53-690: Elmina Castle was erected by the Portuguese in 1482 as Castelo de São Jorge da Mina ( St. George of the Mine Castle ), also known as Castelo da Mina or simply Mina (or Feitoria da Mina ), in present-day Elmina , Ghana , formerly the Gold Coast . It was the first trading post built on the Gulf of Guinea , and the oldest European building in existence south of the Sahara . First established as
106-606: A fleet under Francisco de Almeida to claim the new islands. Anxious to avoid war, the Catholic Monarchs arranged negotiations in the small Spanish town of Tordesillas . The result of this meeting would be the famous Treaty of Tordesillas , which sought to divide all newly discovered lands in the New World between Spain and Portugal. John sanctioned several anti-Jewish laws at the behest of parliamentary representatives, including restrictions on Jewish clothing and
159-430: A head but refused to let them stay longer than eight months. Of the some 20,000 families that entered Portugal, only 600 of the most affluent Castilian Jewish families succeeded in obtaining permanent residence permits. Jews unable to leave the country within the specified interval (often the result of poverty) were reduced to slavery and were not liberated until the reign of John’s successor, Manuel. Many children of
212-560: A result of meagre returns, the Guinea trade was put under the oversight of the Portuguese trader, Fernão Gomes . Upon reaching present-day Elmina, Gomes discovered a thriving gold trade already established among the natives and visiting Arab and Berber traders. He established his own trading post. It became known to the Portuguese as "A Mina" (the Mine) because of the gold that could be found there. Trade between Elmina and Portugal grew throughout
265-577: A season 6 episode of the FX series Snowfall were shot in Elmina Castle. The title of the episode, "Door of No Return", is a reference to the symbolic door that millions of Africans were pushed through when they entered a life of slavery through castles like this. Elmina Castle also featured prominently in the 2015 Danish film Guldkysten [ dk ] (Gold Coast). Factory (trading post) Too Many Requests If you report this error to
318-403: A southern route to India so as to circumvent Arab traders and establish direct trade with Asia. In line with the strong religious sentiments of the time, another focus of the Portuguese was Christian proselytism . They also sought to form an alliance with the legendary Prester John , who was believed to be the leader of a great Christian nation somewhere far from Europe. These motives prompted
371-646: A trade settlement, the castle later became one of the most important stops on the route of the Atlantic slave trade . The Dutch seized the fort from the Portuguese in 1637, after an unsuccessful attempt in 1596, and took over all of the Portuguese Gold Coast in 1642. The slave trade continued under the Dutch until 1814. In 1872, the Dutch Gold Coast , including the fort, became a possession of
424-739: Is a major tourist attraction in Ghana. The people living along the West African coast at Elmina around the fifteenth century were presumably Fante , with an uncertain relationship to the modern Akan who came from north of the forests. Among their ancestors were merchants and miners who traded gold to the Mediterranean and Near Eastern worlds from medieval times. The people on the West African coast were organized into numerous populations that were drawn according to kinship lines. Family
477-558: The Marquis of Vila Viçosa , opposed this conviction. Afonso sent an envoy to assess support for Joanna's cause and after receiving "favorable accounts respecting the partisans of the Infanta", he ordered war preparations to be made for the following spring. On 12 May 1475, Afonso and John entered Castile with an army of 5,600 cavalry and 14,000 foot soldiers. Afonso V proceeded to Palencia to meet Joanna while John returned home to govern
530-770: The Catholic Monarchs . John responded by having Fernando arrested, tried and convicted of twenty-two counts of treason, and publicly beheaded in June 1483. Afterwards, the assets of the House of Braganza were confiscated and the family fled to Castile. Braganza’s execution caused even more intrigue among the upper-nobility, who rallied behind Diogo, Duke of Viseu , John’s cousin and brother to his Queen Consort, Eleanor. In September 1484, John summoned Diogo to his private chambers, confronted him with evidence of treason, and stabbed him to death. Other ringleaders involved in
583-760: The Cortes in Evora and held a grand oath-taking ceremony in which magnates and other subjects were required to swear allegiance to him as their unequivocal superior. The ceremony was perceived as humiliating by members of the upper nobility who were accustomed to the feudal tradition of acknowledging the king as simply first among equals. At the Cortes, John further enraged nobles by declaring that property title deeds would undergo examination to ensure their validity, as opposed to being confirmed in mass. After representatives of commoners voiced grievances concerning abuses committed by
