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89-710: Ouidah (English: / ˈ w iː d ə / ; French: [wi.da] ) or Whydah ( / ˈ hw ɪ d ə , - ɔː / ; Ouidah , Juida , and Juda by the French; Ajudá by the Portuguese; and Fida by the Dutch), and known locally as Glexwe , formerly the chief port of the Kingdom of Whydah , is a city on the coast of the Republic of Benin . The commune covers an area of 364 km (141 sq mi) and as of 2002 had

178-471: A slave ship and asked if he was going to be eaten. Yet, the worst for slaves has only begun, and the journey on the water proved to be more harrowing. For every 100 Africans captured, only 64 would reach the coast, and only about 50 would reach the New World. Others believe that slavers had a vested interest in capturing rather than killing, and in keeping their captives alive; and that this coupled with

267-484: A slave ship turned pirate ship owned by pirate captain "Black Sam" Bellamy . Its wreck has been explored in Massachusetts . According to one European, who visited in 1692–1700, Whydah was a center of the ancient Africa slave trade, selling some thousand slaves a month, mainly taken captive from villages in the interior of Africa. For this reason, it has been considered a "principal market" for slaves. When

356-411: A "bycatch" who would have been killed if there had not been an export market for them. British explorer Mungo Park encountered a group of slaves when traveling through Mandinka country: They were all very inquisitive, but they viewed me at first with looks of horror, and repeatedly asked if my countrymen were cannibals. They were very desirous to know what became of the slaves after they had crossed

445-593: A ceremony known as the Annual Customs . As one of West Africa's principal slave states, Dahomey became extremely unpopular with neighbouring peoples. Like the Bambara Empire to the east, the Khasso kingdoms depended heavily on the slave trade for their economy. A family's status was indicated by the number of slaves it owned, leading to wars for the sole purpose of taking more captives. This trade led

534-584: A commercial centre, relying on local currency and outside suppliers. Historians can use these records, including wages and prices, to trace economic trends within Ouidah. Despite the European influence, William's Fort relied heavily on African labour. The population surrounding the fort, Sogbadji, mirrored the diverse ethnic mix of Ouidah. Enslaved Africans often came from distant regions, making escape attempts less likely, while temporary workers from places such as

623-469: A gift from Portugal, until, in 1727, the Kingdom of Whydah was captured by the forces of King Agaja of Dahomey . On 19 March 1727, The Boston News-Letter gave this report: WHYDAH IN AFRICA: the beginning of this month, Agaja the king of Dahomey came down unexpectedly with an army, and soon became master of this place, and the country adjacent Allada ; the desolation which ensued was so great, that it

712-835: A hundred yards off on one side, and another of the women on the other side, looking on; they said an Arab who passed early that morning had done it in anger at losing the price he had given for her, because she was unable to walk any longer. 27th June 1866 – To-day we came upon a man dead from starvation, as he was very thin. One of our men wandered and found many slaves with slave-sticks on, abandoned by their masters from want of food; they were too weak to be able to speak or say where they had come from; some were quite young. The strangest disease I have seen in this country seems really to be broken-heartedness, and it attacks free men who have been captured and made slaves... Twenty one were unchained, as now safe; however all ran away at once; but eight with many others still in chains, died in three days after

801-544: A modest English trading post in the late 17th century, named after King William III and initially fortified during his reign (1689–1702). The English presence in Ouidah predates the fort, with the Royal African Company suffering initial setbacks before securing a permanent factory in 1684, with guns often only used for salutes. Built of mud and straw, early fortifications were simple, with cannons probably used for signal purposes rather than combat. Tensions with

890-501: A population of 76,555 people. In local tradition Kpassa is supposed to have founded the town. This probably happened towards the end of the sixteenth century. The town was originally known as Glēxwé , literally 'Farmhouse', and was part of the Kingdom of Whydah. Ouidah saw its role in international trade rise when the Royal African Company (RAC) constructed a fort there in 1650. Whydah troops pushed their way into

979-401: A shrine dedicated to the 'king's fetish Mawoo', the god of creation, existing within the fort itself. This wasn't a recent development, as 18th century records mention a shrine within the fort dedicated to a local goddess. The presence of this shrine, believed to be responsible for the fort's invincibility, further underlines the assimilation that took place. This assimilation is also evident in

