Fort James: A British Colonial Trading Post and Prison in Accra
Site at a Glance
- Rating
- 4.1
- Popularity
- Low
- Country
- Ghana
- Primary era
- Early Modern
- Eras represented
- Early Modern
- Civilizations
- English
- Site type
- Military
- Remains
- Fort
On this page4 sections
History
Trading post and British rule
Fort James is a fortified colonial-era structure in Accra, Ghana, built in 1673 by England’s Royal African Company as a trading post for gold and enslaved people on the Gold Coast, the historical name for the region that includes present-day Ghana. The company traded in West Africa, including in enslaved people. Britain controlled the fort from 1673 to 1957, and it formed part of the British Gold Coast.
The fort was probably named for James, Duke of York, who governed the Royal African Company when it was built and later became King James II. The nearby Accra neighborhood of Jamestown also takes its name from him.
Prison and heritage recognition
Fort James served as a prison from the colonial period until 2008. Kwame Nkrumah, a leader of Ghana’s independence movement and the country’s first president, was held there from 1950 to 1951 alongside ordinary criminal prisoners.
In 1979, Fort James was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List as part of Ghana’s forts and castles, recognized for their importance during the European colonial period.
Remains
Fort James is a fortified colonial-era structure and remains in fairly good condition. It is near the Dutch Fort Crêvecœur and the Danish Fort Christiansborg, and stands beside Jamestown Lighthouse.