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#1732772812856636-601: The Monastery of Batalha in 1499. The nickname the Perfect Prince is a posthumous appellation that is intended to refer to Niccolò Machiavelli 's work The Prince . John II is considered to have lived his life exactly according to the writer's idea of a perfect prince. Nevertheless, he was admired as one of the greatest European monarchs of his time. Isabella I of Castile often referred to him as El Hombre (The Man). The Italian scholar Poliziano wrote
689-587: The Zamani Project documented Elmina Castle with terrestrial 3D laser scanning . The 3D model, a panorama tour, elevations, sections and plans of Elmina Castle are available on the project's website. The non-profit research group specialises in 3D digital documentation of tangible cultural heritage . The data generated by the Zamani Project creates a permanent record that can be used for research, education, restoration, and conservation. Scenes from
742-465: The African interior by the slave-catchers of coastal peoples, were sold to Portuguese, and later to Dutch traders in exchange for goods such as textiles and horses. In 1596, the Dutch made a first unsuccessful attempt at capturing the castle, succeeded by a successful one in 1637 , after which it was made the capital of the Dutch Gold Coast . During the period of Dutch control a new, smaller fortress
795-457: The African middlemen. The population of Elmina swelled with traders from other towns hoping to trade with the Portuguese, who gradually established a West African monopoly. From the outset, the Portuguese authorities determined that São Jorge da Mina would not engage directly in the slave trade, as they did not wish to disrupt the gold mining and trade routes of its hinterland with the wars necessary to capture free people and enslave them. Instead,
848-476: The Committee, who rejected it, correctly, on the grounds that Columbus's estimate for a voyage of 2,400 nmi was only a quarter of what it should have been. In 1488, Columbus again appealed to the court of Portugal, and John II again granted him an audience. That meeting also proved unsuccessful, in part because not long afterwards Bartolomeu Dias returned to Portugal with news of his successful rounding of
901-453: The Portuguese to develop the Guinea trade. They made gradual progress down the African coast, each voyage reaching a point further along than the last. This resulted in a series of trading posts along the route, where fresh water and food could be taken on board. After fifty years of coastal exploration, the Portuguese reached Elmina in 1471, during the reign of King Afonso V . Because Portuguese royalty had lost interest in African exploration as
954-736: The Portuguese traded captives with several states/tribes, notably those of the Slave Coast (Benin) and São Tomé . This way, São Jorge da Mina served as a transshipment entrepôt. By the seventeenth century, most trade in West Africa concentrated on the sale of captives. São Jorge da Mina played a significant part in the West African slave trade . The castle acted as a depot where enslaved Africans were brought in from different Kingdoms in West Africa. The Africans, often captured in
1007-539: The United Kingdom. The Gold Coast gained its independence as Ghana in 1957 from United Kingdom and now controls the castle. Elmina Castle is a historical site, and was a major filming location for Werner Herzog 's 1987 drama film Cobra Verde . The castle is recognized by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site , along with other castles and forts in Ghana , because of its testimony to the Atlantic slave trade. It
1060-517: The Wikimedia System Administrators, please include the details below. Request from 172.68.168.133 via cp1102 cp1102, Varnish XID 540927582 Upstream caches: cp1102 int Error: 429, Too Many Requests at Thu, 28 Nov 2024 05:46:52 GMT John II of Portugal John II ( Portuguese : João II ; [ʒuˈɐ̃w] ; 3 May 1455 – 25 October 1495), called the Perfect Prince (Portuguese: o Príncipe Perfeito ),
1113-500: The assistance of King Louis XI in his fight against Castile. In September 1477, disheartened that his efforts to secure support had proved fruitless, Afonso abdicated the throne and embarked on a pilgrimage to Jerusalem. He was eventually persuaded to return to Portugal, where he arrived in November 1477. John had been proclaimed king days prior to Afonso's arrival, but relinquished his new title and insisted that his father reassume