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1068-415: A trail of slaves: 19th June 1866 – We passed a woman tied by the neck to a tree and dead, the people of the country explained that she had been unable to keep up with the other slaves in a gang, and her master had determined that she should not become anyone's property if she recovered. 26th June. – ...We passed a slave woman shot or stabbed through the body and lying on the path: a group of men stood about

1157-548: Is also a current phenomenon. A Nigerien study has found that more than 800,000 people are enslaved, almost 8% of the population. Niger installed an anti-slavery provision in 2003. In a landmark ruling in 2008, the ECOWAS Community Court of Justice declared that the Republic of Niger failed to protect Hadijatou Mani Koraou from slavery, and awarded Mani CFA 10,000,000 (approximately US$ 20,000 ) in reparations. Sexual slavery and forced labor are common in

1246-543: Is generally that these armies were of "overwhelming size". Battles were normally won by strength of numbers alone, with the weaker side fleeing. The Whydah army in the 18th century was commanded by the governors of the 26 districts. The governors were expected to arm their men with weapons. Assou ; Provincial governor and caboceer of the French fort at Whydah, could bring on to field 5–600 men as well as 4 French cannons . Another governor commanded 2,000 men while others could field 100, 200 or more men. Specialists existed in

1335-474: Is impossible to be represented! The factory at Saber, once the king's town and Seat of Trade, was burnt to the ground, and in it a great quantity of merchandise. Forty Europeans were carried into captivity, to the King of Dahomey's camp at Ardrah, but after having been detained about 14 days, seven of them were released and are now returning hither; they gave a melancholy account of their treatment. This country, which

1424-511: Is reflected in the king's expectation of their attendance at feasts and the way they were treated on death, which mirrored Dahomian officials. The European forts in Ouidah, especially William's Fort with its extensive records, offer a unique perspective on the social and economic life of the city. These records document interactions with the local community, particularly those employed by the fort (both enslaved and free Africans) and those providing various services. William's Fort itself functioned as

1513-867: The Akkadian Empire , Assyria , Babylonia , Persia , ancient Israel , ancient Greece , ancient India , the Roman Empire , the Arab Islamic Caliphates and Sultanates , Nubia , the pre-colonial empires of Sub-Saharan Africa, and the pre-Columbian civilizations of the Americas. Ancient slavery consists of a mixture of debt-slavery , punishment for crime, prisoners of war , child abandonment , and children born to slaves. Writing in 1984, French historian Fernand Braudel noted that slavery had been endemic in Africa and part of

1602-853: The Dey of Algiers to free many slaves. The trading of children has been reported in modern Nigeria and Benin . In parts of Ghana , a family may be punished for an offense by having to turn over a virgin female to serve as a sex slave within the offended family. In this instance, the woman does not gain the title or status of "wife". In parts of Ghana, Togo , and Benin , shrine slavery persists, despite being illegal in Ghana since 1998. In this system of ritual servitude , sometimes called trokosi (in Ghana) or voodoosi in Togo and Benin, young virgin girls are given as slaves to traditional shrines and are used sexually by

1691-580: The Early Middle Ages but continued to be practiced in some areas. Both Christians and Muslims captured and enslaved each other during centuries of warfare in the Mediterranean and Europe. Islamic slavery encompassed mainly Western and Central Asia, Northern and Eastern Africa, India , and Europe from the 7th to the 20th century. Islamic law approved of enslavement of non-Muslims, and slaves were trafficked from non-Muslim lands: from

1780-621: The Kanem was about one third enslaved. It was perhaps 40% in Bornu (1396–1893). Between 1750 and 1900 from one- to two-thirds of the entire population of the Fulani jihad states consisted of slaves. The population of the Sokoto caliphate formed by Hausas in northern Nigeria and Cameroon was half-slave in the 19th century. It is estimated that up to 90% of the population of Arab - Swahili Zanzibar

1869-833: The Sahara , through the Red Sea, from the Indian Ocean ports and across the Atlantic. At least ten centuries of slavery for the benefit of the Muslim countries (from the ninth to the nineteenth)." He continues: "Four million slaves exported via the Red Sea , another four million through the Swahili ports of the Indian Ocean , perhaps as many as nine million along the trans-Saharan caravan route, and eleven to twenty million (depending on

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1958-807: The United States , France , Spain , Portugal , Holland , West Africa and Arabia . The King of Bonny (now in Nigeria ) allegedly became dissatisfied of the British intervention in stopping the trade of slaves: "We think this trade must go on. That is the verdict of our oracle and the priests. They say that your country, however great, can never stop a trade ordained by God himself." Joseph Miller states that African buyers would prefer males, but in reality, women and children would be more easily captured as men fled. Those captured would be sold for various reasons such as food, debts, or servitude. Once captured,

