Fort Tantumquery facts for kids

Fort Tantumquery was a historic building built in the 1720s. It was located in Otuam, a town in the Central Region of Ghana. At that time, this area was known as the Gold Coast. The fort was used for trade, including the difficult and unfair trade of enslaved people.

What Was Fort Tantumquery?

Fort Tantumquery was a military structure built by the Royal African Company. This company was a British trading group. The fort's main purpose was to help with trade activities along the coast. Sadly, this included the buying and selling of enslaved people, which was a common practice during that period.

Who Built Fort Tantumquery?

The Royal African Company built Fort Tantumquery. They finished building it in the 1720s. The company had many forts and castles along the West African coast. These buildings helped them control trade routes and protect their goods.

What Did It Look Like?

In 1727, a surveyor named William Smith visited Fort Tantumquery. He was sent by the Royal African Company to check on their forts. They wanted to know if the forts were making enough money.

A Surveyor's View

William Smith wrote down what he saw at Fort Tantumquery. He described it as a "pretty little regular Fort." It had four corner towers, which he called "flankers." On these towers, there were twelve cannons, which he called "pieces of ordnance."

Smith noted that the fort was in a nice spot near the sea. However, he also said that the landing place for boats was not very good. He saw many fishing canoes tip over when trying to land there. This meant people often lost their fish. He also mentioned that the water near the fort was about nine fathoms deep, which is about 54 feet (16.5 meters).