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#17327728128561166-542: The betraying nation's enemies. Hostility between groups increased, and the traditional organization of native societies suffered, especially after the Portuguese introduced them to fire-arms, which made the dominance of the stronger nations easier. Trade with the Europeans helped make certain goods, such as cloth and beads, more available to the coastal people. European involvement also disrupted traditional trade routes between coastal people and northern people by cutting out
1219-503: The command of Diogo de Azambuja , the fleet set sail on 12 December 1481 and arrived at Elmina, in a village called Of Two Parts a little over a month later, on 19 January 1482. Some historians note that Christopher Columbus was among those to make the voyage to the Gold Coast with this fleet. Upon arrival, Azambuja contracted a Portuguese trader, who had lived at Elmina for some time, to arrange and interpret an official meeting with
1272-500: The cortes for financial support, and strengthen the monarchy's power over the nobility. John established a new court called the Mesa or Tribunal do Desembargo do Paco to supervise petitions for pardon, privileges, freedoms, and legislation. He also instituted annual elections for the judges, clerks, and hospital stewards under federal jurisdiction. His attempts to centralize hospitals across Portugal were not implemented fully but paved
1325-665: The crown. From 1477 to 1481, John and Afonso V were "practically corulers." John, given control of overseas policy in 1474 and concerned with consolidating Portuguese control of Africa, played a major role in negotiating the Treaty of Alcáçovas (1479) with Spain that concluded the War of the Castilian Succession and ensured Portugal hegemony in the Atlantic south of the Canary Islands . The treaty also arranged for
1378-512: The decade following the establishment of the trading post under Gomes. In 1481, the recently crowned João II decided to build a fort on the coast in order to ensure the protection of this trade, which was once again held as a royal monopoly. King João sent all of the materials needed to build the fort on ten caravels and two transport ships. The supplies, which included everything from heavy foundation stones to roof tiles, were sent, in pre-fitted form, along with provisions for six hundred men. Under
1431-763: The eldest daughter of Ferdinand, Duke of Viseu , on 22 January 1471. John accompanied his father in the campaigns in northern Africa and was knighted after the victory in the Conquest of Arzila in August 1471. Following the death of Henry IV of Castile in December 1474 and the accession of his niece, Isabella, a faction of the nobility hostile to Isabella offered the Castilian crown to Afonso V, provided he wed Henry's daughter, Joanna. John urged his father to marry Joanna and invade Castile, but leading nobles, namely
1484-420: The emancipation of Christian converts owned by Jews. However, the king’s personal attitude towards Portuguese Jews has been described as pragmatic, as he valued their economic contributions and defended them against unjust harassment. After the Catholic Monarchs expelled Jews from Castile and Aragon in 1492, John authorized the admission of tens of thousands of Jews into Portugal at the price of eight cruzados
1537-456: The enslaved Castilian Jews were seized from their parents and deported to the African island of São Tomé in order to be raised there as Christians and serve as colonists. In July 1491, John's only legitimate child, Prince Afonso , died in a horse accident, confronting Portugal with a succession crisis. The king wanted his illegitimate son Jorge to succeed him but Queen Eleanor was intent on securing succession for her younger brother Manuel,
1590-566: The field, but overall the battle was indecisive. Despite its uncertain outcome, the Battle of Toro represented a great political victory for Isabella and Ferdinand and Afonso's prospects for obtaining the Castilian crown were severely damaged. John promptly returned to Portugal to disband the remnants of his army, arriving the first week of April. Months after the Battle of Toro, in August 1476, Afonso V travelled to France hoping to obtain
1643-491: The first Europeans to visit the Gold Coast as such, but not necessarily the first sailors to reach the port. The Portuguese first reached what became known as the Gold Coast in 1471. Prince Henry the Navigator first sent ships to explore the African coast in 1418. The Portuguese had several motives for voyaging south. They were attracted by rumours of fertile African lands that were rich in gold and ivory . They also sought
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1696-461: The kingdom. In March 1476, at Toro , Afonso V and John and some 8,000 men faced Castilian forces of similar size led by Isabella's husband, Ferdinand of Aragon , Cardinal Mendoza and the Duke of Alba . King Afonso V was beaten by the left and center of King Ferdinand's army and fled from the battlefield. John defeated the Castilian right wing, recovered the lost Portuguese Royal standard, and held