2047-492: The present day . Likewise, its victims have come from many different ethnicities and religious groups. The social, economic , and legal positions of slaves have differed vastly in different systems of slavery in different times and places. Slavery has been found in some hunter-gatherer populations, particularly as hereditary slavery, but the conditions of agriculture with increasing social and economic complexity offer greater opportunity for mass chattel slavery . Slavery

2136-673: The private sector ; 15.4 million live in forced marriages. Forms of slavery include domestic labour, forced labour in manufacturing, fishing, mining and construction, and sexual slavery . Evidence of slavery predates written records; the practice has existed in many cultures and can be traced back 11,000 years ago due to the conditions created by the invention of agriculture during the Neolithic Revolution . Economic surpluses and high population densities were conditions that made mass slavery viable. Slavery occurred in civilizations including ancient Egypt , ancient China ,

2225-751: The 17th century. In Sierra Leone in the 19th century about half of the population consisted of slaves. In the 19th century at least half the population was enslaved among the Duala of the Cameroon , the Igbo and other peoples of the lower Niger , the Kongo , and the Kasanje kingdom and Chokwe of Angola . Among the Ashanti and Yoruba a third of the population consisted of slaves as well as Bono . The population of

2314-526: The 1840s, King Gezo of Dahomey said: "The slave trade is the ruling principle of my people. It is the source and the glory of their wealth...the mother lulls the child to sleep with notes of triumph over an enemy reduced to slavery." In 1807 the United Kingdom made the international trade of slaves illegal with the Slave Trade Act . The Royal Navy was deployed to prevent slavers from

2403-691: The 18th and 19th centuries that gave way to French colonization of the region in 1872. In 1727, Whydah was conquered by King Agaja of the Kingdom of Dahomey . This incorporation of Whydah into Dahomey transformed the latter into a significant regional power. However, constant warfare with the Oyo Empire from 1728 to 1740 resulted in Dahomey becoming a tributary state of the Oyo. History of slavery The history of slavery spans many cultures , nationalities , and religions from ancient times to

2492-540: The African interior, capturing millions of people through wars, and selling them to European and Arab slave traders . By 1716, the Kingdom of Whydah had become the second largest slave port in the triangular trade , as noted by the crew of the slave ship Whydah Gally when it arrived to purchase 500 slaves from King Haffon to sell in Jamaica . The Kingdom was ruled by King Haffon, who received his coronation crown as

2581-532: The Americas . The merchants were sources of desired goods including guns, gunpowder, copper manillas , and cloth, and this demand for imported goods drove local wars and other means to the enslavement of Africans in ever greater numbers. In India and throughout the New World, people were forced into slavery to create the local workforce. The transatlantic slave trade was eventually curtailed after European and American governments passed legislation abolishing their nations' involvement in it. Practical efforts to enforce

2670-529: The Americas. The Dutch imported slaves from Asia into their colony at the Cape of Good Hope (now Cape Town ) in the 17th century. In 1807 Britain (which already held a small coastal territory, intended for the resettlement of former slaves, in Freetown , Sierra Leone ) made the slave trade within its empire illegal with the Slave Trade Act 1807 , and worked to extend the prohibition to other territory, as did

2759-516: The British Royal African Company gave a crown as a gift for the newly appointed King. Such practices illustrate the high level of dependence European traders had on native African powers in the beginning of the 18th century, and also the close relationship that emerged between the two entities. This association is further reiterated by the fact that Dutch, British, French, and Portuguese trading company compounds all bordered

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2848-734: The Democratic Republic of Congo. Many pygmies in the Republic of Congo and Democratic Republic of Congo belong from birth to Bantus in a system of slavery. Evidence emerged in the late 1990s of systematic slavery in cacao plantations in West Africa; see the chocolate and slavery article. According to the U.S. State Department , more than 109,000 children were working on cocoa farms alone in Ivory Coast in "the worst forms of child labour " in 2002. On

2937-624: The English Wesleyan Methodist Missionary Society took up residence for a time and even built a chapel. The fort then returned to the commercial sphere, with various trading companies controlling it. Interestingly, it was even under French control during the First World War. The local area around the fort still reflects its British past with names like "The English Fort" and a shop named after the last British resident. Unlike their counterparts on

