Cape Coast and the Slave Castles

After departing from Accra, we arrived in the Cape Coast to explore a new part of Ghana! Upon settling into our new residence, we travelled to the slave castles that were used in the Transatlantic Slave Trade. Our first stop of the day was to the Elmina Castle, where we toured the grounds that once held thousands of slaves against their will. It was interesting to learn that the castle was initially built for the gold trade but was then used as a holding place for the slaves before they made the long journey overseas.

As we continued our tour of the castle, we were guided through the many male and female holding cells which held up to one hundred people at one time. We learned that for up to three months, the captives had to eat, sleep, and go to the bathroom all while being chained together in groups of five. We were also introduced to some local residents of the castle, a cave full of friendly bats who even posed for some pictures!!

Next on the agenda was Cape Coast Castle, which unlike Elmina was built specifically for the slave trade. Slaves experienced worse conditions at the Cape Coast Castle, as they were held underground with little light or ventilation. Captives were held hundreds at a time where they were again forced to eat, sleep and go to the bathroom all in the same area. Our guide explained how women were treated much worse compared to the male slaves and how they were often raped and abused by the soldiers.

It was definitely unsettling to step foot in these slave castles, yet it was an important part of our trip to learn more about this period in Africa's history. After reflecting on the things we saw throughout the day, we were happy to stumble upon people taking part in traditional African dancing. We observed them rehearsing for an up-coming tour that will give them the opportunity to perform in Philadelphia in the future. It was an amazing sight to see, and it made us feel right at home with the Ghanaian people.