When the Portuguese first arrived in West Africa, like other European Adventurers in the New World they were interested in gold , ivory and other luxury products.   They and the Dutch, British, French and others who followed quickly came to realise that there was only one very profitable commodity in Africa - Slaves.   The islands of South and Central America and the North American mainland required large labour forces to exploit the silver mines and, more importantly, the tropical crops like sugar, coffee and cotton. From 1451 when the first cargo in this barbaric trade was shipped across the Atlantic until the early 1870's when the slave trade came to an end, almost 10 million Africans arrived in the Americas.   This was one of the largest migrations, albeit forced, of people in history.   The peak of the trade was the 50 years from 1760 to 1810 by which time most of the European Nations had abolished the slave trade.   During these years almost 4 million Africans were taken away from their homelands.

Many of the African slaves came from the inland regions - from Senegal right round the bulge of West Africa to the Angolan region of West-central Africa.   The African middlemen who sold the slaves to the European traders on the coast prospered from the trade as did powerful raiding states such as Asante and Dahomey

There is no doubt that the slave trade increased the level of violence among many African peoples.   This is especially true of the Niger Delta region.   In a number of instances the resulting breakdown of social order led to increased interference and subsequent colonisation, by the Europeans who were responsible for the violence in the first place.

The map below shows the central coastal region of Ghana between Accra and Sekondi and indicates the approximate positions of the Forts (Factories), dates of building and “ownership” although subsequent wars would mean that these would often change hands.

 Saint George Castle built in 1482

 A Storerooms Accomodation and Black Smiths Shop.

 B Artisans quarters & workshop.   C Carpenters Shop.

 D Governors Hall   E Storerooms and accomodation

 F Church.  G Hospital H Seaward (South) Entrance.

 I Port (North) Entrance.

The term Slave Factories came from the establishment, initially by the Portuguese and later by almost all the European Nations, of places where they could process the goods obtained from Africa before shipping them off to their home ports.   These were heavily fortified against attacks not only from the Africans themselves but from other European Nations with whom they were at war and Pirates who often found that these outposts were easy prey.   Consequently, these factories were given titles of Castles or Forts and became heavily armed against attack.   ELMINA which translates as THE MINE was one of the first such factories established on what became known as The Gold Coast and subsequently Ghana.   The illustration above right shows the layout of ELMINA.

ELMINA seen from the South looking North.