3026-456: The French factory culminated in an exchange of fire in 1692, prompting the English to build proper fortifications. Historical documents later describe the fort as an important slave trading facility. Despite being deserted by the British in 1812, the fort had a surprisingly large populace. The British attempted to reoccupy it with a vice-consulate, but encountered difficulties. Missionaries from

3115-572: The Gold Coast sometimes settled permanently. This diverse population is still evident in Sogbadji families today. Some trace their roots back to the 19th century, while others claim to be the original inhabitants Integration went beyond ethnicity. The Lemon family, as an example, descended from a fort soldier who married locally, were even appointed royal guards by the Dahomian kings. Similarly,

3204-533: The Gold Coast, the European forts in Ouidah, including William's Fort, lacked real authority. They couldn't compete militarily with local rulers and deferred to them, first in Hueda and then in Dahomey. This was very unlike the Gold Coast forts, such as Cape Coast Castle, which eventually evolved into full colonies. At William's Fort, abandoned by the British in 1812, French reconstruction relied on private enterprise rather than government intervention). The key difference

3293-568: The Khasso into increasing contact with the European settlements of Africa's west coast, particularly the French . Benin grew increasingly rich during the 16th and 17th centuries on the trade of slaves with Europe; slaves from enemy states of the interior were sold, and carried to the Americas in Dutch and Portuguese ships. The Bight of Benin 's shore soon came to be known as the "Slave Coast". In

3382-541: The Midjrokan family descended from the fort's 18th-century linguist, whose descendants inherited the role. Even families such as the Kocus, who are canoeists, trace their lineage back to an 18th-century Gold Coast boatswain. Religious practices at William's Fort also reflected this integration. Unlike other European forts with on-site chaplains, William's Fort appears to have adopted local customs. Historical accounts mention

3471-1170: The North via the Balkan slave trade and the Crimean slave trade ; from the East via the Bukhara slave trade ; from the West via Andalusian slave trade ; and from the South via the Trans-Saharan slave trade , the Red Sea slave trade and the Indian Ocean slave trade . Beginning in the 16th century , European merchants , starting mainly with merchants from Portugal , initiated the transatlantic slave trade . Few traders ventured far inland, attempting to avoid tropical diseases and violence. They mostly purchased imprisoned Africans (and exported commodities including gold and ivory ) from West African kingdoms, transporting them to Europe's colonies in

3560-1032: The Philippines during the Iberian Union (1580–1640). The Middle Passage , the crossing of the Atlantic to the Americas , endured by slaves laid out in rows in the holds of ships, was only one element of the well-known triangular trade engaged in by Portuguese, American, Dutch, Danish-Norwegians, French, British and others. Ships having landed with slaves in Caribbean ports would take on sugar, indigo, raw cotton, and later coffee, and make for Liverpool , Nantes , Lisbon or Amsterdam . Ships leaving European ports for West Africa would carry printed cotton textiles, some originally from India, copper utensils and bangles, pewter plates and pots, iron bars more valued than gold, hats, trinkets, gunpowder and firearms and alcohol. Tropical shipworms were eliminated in

3649-693: The Slave Coast and the Gold Coast). The Fort of São João Baptista de Ajudá (in English Fort of St John the Baptist of Ouidah ) is a small fortress built by the Portuguese in Ouidah on the coast of Dahomey (originally Ajudá , from Hweda , on the Atlantic coast of modern Benin ), reached by the Portuguese in 1580, after which it grew around the slave trade , for which the Slave Coast

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3738-498: The Slave Coast and the Gold Coast. In contrast to the grand forts of the Gold Coast, William's Fort at Ouidah (ex-Slave Coast) stood as a testimonial to the slave trade. Today, Ouidah is economically peripheral, and 'cultural tourism' based on the slave trade is less successful. Unlike true ports, Ouidah was inland. Slaves and goods were transported along the "slave route" to the beach for embarkation. Ships couldn't approach due to sandbars and used canoes for communication (common on both

3827-528: The United States in 1808. In Senegambia , between 1300 and 1900, close to one-third of the population was enslaved. In early Islamic states of the Western Sudan , including Ghana (750–1076), Mali (1235–1645), Segou (1712–1861), and Songhai (1275–1591), about a third of the population was enslaved. The earliest Akan state of Bonoman which had third of its population being enslaved in

