Wednesday 31 October 2012

BLACK SOCIAL HISTORY: WHAT PART DID DENMARK PLAYED IN THE SLAVE TRADE ? THE FACTS !!!!

The Kingdom of Denmark - Norway was involved in trade on the Gold Coast for about two hundred years, they built a number of Fort in the Gold Coast, Fort Fredricksborg built in 1660, close to Cape Coast Castle in Ghana. In 1661 Fort Osu was built which became Christiansborg Castle, Fort Fredriksborg was sold to Britain in 1685. Fort Christiansborg became the Danish headquarters in the Gold Coast. The Danish in the eighteen century used Fort Christiansborg to expand the Danish influence on the eastern Gold Coast aiming ultimately at controlling trade at the Volta Delta and beyond on the western slve coast. A string of trading lodges was established on the West Coast.

In 1803 Denmark-Norway abolished its export of trade in slaves and tried to find alternatives economic base. Attempts were made to develop cotton and coffee plantations. This lead Denmark to trade in legitimate export chiefly Palm Oil. In 1850 Denmark finally dropped its colonial ambitions and sold all its establishment in West Africa to Britain.

Denmark had some powerful slave ships,  FREDENSBORG - Danish Slave Trade, sank in 1768 off Tromoy in Norway.
KRON- PRINTZEN - Danish Slave Ship, sank in 1706 with 820 Black Slaves on board who all drowned.














Denmark King Christian VI on 16th March 1792 pass an Edit prohibit the Slave Trade and it came into effect on the 1st January 1803, but did not end slavery, that honor rest with Vermont which abolished Slavery in 1777 the first Europen Nation to do so.

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