Fort Patience
| Fort Lijdzaamheid | |
|---|---|
| Part of Dutch Gold Coast | |
 Photograph of Fort Patience from the 1890s | |
  Fort Lijdzaamheid | |
| Coordinates | 5°17′10″N 0°43′41″W / 5.286°N 0.7281°W |
| Site history | |
| Built | 1697 |
| Garrison information | |
| Occupants | Netherlands (1697-1868) |
| UNESCO World Heritage site | |
| Official name | Fort Patience (Fort Leydsaemheyt) |
| Location | Apam, Central Region, Ghana |
| Part of | Forts and Castles, Volta, Greater Accra, Central and Western Regions |
| Criteria | Cultural: (vi) |
| Reference | 34-003 |
| Inscription | 1979 (3rd Session) |
Fort Patience (Dutch: Fort Lijdzaamheid, or, in 17th-century spelling, Fort Leydsaemheyt) is a Dutch-built fort located in the township of Apam, in the Central Region of Ghana.
History
The fort was first built as a stone trading lodge in 1697 at the request of the King of Acron, with whom the Dutch had a treaty, and which was situated between the kingdoms of Fante and Agona, with whom the British had a treaty. The executives of the Dutch West India Company were quite wary to establish a fort in an area with minimal trade, and only consented on the condition that it would be built at minimal costs.[1] The Acron were not happy with this, and frequently threatened the Dutch with expulsion if they would not extend the fortifications. As a result, it took the Dutch five years to complete the building, which is why they gave it the name Fort Patience.[2]
By 1721 the lodge had been converted into a defensive fortification, which sat on a craggy peninsula just out from the township to the south, offering a commanding view of Apam's harbour to the north, and the Gulf Of Guinea coast to the south, east, and west.
Early in 1782, Captain Thomas Shirley in the 50-gun ship Leander and the sloop-of-war Alligator sailed to the Dutch Gold Coast. Britain was at war with The Netherlands and Shirley captured the small Dutch forts at Moree (Fort Nassau - 20 guns), Kormantin (Courmantyne or Fort Amsterdam - 32 guns), Apam (Fort Lijdzaamheid or Fort Patience - 22 guns), Senya Beraku (Fort Goede Hoop - 18 guns), and Accra (Fort Crêvecoeur - 32 guns).[3]
References
- ↑ Van Dantzig 1999, p. 45.
- ↑ Van Dantzig 1999, pp. 46-47.
- ↑ Crooks, John Joseph (1973), Records Relating to the Gold Coast Settlements from 1750 To 1874 (London: Taylor & Francis), p. 62. ISBN 978-0-7146-1647-6
Sources
- Van Dantzig, Albert (1999). Forts and Castles of Ghana. Accra: Sedco Publishing. ISBN 9964-72-010-6.
External links