3916-886: The abolition of slavery included the British Preventative Squadron and the American African Slave Trade Patrol , the abolition of slavery in the Americas, and the widespread imposition of European political control in Africa. In modern times, human trafficking remains an international problem. Slavery in the 21st century continues and generates an estimated $ 150 billion in annual profits. Populations in regions with armed conflict are especially vulnerable, and modern transportation has made human trafficking easier. In 2019, there were an estimated 40.3 million people worldwide subject to some form of slavery, and 25% were children. 24.9 million are used for forced labor , mostly in

4005-560: The army such as the Captain of the King's Musketeers . The Whydah army was divided into the left and right wings as well as the center which were further divided into platoons . In war, the first to go into action were the Musketeers who fought in the front ranks of the army. The archers followed suit and the army charged in after. The action culminated into hand to hand combat with swords, axes, and knives. Musketeers were employed around

4094-582: The arrival of the Portuguese . Because it had been established within his kingdom, Afonso I of Kongo believed that the slave trade should be subject to Kongo law. When he suspected the Portuguese of receiving illegally slaves to sell, he wrote letters to the King João III of Portugal in 1526 imploring him to put a stop to the practice. The kings of Dahomey sold their war captives into transatlantic slavery, who otherwise may have been killed in

4183-574: The author) across the Atlantic Ocean" Zanzibar was once East Africa's main slave-trading port, during the Indian Ocean slave trade and under Omani Arabs in the 19th century, with as many as 50,000 slaves passing through the city each year. Prior to the 16th century, the bulk of slaves exported from Africa were shipped from East Africa to the Arabian peninsula . Zanzibar became a leading port in this trade. Arab traders of slaves differed from European ones in that they would often conduct raiding expeditions themselves, sometimes penetrating deep into

4272-457: The beach, has numerous statues and monuments , including the Door of No Return , a memorial arch . The Market Center of Ouidah, which was established by Scouts more than 20 years ago, trains young people in agricultural skills, thus helping to reverse the exodus towards the cities. Ouidah is often considered the spiritual capital of the Vodun religion , and hosts an annual international Vodun conference. Other landmarks include: This site

4361-411: The best clothing, meaning they were even more exposed to diseases. On top of the fear of disease, people were afraid of why they were being captured. The popular assumption was that Europeans were cannibals . Stories and rumours spread that whites captured Africans to eat them. Olaudah Equiano accounts his experience about the sorrow slaves encountered at the ports. He talks about his first moment on

4450-573: The cold Atlantic waters, and at each unloading, a profit was made. The Atlantic slave trade peaked in the late 18th century when the largest number of people were captured and enslaved on raiding expeditions into the interior of West Africa. These expeditions were typically carried out by African states, such as the Bono State , Oyo empire ( Yoruba ), Kong Empire , Kingdom of Benin , Imamate of Futa Jallon , Imamate of Futa Toro , Kingdom of Koya , Kingdom of Khasso , Kingdom of Kaabu , Fante Confederacy , Ashanti Confederacy , Aro Confederacy and

4539-483: The continent. They also differed in that their market greatly preferred the purchase of enslaved females over male. The increased presence of European rivals along the East coast led Arab traders to concentrate on the overland slave caravan routes across the Sahara from the Sahel to North Africa. The German explorer Gustav Nachtigal reported seeing slave caravans departing from Kukawa in Bornu bound for Tripoli and Egypt in 1870. The trade of slaves represented

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4628-429: The crew. Death was so common that ships were called tumbeiros, or floating tombs. What shocked Africans the most was how death was handled in the ships. Smallwood says the traditions for an African death were delicate and community-based. On ships, bodies would be thrown into the sea. Because the sea represented bad omens, bodies in the sea represented a form of purgatory and the ship a form of hell. Any Africans who made

4717-662: The crossing. They described their only pain in the heart, and placed the hand correctly on the spot, though many think the organ stands high up in the breast-bone. African states played a key role in the trade of slaves, and slavery was a common practice among Sub Saharan Africans even before the involvement of the Arabs , Berbers and Europeans . There were three types: those who were enslaved through conquest, instead of unpaid debts, or those whose parents gave them as property to tribal chiefs. Chieftains would barter their slaves to Arab, Berber, Ottoman or European buyers for rum, spices, cloth or other goods. Selling captives or prisoners

4806-410: The disproportionate removal of males and the introduction of new crops from the Americas ( cassava , maize) would have limited general population decline to particular regions of western Africa around 1760–1810, and in Mozambique and neighbouring areas half a century later. There has also been speculation that within Africa, females were most often captured as brides , with their male protectors being

