African Power Struggle and European Opportunity: Danish Expansion on the Early 18th Century Gold Coast

Hernoes, Per; Justesen, Ole

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Title:	African Power Struggle and European Opportunity: Danish Expansion on the Early 18th Century Gold Coast
Authors:	Hernoes, Per Justesen, Ole
Year:	2003
Periodical:	Transactions of the Historical Society of Ghana (ISSN 0855-3246)
Issue:	7
Pages:	1-92
Language:	English
Notes:	biblio. refs.
Geographic terms:	Ghana West Africa Denmark
Subjects:	mercantile history political history traditional polities precolonial period traders biographies (form) colonialism History and Exploration Peoples of Africa (Ethnic Groups) Ethnic and Race Relations Imperialism, Colonialism imperialism history Power (Social sciences)
About person:	Henrich Richter (1785-1849)
External link:	https://www.jstor.org/stable/41406699
Abstract:	In the eighteenth-century Gold Coast (Ghana), trade was all important and was to be established by intricate transactions and diplomatic manoeuvres. European influence was tied to instrumental alliances and the standing of various European establishments depended on internal power struggles among the African hosts and European ability to secure strategic partnerships. Per Hernoes situates the politico-commercial activity of Denmark in the context of the ongoing power struggle dominating the eastern Gold Coast in the 1730s and early 1740s. He concentrates on Danish eastward expansion from their headquarters and sole base, Christiansborg at Accra (Osu), and the establishment of Fort Fredensborg at Great Ningo, midway between Accra and the Volta. He demonstrates that the Danes were able to capitalize on an opportunity niche opening up in the coastal region after the fall of the Akwamu Empire, when various actors - hinterland 'overlords' as well as rulers of coastal (Ga-Adanme) polities - sought to exploit the temporary power vacuum to their own advantage. Ole Justesen presents an in-depth analysis of the activities of the Eurafrican (or Dano-African) 'merchant prince' Henrich Richter, based at Osu, in the first half of the nineteenth century. Bibliogr., notes, ref. [ASC Leiden abstract]

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