Dark past of Togo Slave trade
Introduction
Togo played a significant role in the Atlantic slave trade as part of the region known as the Slave Coast. Here’s an overview of Togo’s involvement:
Geographic Importance
The area that is now Togo was part of the Slave Coast, a historical region along the Bight of Benin that was a major source of enslaved Africans during the Atlantic slave trade. This coastal area, which included parts of modern-day Togo, Benin, and Nigeria, became a crucial hub for the export of enslaved Africans to the Americas from the early 16th to the late 19th century.
Ports and Export Points
Several ports in what is now Togo were actively involved in the slave trade:
Aného (Little Popo)
Grand-Popo
Agoué
These ports, along with others in the region, exported enslaved people who were supplied from African communities, tribes, and kingdoms.
Volume of Trade
While exact figures for Togo alone are not available, the Slave Coast region as a whole played a substantial role in the Atlantic slave trade:
An estimated two million enslaved Africans were transported from the Slave Coast.
This represented about 16% of the estimated 12.5 million individuals transported to the Americas during the transatlantic slave trade.
On average, around 20 individuals left the Slave Coast each day for over two centuries.
Impact on Local Societies
The extensive slave trade along the Slave Coast, including Togo, contributed to:
The development of a diverse population engaged in transatlantic commercial and social networks.
Significant cultural exchanges between Africa, the Americas, and Europe, involving religions, architectural styles, languages, and knowledge.
Profound and damaging impacts on African populations victimized by the slave trade.
Continuation of Illegal Trade
Even after the official abolition of the slave trade by European powers, illegal slave trading continued in the region:
The Wood House in Agbodrafo, Togo, built by Scottish slave trader John Henry Wood, operated as an illegal slave trading post from 1835 to 1852.
This clandestine trade persisted despite England’s abolition of the transatlantic slave trade in 1807.
Legacy
The transatlantic slave trade had deep and lasting consequences for the diverse peoples and communities of Togo. Its effects contributed to long-term instability and conflict in the region, while European powers amassed significant wealth and global influence from this dehumanizing trade.
