The 1874 British Bombardment of Elmina and Its Aftermath

In February 1874, British forces bombarded and largely destroyed Elmina, the centuries-old town and castle that had been a hub of the transatlantic slave trade and a symbol of European-African entanglement. This episode explores the prelude to the bombardment—the Anglo-Ashanti tensions, the Dutch cession of Elmina to Britain in 1872, and the ensuing Ashanti invasion of the British protectorate. We discuss the bombardment itself, the destruction of the old town, and the long-term consequences for the people of Elmina, including the rebuilding and the shift in power dynamics along the Gold Coast. Figures like King John Aggery of Cape Coast and the British Governor John Pope Hennessy figure into the story. We also touch on the broader context of the Third Anglo-Ashanti War and how the bombardment reshaped coastal politics. #ElminaBombardment #ElminaCastle #AngloAshantiWar #GoldCoast #JohnPopeHennessy #KingJohnAggery #ThirdAngloAshantiWar #1874 #BritishEmpire #AsanteEmpire #TransatlanticSlaveTrade #CapeCoast #DutchGoldCoast #FortElmina #ColonialHistory #GhanaHistory #History #FexingoHistory Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo