Latest / The History of Portugal: The Small Nation That Built a Global Empire — Fexingo History
Portugal's African Fortresses: The Slave Trade Engine
In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore Portugal's network of coastal fortresses in West Africa — not the gold-trading outpost of Arguim covered in episode 105, but the later, larger strongholds that became the backbone of the Atlantic slave trade. They focus on the fortress of São Jorge da Mina (Elmina) on the Gold Coast, built in 1482 by Diogo de Azambuja, and the nearby fort of São Sebastião de Xama (Shama). Lucas explains how these stone castles, equipped with artillery and controlled by the Casa da Mina, allowed Portugal to bypass inland African kingdoms and trade directly for…
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