4895-435: The fact that several European powers (French, Portuguese, English) competed for influence, weakening their overall authority. The British presence peaked at the height of the slave trade (1680s-1710s) before shifting focus. The 1830s saw a switch to palm oil, dominated by French companies. This coincided with Ouidah's decline compared to Cotonou's better port access that French colonial rule consolidated. William's Fort began as

4984-427: The great chief (called ‘king’ by Europeans) could not supply the traders with sufficient slaves, he would supplement them with his own wives. Robbery was common. Every person in Whydah paid a toll to the king, but corruption amongst slave traders was endemic. Despite this, the king was wealthy, and clothed in gold and silver—which were otherwise little known in Whydah. He commanded great respect, and, unusually,

5073-418: The harbor and anchored ships could not come to the aid of the forts in times of need. In this sense, while the forts showcased some degree of European influence, the reality was that the Europeans relied heavily on the king for protection and local natives for sustenance and firewood. This relationship would take a drastic turn with the decline of royal authority and increase of internal power struggles throughout

5162-425: The incident. According to police, approximately 276 children were taken in the attack, of whom 53 had escaped as of 2 May. Other reports said that 329 girls were kidnapped, 53 had escaped and 276 were still missing. The students have been forced to convert to Islam and into marriage with members of Boko Haram, with a reputed " bride price " of ₦ 2,000 each ( $ 12.50/ £ 7.50). Many of the students were taken to

5251-453: The islands. On one occasion in 1774, Dahomey countered Whydah's fortification tactic through the construction of a causeway to access the island. With King Haffon's rise to power in 1708, European trade companies had established a significant presence in Whydah and were in constant competition to win the King’s favor. The French East India Company presented Haffon with two ships worth of cargo and an extravagant Louis XIV-style throne, while

5340-521: The journey to the coast killed many and weakened others. Disease engulfed many, and insufficient food damaged those who made it to the coasts. Scurvy was common, and was often referred to as mal de Luanda ("Luanda sickness," after the port in Angola). The assumption for those who died on the journey died from malnutrition . As food was limited, water may have been just as bad. Dysentery was widespread and poor sanitary conditions at ports did not help. Since supplies were poor, slaves were not equipped with

5429-426: The journey would have survived extreme disease and malnutrition, as well as trauma from being on the open ocean and the death of their friends. In Algiers during the time of the Regency of Algiers in North Africa in the 19th century, up to 1.5 million Christians and Europeans were captured and forced into slavery. This eventually led to the Bombardment of Algiers in 1816 by the British and Dutch , forcing

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5518-484: The kingdom of Dahomey . Europeans rarely entered the interior of Africa, due to fear of disease and moreover fierce African resistance. The slaves were brought to coastal outposts where they were traded for goods. The people captured on these expeditions were shipped by European traders to the colonies of the New World . It is estimated that over the centuries, twelve to twenty million slaves were shipped from Africa by European traders, of whom some 15 percent died during

5607-460: The late 17th century but they did not replace the spearmen, swordsmen and archers. Whydah's naval abilities enabled the state to form a refugee dynasty on fortified islands off the coast following the Dahomeyan invasion of the Whydah mainland around 1727. In that year, Whydah fortified two islands off the coast with mounted artillery on vulnerable crossing places. The Whydah refugees could also deploy boats to harass Dahomey and retreat back to

5696-403: The major source of revenue for the state of Bornu as late as 1898. The eastern regions of the Central African Republic have never recovered demographically from the impact of 19th-century raids from the Sudan and still have a population density of less than 1 person/km . During the 1870s, European initiatives against the trade of slaves caused an economic crisis in northern Sudan, precipitating

5785-482: The neighbouring countries of Chad and Cameroon , with sightings reported of the students crossing borders with the militants, and sightings of the students by villagers living in the Sambisa Forest , which is considered a refuge for Boko Haram. On 5 May 2014 a video in which Boko Haram leader Abubakar Shekau claimed responsibility for the kidnappings emerged. Shekau claimed that "Allah instructed me to sell them...I will carry out his instructions" and " [s]lavery

5874-435: The night of 14–15 April 2014, a group of militants attacked the Government Girls Secondary School in Chibok , Nigeria. They broke into the school, pretending to be guards, telling the girls to get out and come with them. A large number of students were taken away in trucks, possibly into the Konduga area of the Sambisa Forest where Boko Haram were known to have fortified camps. Houses in Chibok were also burned down in

