Day 15 - Tour of Fort William

Today is another day filled with bone examination but also we finally arranged a tour of Fort William where we have been staying. It’s about time we learn about the place we are staying in and its role in the slave trade and colonial times!

Uncle Phillip is the caretaker of both Fort William in Anomabo and Fort Amsterdam in neighboring Abandze. He has a wealth of knowledge about the history of both sites and gives tours on a consistent basis.

The construction of Fort William began by the English in 1753 and was completed by around 1760. I am told that it is estimated that the most slaves were taken out of Fort William than any other fort in the area. By the 1800s, a war between the Fante and Ashanti also played a role in the enslavement of people. The fort was later transformed into a youth center for some time during the mid-20^th century but then used as a prison for Ghanaian outlaws for 40 years up until about 15 years ago.

View facing northeast inside Fort William. The structure at the base of the fort in this picture is the slave market where slaves were examined by medical personnel and their potential for labor was assessed and then they were auctioned off. When Fort William was turned into prison, this area was converted into a kitchen.

View looking southeast inside Fort William. The female slave dungeon is on the far right side where our tents are (yeah, kind of creeping we sleep on top of a dungeon). To the left below the walkway are officer and VIP quarters. Above the walkway is the youth center that is now a library for local students.

View from the southeast bastion of Fort William overlooking the beach and fishing vessels.