Anglo-Dutch Gold Coast Treaty (1867)
Encyclopedia
The Anglo-Dutch Gold Coast Treaty of 1867 established a trade of forts among the Dutch
and British Gold Coast, in order to produce a more coherent area of influence there. All forts to the east of Fort Elmina were given to the Netherlands, and all forts to the west were awarded to the Netherlands.
in 1850. The presence of Dutch forts in an area that became increasingly influenced by the United Kingdom was deemed undesirable, and in the late 1850s British began pressing for either a buyout of the Dutch forts, or a trade of forts so as to produce more coherent areas of influences.
In the Dutch political landscape of the time, a buyout was not a possibility, so a trade of forts was negotiated. In 1867, the "Convention between Great Britain and the Netherlands for an Interchange of Territory on the Gold Coast of Africa" was signed, in which all Dutch forts to the east of Elmina were handed over to Britain, while the British forts west of Elmina were handed over to the Netherlands.
The trade proved a disaster for the Dutch, as their long-standing alliance with the mighty Ashanti tribe did not fare well with the population around the new forts assigned to them. Shortly after the transfer, the Dutch colonial minister secretly began negotiating a handover of all Dutch forts to Britain. In the Gold Coast Treaty of 1871
, the whole colony was ceded to the United Kingdom for 46,939.62 Dutch guilders.
Dutch Gold Coast
The Dutch Gold Coast or Dutch Guinea, officially Dutch possessions on the Coast of Guinea was a portion of coastal West Africa that was gradually colonized by the Dutch, beginning in 1598...
and British Gold Coast, in order to produce a more coherent area of influence there. All forts to the east of Fort Elmina were given to the Netherlands, and all forts to the west were awarded to the Netherlands.
History
Whereas the Dutch forts on the Gold Coast were a colonial backwater in the 19th century, the British forts were slowly developed into a full colony, especially after Britain took over the Danish Gold CoastDanish Gold Coast
The Danish Gold Coast was a part of the Gold Coast , which is on the West African Gulf of Guinea...
in 1850. The presence of Dutch forts in an area that became increasingly influenced by the United Kingdom was deemed undesirable, and in the late 1850s British began pressing for either a buyout of the Dutch forts, or a trade of forts so as to produce more coherent areas of influences.
In the Dutch political landscape of the time, a buyout was not a possibility, so a trade of forts was negotiated. In 1867, the "Convention between Great Britain and the Netherlands for an Interchange of Territory on the Gold Coast of Africa" was signed, in which all Dutch forts to the east of Elmina were handed over to Britain, while the British forts west of Elmina were handed over to the Netherlands.
The trade proved a disaster for the Dutch, as their long-standing alliance with the mighty Ashanti tribe did not fare well with the population around the new forts assigned to them. Shortly after the transfer, the Dutch colonial minister secretly began negotiating a handover of all Dutch forts to Britain. In the Gold Coast Treaty of 1871
Anglo-Dutch Treaties of 1870-1871
The Anglo-Dutch Treaties of 1871 were three related treaties between Great Britain and the Netherlands, dealing with colonial disputes and other colonial affairs between the two countries.-History:...
, the whole colony was ceded to the United Kingdom for 46,939.62 Dutch guilders.
From the Netherlands to the United Kingdom
| Place in Ghana | New British name | Dutch name |
|---|---|---|
| Mouri | Fort Nassau Fort Nassau The name Fort Nassau was used by the Dutch in the 17th century for several fortifications, mostly trading stations, named for the House of Orange-Nassau... |
Fort Nassau |
| Accra Accra Accra is the capital and largest city of Ghana, with an urban population of 1,658,937 according to the 2000 census. Accra is also the capital of the Greater Accra Region and of the Accra Metropolitan District, with which it is coterminous... |
Fort Ussher Ussher Fort Ussher Fort is a fort in Accra, Ghana. It was built by the Dutch in 1649 as Fort Crêvecoeur near Fort Christiansborg and Fort James... |
Fort Crêvecoeur |
| Kormantin | Fort Cormantine Fort Amsterdam (Ghana) Fort Amsterdam is a fort in Kormantin, Ghana. It was built by the English between 1638 and 1645 as Fort Cormantine and was captured by admiral Engel de Ruyter of the Dutch West India Company in 1665... |
Fort Amsterdam |
| Senya Beraku | Fort Good Hope Fort Goede Hoop (Ghana) Fort Goede Hoop or Fort Good Hope is was a fort on the Dutch Gold Coast, established in 1667 near Senya Beraku. The fort was occupied between 1781 and 1785 by the British, as well as by the local Akim population between 1811 and 1816. In 1868, the fort was ceded to the United Kingdom in a large... |
Fort Goede Hoop |
| Apam Apam Apam is a coastal town in the Central Region of Ghana, located approximately 45km east of the regional capital of Cape Coast.Apam is the site of Fort Lijdzaamheid, a Dutch-built fort which was completed in 1702, which dominates the fishing harbour and town from a rocky peninsula located on the... |
Fort Patience Fort Lijdzaamheid Fort Lijdzaamheid is a Dutch-built fort located in the township of Apam, in the Central Region of Ghana.Commenced as a stone trading lodge in 1697, the lodge was later fortified to secure the Dutch state of Acorn, which was tenuously held between the two British-held territories of Fante & Agona... |
Fort Lijdzaamheid |
From the United Kingdom to the Netherlands
| Place in Ghana | New Dutch name | British name |
|---|---|---|
| Beyin | Fort Willem III | Fort Apollonia |
| Dixcove Dixcove Dixcove is a coastal town in the Western Region of Ghana, located approximately 35 km west of the regional capital of Takoradi.Dixcove is the site of Fort Metal Cross, an English-built fort which was completed in 1698, which dominates the fishing harbour and town from a bluff located on the... |
Fort Metalen Kruis | Fort Metal Cross |
| Komenda | Fort Komenda | Fort Komenda |
| Sekondi | Fort Sekondi | Fort Sekondi |
See also
- Anglo-Dutch Treaty of 1814Anglo-Dutch Treaty of 1814The Anglo-Dutch Treaty of 1814 was a treaty signed between Great Britain and the Netherlands in London on August 13, 1814...
- Anglo-Dutch Treaty of 1824Anglo-Dutch Treaty of 1824The Anglo-Dutch Treaty of 1824, also known as the Treaty of London, was a treaty signed between the United Kingdom and the Netherlands in London on 17 March 1824. The treaty was to resolve disputes arising from the execution of the Anglo-Dutch Treaty of 1814...
- Anglo-Dutch Treaties of 1870-1871Anglo-Dutch Treaties of 1870-1871The Anglo-Dutch Treaties of 1871 were three related treaties between Great Britain and the Netherlands, dealing with colonial disputes and other colonial affairs between the two countries.-History:...
- Netherlands – United Kingdom relationsNetherlands – United Kingdom relationsThe Netherlands and the United Kingdom are important partners both politically and economically. In February 1999, Tony Blair and Wim Kok agreed to intensify relations between the two countries. The United Kingdom and the Netherlands work closely with EU and foreign policy, social and employment...