The Cape Coast Castle in Cape Coast, Ghana has been standing for centuries. Originally built as a trading post, the castle gained prominence during the slave trade and became a hub of activity for European businessmen.
The stark white living quarters above ground stand over dark dungeons designed to hold up to one thousand slaves. These dungeons were the last thing the slaves saw in Africa before boarding ships bound for the Americas.
The Obama family visited Cape Coast Castle in 2009 after Michelle had traced her lineage to a 6 year old slave on a South Carolina plantation. The “country” her ancestor came from is uncertain but since the castle was such a large part of the slave trade it is a likely place of origin.
Centuries earlier, after Black Bart, the most succesful pirate of the Golden Age of Piracy, died in a battle with the British Royal navy, the rest of his crew were taken to Cape Coast Castle and 54 of them were sentenced to death. The amazing thing about the battle in which Black Bart died is that he was only one of three men killed. His success as a pirate was well-known and some locals thought him invincible so his death came as a shock.