5963-415: The period from the late 19th century and early 20th century, demand for the labour-intensive harvesting of rubber drove frontier expansion and forced labour . The personal monarchy of Belgian King Leopold II in the Congo Free State saw mass killings and slavery to extract rubber. Surviving the voyage was the main struggle. Close quarters meant everyone was infected by any diseases that spread, including

6052-432: The priests in addition to providing free labor for the shrine. An article in the Middle East Quarterly in 1999 reported that slavery is endemic in Sudan . Estimates of abductions during the Second Sudanese Civil War range from 14,000 to 200,000 people. During the Second Sudanese Civil War people were taken into slavery; estimates of abductions range from 14,000 to 200,000. Abduction of Dinka women and children

6141-501: The protests of the resident British official. These examples demonstrate the deep social and religious integration that existed within the William's Fort community. The population evolution of Ouidah is as follows: Attractions in Ouidah include a restored mansion of Brazilian slavers (the Maison du Brésil), a Vodun python temple, an early twentieth century basilica and the Sacred Forest of Kpasse , dotted with bronze statues. The Route des Esclaves , by which slaves were taken to

6230-448: The rise of Mahdist forces. Mahdi 's victory created an Islamic state , one that quickly reinstituted slavery. European involvement in the East African trade of enslaved people began when Portugal established Estado da Índia in the early 16th century. From then until the 1830s, c.  200 enslaved people were exported from Portuguese Mozambique annually and similar figures has been estimated for enslaved people brought from Asia to

6319-485: The salt water. I told them that they were employed in cultivation the land; but they would not believe me ... A deeply-rooted idea that the whites purchase negroes for the purpose of devouring them, or of selling them to others that they may be devoured hereafter, naturally makes the slaves contemplate a journey towards the coast with great terror, insomuch that the slatees are forced to keep them constantly in irons, and watch them very closely, to prevent their escape. During

6408-504: The structure of everyday life throughout the 15th to the 18th century. "Slavery came in different guises in different societies: there were court slaves, slaves incorporated into princely armies, domestic and household slaves, slaves working on the land, in industry, as couriers and intermediaries, even as traders". During the 16th century, Europe began to outpace the Arab world in the export traffic, with its trafficking of slaves from Africa to

6497-480: The subjects of devotion: some lofty trees, the sea, and a type of snake. This snake was the subject of many stories and incidents; it may have been worshipped because it ate the rats that would otherwise ruin the harvest. Priests and priestesses were held in high regard, and immune from capital punishment. According to early sources, the king could field 200,000 men. In comparison, other estimates range upward from twenty thousand, although contemporary interpretation

6586-477: The surrounding areas in northern Nigeria at the turn of the 20th century, approximately 2 million to 2.5 million people living there were enslaved. Slavery in northern Nigeria was finally outlawed in 1936. Writing in 1998 about the extent of trade coming through and from Africa, the Congolese journalist Elikia M'bokolo wrote "The African continent was bled of its human resources via all possible routes. Across

6675-623: The terrible voyage, many during the arduous journey through the Middle Passage . The great majority were shipped to the Americas, but some also went to Europe and Southern Africa. While talking about the trade of slaves in East Africa in his journals, David Livingstone said To overdraw its evil is a simple impossibility. While travelling in the African Great Lakes Region in 1866, Livingstone described

6764-538: The town in 1894, by which time the town had declined due to the outlawing of the slave trade. In the time frame of 1946–1949 French government estimates put the population of Ouidah at about 14,600. By then it had a railway. It was a centre for production and trade in palm kernels, palm oil , copra , coffee, manioc, beans, tomatoes and onions. It was also a centre of the fish trade and the manufacture of vegetable oil. It had Catholic, Protestant and Muslim places of worship. European involvement in West Africa differed between

6853-805: The town of Glewe . Owned by the Portuguese Crown, the French Company of the Indies, and the British Royal African Company, the forts were mainly used to store slaves and trading merchandise. Made up of mud walls, the forts provided tolerable protection for the Europeans but were not strong enough to withstand a legitimate attack from the natives. Furthermore, because the forts were located more than three miles inland, cannons could not effectively protect European ships in

6942-454: The walls of Haffon’s royal palace in the city of Savi . These compounds served as important centers of diplomatic and commercial exchange between European companies and the Kingdom of Whydah. While company compounds facilitated the interaction between European traders and native Africans, the true center of European operations in Whydah were the various forts that existed along the coast near

