The Slave Trade

Africa » Ghana
July 18th 2006

Published: July 19th 2006

I’ve been trying to write this travel blog for over a week...actually longer. I wrote the first half and couldn’t finish. I came back to it days later, and still couldn’t get my thoughts together. I finally finished tonight. The thoughts started coming the minute I set foot in Pikworo Slave Camp. Unfortunately, the ability to express the thoughts and feelings has been a bit more difficu... Read Full Entry

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Angela Simmons

SojournInGhana

Because I'm so grateful for the opportunity to visit Ghana, I've decided to keep a travel journal to share with my friends. Those who know me really well understand my complete hesitation to and dislike of sharing my thoughts in written form. Imagine my horror should someone see a misspelled word or notice a sentence fragment. I’ve been hesitant to keep a personal journal for fear that someone will find it in the year 2097 and be completely appalled by my inability to string together a coherent thought. I imagine hoards of people discussing, not only the content, but the structure of my pri... full info

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Elmina Castle

The Slave Market, which was originally a church, and is now a museum.

Female Slave Yard

Original Entrance

This is the original entrance to the final rooms before you were sent thru the door of no return. This entrance is no longer used.

Inside

Inside one of the rooms before the door of no return

The Door of No Return

People who wanted to were able to walk up and look out of the door.

View on the Other Side

This was the view on the other side of the door. I imagine it was very different during slavery.

Jail

This is the doorway to the jail for prisoners who were not slaves.

Jail

This is the doorway to a holding room for slaves. Notice how different it is from the other room. The other doorway is open for ventilation. The room was the same. This one had no windows and air could not flow thru, the other had two windows for cross ventilation. Slaves were put in here until they died...one at a time, and the bodies were not removed until the last slave was dead.

Looking over the balcony

The governor would look over his balcony into the female slave yard and pick out female slaves to be sent to his room and raped. Notice that there is a cannonball in the yard. If female slaves were disobedient they were made to carry the cannonball.

Stairs

Female slaves were sent up these stairs directly to the governors quarters

Top of the Stairs

The Governor's Quarters

Elmina Castle

A hundred, sometimes hundreds of people were packed into this small space.

Slave Market

A view of the slave market from above. They are doing reconstructive work on the castle. Hopefully many more people will visit.

Hope for the future...

21st July 2006

Michelle Chronister
non-member comment

Amazing
I simply cannot imagine what it felt like to be there. I admire your courage in telling us your thoughts about this part of your trip.

4th August 2006

Linda
non-member comment

your description of the elmina castle is so good.
I enjoyed reading your story of the Elmina castle and the emotions you felt. I was there two years ago and as I was reading your blog, it seemed like it all came back to me. I think that is probably the most sobering thing I have ever seen. To think that humans did this to other humans is unbelievable. I hope that sometime if you get a chance you will make this into an article and submit it somewhere because is it so well written and something to be shared with people who haven't been there. God bless you and God bless Ghana

4th August 2006

SojournInGhana
Angela Simmons

Response to Linda
Hi Linda, Thanks so much for your kind words. I really appreciate you taking the time to add a comment. It's nice to know someone had a similar experience at Elmina. Be well...

9th January 2010

Wendy
non-member comment

Thanks for writing about your experience
Thank you for writing about this. I was reading online about Elmina, and the pictures weren't telling me much. I am Caucasian, and didn't feel like an outsider when reading your descriptions; I care about all humans, and know very well about the cruelty in the world. I'd love to see this as an article somewhere, so more people could read about this history.

25th February 2010

Nana Yaw
non-member comment

Sorry
God knows

12th November 2010

Cynthia Awuni
non-member comment

Request for pictures
Hello Angela, I really like your pictures and will like to request them for brochures we are developing. I wilth with SNV and supporting tourism sites within the North of Ghana. I will be garteful if you could send my these pictures via my yahoo mail. atipokcyndy@yahoo.co.uk. Thank you,

19th July 2011

Tom
non-member comment

Elmina
I visited both Elmina and Cape Coast Castles. They are both staggeringly horrible. I felt ill at ease at both sites. The minute I saw their gleaming white exteriors I was reminded of the Bible passage about the gleaming tombs filled with corruption. I have hope that we will learn from our past and not repeat our sins.

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The Slave Trade

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