Proximity Map
Most of Africa's slave castles are along a 300 mile stretch of the coast of Ghana. This area was first referred to as "the Gold Coast" and the castles were originally built as European traders as trading posts for the shipping of gold, before a more profitable, less labor-intensive commodity was discovered; slaves.

The slaves were not typically captured by Europeans, but were the prisoners of war of the frequent tribal conflicts. The tribal chiefs then sold their prisoners to the Europeans, who held them in the castles until a slave ship could arrive to ferry them to the new world.

Over 12 million people were displaced in this way. Only about 6 percent of these ended up in the USA. Most were sold to the sugar plantations in Brazil, Cuba and Jamacia.

Other sites are on Goree Island, just off the coast of Dakar, Senegal on the far west coast of Africa.

Another is Fort James which sits on a island in the Gambia River in tiny country of Gambia. Fort James is near the village of Jufureh, original home of Kunta Kinte, the character of Alex Haley's Roots.

Return to Slavery's Castles Home Page.