1749-489: The kingdom. On May 25, Joanna and Afonso were betrothed and proclaimed sovereigns of Castile. In the same month, John's wife, Eleanor, gave birth to the couple's only child to survive infancy, Afonso . In late 1475, Afonso, with only a fragment of his army remaining, wrote letters to John imploring him to provide reinforcements. John raised an army and left for Castile again in January 1476, appointing Eleanor regent of
1802-542: The known coast of Africa with the purpose of discovering the maritime route to India and breaking into the spice trade . During John II's reign, the following achievements were realised: In 1484, John appointed a Maritime Advisory Committee, the Junta dos Mathematicos , to supervise navigational efforts and provide explorers with charts and instruments. Around the same time, Christopher Columbus proposed his planned voyage to John. The king relegated Columbus's proposal to
1855-527: The legal heir presumptive. Following bitter disputes with Eleanor and a failed petition to Rome to have Jorge legitimized, John finally recognized Manuel as his heir in his will while on his deathbed in September 1495. John died of dropsy at Alvor on 25 October 1495 and was succeeded by Manuel I . He was initially interred at the Silves Cathedral , but his remains were transferred to
1908-553: The local chief, Kwamin Ansah, interpreted from the Portuguese, " Caramansa ". Azambuja told the chief of the great advantages in building a fort, including protection from the very powerful king of Portugal. During the meeting, Azambuja and Chief Kwamin Ansah both participated in a massive peace ritual that included a feast, musicians, and many participants, both Portuguese and native. Chief Kwamin Ansah, while accepting Azambuja, as he had any other Portuguese trader who arrived on his coast,
1961-492: The local people forged an attack that resulted in several Portuguese deaths. Finally, an understanding was reached. Continued opposition led the Portuguese to burn the local village in retaliation. Even in this tense atmosphere, the first story of the tower was completed after only twenty days. This was the result of having brought so much prefabricated building materials. The remainder of the fort and an accompanying church were completed soon afterwards, despite resistance. The fort
2014-419: The marriage of John's son, Afonso, to the eldest daughter of the Catholic Monarchs, Isabella . Following his father's death on 28 August 1481, John was proclaimed King of Portugal and crowned at Sintra on 31 August. After his official accession to the throne, John strived to diminish the power and influence of the nobility that had greatly accumulated during his father’s reign. In 1481, he assembled
2067-526: The nobility and clergy, he deprived nobles of their right to administer justice on their estates, instead authorizing crown officials or corregedors to inspect and dispense justice throughout the realm. Such aggressive assertions of royal supremacy roused resentment amongst the nobility. By 1482, Fernando, Duke of Braganza , the wealthiest nobleman in Portugal, and his followers had begun conspiring for John’s deposition, allegedly receiving support from
2120-442: The peninsula, the Portuguese had to demolish the homes of some of the villagers, who consented only after they had been compensated. The Portuguese tried to quarry a nearby rock that the people of Elmina, who were animists , believed to be the home of the god of the nearby River Benya. Prior to the demolition of the quarry and homes, Azambuja sent a Portuguese crew member, João Bernaldes with gifts to deliver to Chief Kwamin Ansah and
2173-557: The plot were persecuted. Ultimately, John succeeded in enriching the Crown by executing or exiling most of Portugal’s feudal lords and confiscating their estates. For the rest of his reign, he kept the creation of titles to a bare minimum. Under John's direction, commercial activity in Africa became a crown monopoly. The immense profits generated by African ventures enabled the king to fund exploration expeditions, reduce his reliance on
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2226-465: The southern edge of Mauritania. At the height of the gold trade in the early sixteenth century, 24,000 ounces of gold were exported annually from the Gold Coast, accounting for one-tenth of the world's supply. The new fort, signifying the permanent involvement of Europeans in West Africa, had a considerable effect on Africans living on the coast. At the urging of the Portuguese, Elmina declared itself an independent state, whose Governor then took control of
