Portugal's African Fortresses: Elmina, Mombasa and the Slave Trade

In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore Portugal's fortified trading posts along the African coast, focusing on São Jorge da Mina (Elmina) in Ghana and Fort Jesus in Mombasa. They discuss how these fortresses were built, their role in the gold and slave trades, and the interactions with local African kingdoms such as the Asante and the Swahili city-states. The episode covers the construction of Elmina in 1482 under Diogo de Azambuja, the use of local labor, and the evolution of the fortress into a hub for the transatlantic slave trade. It also examines the later Portuguese presence in East Africa, including the building of Fort Jesus in 1593 to control the Indian Ocean trade routes and resist Omani expansion. The conversation touches on the impact of Portuguese fortifications on African political dynamics, the rise and fall of the Portuguese monopoly, and the legacy of these structures in the modern era. #History #FexingoHistory #Portugal #Elmina #FortJesus #Mombasa #SlaveTrade #GoldTrade #DiogodeAzambuja #Asante #Swahili #Oman #Fortress #Exploration #Colonialism #Africa #Ghana #Kenya Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo