Slave Coast of West Africa

Common card · No. 287662

The Slave Coast is a historical region along the Atlantic coast of West Africa, encompassing parts of modern-day Togo, Benin, and Nigeria. It is located along the Bight of Biafra and the Bight of Benin that is located between the Volta River and the Lagos Lagoon. The name arose in the seventeenth century to differentiate it from the predominant trades in adjoining regions. For instance, the neighbouring Gold Coast (southern Ghana) was an important source of gold for European merchants, with any outward trade in slaves discouraged so as not to affect the main product of that area. The Slave Coast was a major source of African people sold into slavery during the Atlantic slave trade from the early 16th century to the late 19th century. During this time, this coastal area became a major hub for the export of enslaved Africans to the Americas. European powers, including the Portuguese, British, Dutch, Danish, and French, established forts and trading posts in the region to facilitate the slave...

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