7031-459: The way the Dahomians treated the tombs of the deceased English governors buried inside the fort. The king of Hueda sent a "fetishman" to make offerings at the grave of one such governor, believing that his spirit was calling his successor to the afterlife. Centuries later, the Dahomian king sent priests to perform rites in the forts, including ceremonies over the graves in the English fort, despite

7120-654: Was institutionalized by the time the first civilizations emerged (such as Sumer in Mesopotamia , which dates back as far as 3500 BC). Slavery features in the Mesopotamian Code of Hammurabi (c. 1750 BC), which refers to it as an established institution. Slavery was widespread in the ancient world in Europe, Asia, the Middle East, and Africa. Slavery became less common throughout Europe during

7209-718: Was a common practice among Africans, Turks, Berbers and Arabs during that era. However, as the Atlantic trade of slaves increased its demand, local systems which primarily serviced indentured servitude expanded. European trading of slaves, as a result, was the most pivotal change in the social, economic, cultural, spiritual, religious, political dynamics of the concept of trading in slaves. It ultimately undermined local economies and political stability as villages' vital labour forces were shipped overseas as slave raids and civil wars became commonplace. Crimes which were previously punishable by some other means became punishable by enslavement. Slavery already existed in Kingdom of Kongo prior to

7298-598: Was added to the UNESCO World Heritage Tentative List on 31 October 1996 in the Cultural category. 6°22′N 2°05′E  /  6.367°N 2.083°E  / 6.367; 2.083 Kingdom of Whydah The Kingdom of Whydah was centered in Savi . It also had connection to the city of Ouidah . The last ruler of Whydah was King Haffon, who was deposed in 1727, when Whydah

7387-407: Was already renowned. In 1680 the Portuguese governor of São Tomé and Príncipe was authorized to erect a fort but nothing was done and it was only in 1721 that construction of the fort, which was named Fort of São João Baptista de Ajudá , started. The fort, built on land given to Portugal by King Haffon of Whydah, remained under Portuguese control from 1721 until 1961. Ouidah's importance arose from

7476-595: Was common. In Mauritania it is estimated that up to 600,000 men, women and children, or 20% of the population, are currently enslaved, many of them used as bonded labor . Slavery in Mauritania was criminalized in August 2007. During the Darfur conflict that began in 2003, many people were kidnapped by Janjaweed and sold into slavery as agricultural labor, domestic servants and sex slaves. In Niger , slavery

7565-604: Was conquered (and annexed) by the Kingdom of Dahomey . The name Whydah is an anglicised form of Xwéda (pronounced Xʷi -dah), from the Xweda Gbe language and people of Benin . Today, the Beninese city of Ouidah bears the kingdom's name. To the west of it is the former Popo Kingdom , where most of the European slave traders lived and worked. The area gives its name to the native whydah bird , and to Whydah Gally ,

7654-546: Was enslaved. Roughly half the population of Madagascar was enslaved. Slavery in Ethiopia persisted until 1942. The Anti-Slavery Society estimated that there were 2,000,000 slaves in the early 1930s, out of an estimated population of between 8 and 16 million. It was finally abolished by order of emperor Haile Selassie on 26 August 1942. When British rule was first imposed on the Sokoto Caliphate and

7743-512: Was never seen to eat. The color red was reserved for the royal family. The king was considered immortal , although successive kings were recognized as dying of natural causes. Interregna , even of only a few days, were often occasions of plundering and anarchy by the populace. The traditional African society isolated women, "protecting" them from the larger society (or other men). Fathers were recorded with more than two hundred children by their numerous wives. Three elements of common life were

7832-412: Was one of legal authority. European forts, even large ones, weren't sovereign entities in West Africa. They remained under African control, essentially acting as 'tenants' with limited powers, paying rent to local rulers. The European presence in Ouidah, particularly at William's Fort, was particularly weak. The Dahomians saw the European governors as part of their own system, not as independent rulers. This

7921-504: Was the pleasantest in all these parts, is now laid waste by fire and sword, and made a wilderness! In 1860, Whydah was the port that sent the last recorded shipment of slaves to the United States , even though that country had prohibited the transatlantic slave trade in 1808. This illegal shipment was aboard the Clotilda and went to Mobile, Alabama . The last shipment of slaves to Spanish Cuba occurred as late as 1873. France captured

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