and the Americas, and back to Europe; thus the "triangle."
European products such as cloth, guns, gun powder, rum, mirrors and beads left Europe to Africa to trade for captured Africans who were transported to the Caribbean and the Americas. There they worked on the sugar cane, tobacco, and cotton plantations which produced sugar, rum, tobacco and cotton for cloth manufacturing which were then transported to Europe to complete the 'triangle.'
These products fueled the Industrial Revolution and made England the powerful nation it eventually became.
This is a map of the slave trade route.
A picture of how the captured Africans were "moved" across the interior of Africa to the coast.
There they were held in barracoons (slave sheds) or slave castle dungeons such as Cape Coast Castle, sometimes for months until they were transported to the Caribbean, or the Americas.
This is an ancient African version of a bullet proof vest.
It is called a warrior shirt. It protected against arrows and bullets.
(Who says history does not repeat itself?)
Versions of this is worn today. I am thinking of getting Sam one. :-)
This is a picture of my Ghana and Africa history lecturer, Professor Akosua Perbi.
She is an expert on Ghana slave history and has written a book "A History of Indigenous Slavery in Ghana." This book is sold here in Ghana for half the price on Amazon.com. If you would like a copy email me at: crosers@aol.com and I will bring it back with me.
She is an expert on Ghana slave history and has written a book "A History of Indigenous Slavery in Ghana." This book is sold here in Ghana for half the price on Amazon.com. If you would like a copy email me at: crosers@aol.com and I will bring it back with me.
This is a picture of a tree where captured Africans were chained to until enough were collected to make the trek to the coast profitable.
These are shackles for the captured Africans. Note the small ones for the children. :-(((
This is the slave river where the slaves were washed after their move across Africa before going to the slave markets.
These are the chains used on the Africans as they were moved to the coast to be sold and shipped to the Caribbean and the Americas.
A representation of how they were shackled and chained.
Cape Coast Castle:
After the "Door of No Return."
This is Eric, one of my fellow Ghana History students.
He is technically blind; but still getting his education through the university.
Kudos Eric!!!
Eric and his "angels." Look out Charlie. :-)
I will close here and continue with pictures from the rest of the museum exhibits later. I am getting sleepy. :-(((
One love
Cynthia and Sam
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