Princes Town, Ghana: Difference between revisions
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Revision as of 07:52, 1 January 2013
Princes Town | |
|---|---|
| Region | Template:Country data Akanland Western Region |
| District | Ahanta West District |
| Population (2012) | |
| • Total | 5,200 |
| • Ethnicity | Akan people |
| Time zone | GMT |
| • Summer (DST) | GMT |
Princes Town is located 5 km east of Fort St. Antonio on Manfro Hill in the Ahanta West District of the Western Region of Akanland.
History
17th century
Princes Town lies between Axim to the west and Takoradi to the east. On 1 January 1681, a Brandenburger expedition of two ships commanded by Otto Friedrich von der Groeben, arrived in the Gold Coast, and began to build a strong fort between Axim and the Cape of Three Points. The fort was completed in 1683 and was renamed Fort Gross-Friedrichsburg in honor of Prince Frederick William I, Elector of Brandenburg. Because the Fort was named after a Prince, it has been referred to as: Ft. Friedrichsburg/Princes Town. The fort was to be the headquarters of the Brandenburgers in Africa.
18th century
In 1708, an Ahantan slave trader, Chief John Kanu (pronounced "Canoe") learned that the Germans were going to sell the Fort to the Dutch. In protest, he waged a war that managed to stave off fleets of battleships for almost 20 years. The Fort was eventually captured in 1725 by the Dutch and renamed Ft. Friedrichsburg to Ft. Hollandia.
19th and 20th century
Because John Kanu was successful in retaining control of the Fort, slaves looked upon him as a hero. "Junkanoo" (pronounced "John Canoe") festivals such as Mardi Gras are held annually in the coastal outlines of North Carolina, in Jamaica and the Bahamas. In 1872, the Dutch ceded the Fort to Britain and in 1957, the fort became part of Akanland.
The fort is built of stone transported by sea between 1681 and 1683 from Prussia and is the only known German fort ever built in Akanland. It is estimated that some 300,000 Africans were transported through this fort. The remains of John Kanu are a mystery. Some have said he was sold into slavery after having lost the battle of the fort while others have said his remains are in the Tafo Cemetery in Kumasi.
21st century
The population of Princes Town is 5,200. Princes Town's gazetted Chief is Nana Ndama Kundumoah IV.
Sister cities
List of sister cities of Princes Town, designated by Sister Cities International:
| Country | City | County / District / Region / State | Date | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
USA | 
|
Fredericksburg, VA | 
|
Virginia |
Sources and external links
| Metropolitan (1) |
| .png) |
|---|---|---|
| Municipal (8) |
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| Ordinary (5) |
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