Fort Winneba facts for kids
Fort Winneba was a historical building on the coast of what is now Ghana. It was built a long time ago by a British company. This fort was used during a sad time in history when people were taken from their homes and forced to travel across the ocean to be enslaved.
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Fort Winneba: A Historical Landmark
Building the Fort
Fort Winneba was built in 1694. It was constructed by a British company called the Royal African Company. This company built the fort on the Gold Coast. The Gold Coast is a historical name for a part of West Africa. Today, this area is known as the country of Ghana.
The main purpose of Fort Winneba was to help with the trade of enslaved people. This was a terrible time when many people were captured. They were then held at places like Fort Winneba. From there, they were forced onto ships and taken to other parts of the world.
A Look Inside the Fort
In 1727, a surveyor named William Smith visited Fort Winneba. He was sent to check on the buildings owned by the Royal African Company. He wrote down what he saw at the fort.
Smith described the fort as being very similar to another fort called Fort Tantumquery. He noted that the fort stood on slightly higher ground. It was about 14 yards (about 13 meters) from the sea.
One interesting thing Smith mentioned was the fresh water supply. He said the fort had a large tank filled with pure fresh water. He thought this tank might have a natural spring feeding it. This was because even after using a lot of water, the level did not drop much.
Features of the Fort
The fort had a nice path leading up to its main gate. This path was lined with trees. Smith also noted a large "spurr" at the fort. This was a strong, safe area. It was used to keep cattle safe at night from wild animals.
Fort Winneba also had good gardens. William Smith felt that all these features made the place quite pleasant and comfortable. This was his personal view of the fort's appearance.