2279-577: The southern tip of Africa (near the Cape of Good Hope ). Columbus then sought an audience with the Catholic Monarchs and eventually secured their support. While returning home from his first voyage early in 1493, Columbus was driven by storm into the port of Lisbon. John II welcomed him warmly but asserted that under the Treaty of Alcáçovas previously signed with Spain, Columbus's discoveries lay within Portugal's sphere of influence. The king then prepared
2332-420: The town's affairs. The people of Elmina were offered Portuguese protection against attacks from neighbouring coastal tribes, with whom the Portuguese had much less genial relations, even though they were friendly with the powerful trading nations in the African interior. If any locals attempted to trade with a nation other than Portugal, the Portuguese reacted with aggressive force, often by forming alliances with
2385-413: The villagers. Azambuja sent brass basins, shawls, and other gifts in hopes of winning the goodwill of the villagers, so they would not be upset during the demolition of their homes and sacred rocks. However, João Bernaldes did not deliver the gifts until after construction began, by which time the villagers became upset upon witnessing the demolition without forewarning or compensation. In response to this,
2438-495: The way for the radical reforms introduced during the reign of Manuel I. John II famously restored the policies of Atlantic exploration, reviving and broadening the work of his great-uncle, Henry the Navigator . The Portuguese explorations were his main priority in government, patronising both local and foreign men, such as João Afonso de Aveiro and Martin Behaim , to further his goals. Portuguese explorers pushed south along
2491-527: Was King of Portugal from 1481 until his death in 1495, and also for a brief time in 1477. He is known for reestablishing the power of the Portuguese monarchy , reinvigorating the economy of Portugal, and renewing the Portuguese exploration of Africa and Asia. Born in Lisbon on 3 May 1455, John was the second son of Afonso V of Portugal and Isabella of Coimbra . At one month old, on 25 June 1455, he
2544-622: Was built on a nearby hill to protect St. George's Castle from inland attacks. This fort was called Fort Coenraadsburg . The Dutch continued the triangular Atlantic slave route until 1814, when they abolished the slave trade, pursuant to the Anglo-Dutch Slave Trade Treaty . In 1872, the British took over the Dutch territory and the fort pursuant to the Anglo-Dutch Sumatra treaties of 1871. The castle
2597-448: Was declared legitimate heir to the crown and received an oath of allegiance from the three estates . In 1468, Afonso V and Henry IV of Castile attempted to arrange a double marriage in which John would marry Henry's daughter, Joanna , and Afonso would marry Henry's niece and heir-presumptive, Isabella of Castile . However, Isabella refused to consent to the arrangement. Instead, John married Eleanor of Viseu , his first cousin and
2650-461: Was extensively restored by the Ghanaian government in the 1990s. Renovation of the castle continues. Today, Elmina's economy is sustained by tourism and fishing. Elmina Castle is preserved as a Ghanaian national museum. The monument was designated as a World Heritage Monument under UNESCO in 1979. It is a place of pilgrimage for many African Americans seeking to connect with their heritage. In 2006,
2703-507: Was extremely important in society, and family heads were united in communities under a recognized local authority. Along the Gold Coast alone, more than twenty independent kingdom-states existed. Elmina lay between two different Fante kingdoms, Fetu and Eguafo. West Africans nurtured ancient trade connections to other parts of the world. Common metals trade, iconic artistic forms, and agricultural borrowing show that trans-Saharan and regional coastal connections thrived. The Portuguese in 1471 were
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#17327728128562756-483: Was the first prefabricated building of European origin to have been planned and executed in Sub-Saharan Africa . Upon its completion, Elmina was established as a proper city. Azambuja was named governor, and King João added the title "Lord of Guinea" to his noble titles. São Jorge da Mina took on the military and economic importance that had previously been held by the Portuguese factory at Arguim Island, on
2809-425: Was wary of a permanent settlement. However, with firm plans already in place, the Portuguese would not be deterred. After offering gifts, making promises, and hinting at the consequences of noncompliance, the Portuguese received Kwamin Ansah's reluctant agreement. When construction began the next morning, the chief's reluctance was proved to be well-founded. In order to build the fort in the most defensible position on
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