The Ahanta/Ayinda are Akan people who live to the north and east of the Nzema . The Ahanta land has been historically known as one of the richest areas on the coast of what is now Ghana.
55-622: The Ahanta land spans from Beposo to Ankobra in what is now the Western Region of the Republic of Ghana . Some of their famous areas include Busua, Axim, Apowa, Agona Nkwanta, Dixcove, Princess Town (also known as Pokesu), Esiama and Sekond-Takoradi. It is also a regional power in the form of a confederacy of chiefdoms which had come in early contact with the European nations settling on the Gold Coast for
110-425: A Jew's harp , tobacco pipes, beads, Rhenish stoneware, and Delftware . The excavations also revealed the former south moat and counterscarp , a pebbled path from the east entrance of the fort, a brewery owned by Jean Labatie built in 1647, and parts of several houses owned by Hendrick Andriessen van Doesburgh, Abraham Staats, and Hans Vos. From the excavations, scholars noted that venison (deer meat) made up
165-478: A Whale. Legend has it that he fought his way through from the Pra river and settled at Busua which was then the abode of mighty Whales. He then established his authority over all the conquered lands and form his kingdom. It is worth mentioning here that before the arrival of Ahantas, the land was already inhabited by indigenes who were probably Guans so the present Ahanta people are descendants of Guans, those who migrated from
220-651: A day, which was a large percentage given the small population in the fort. On September 8, 1664, the English , after sending numerous war ships to New Amsterdam, demanded the surrender of New Netherland and came to terms with the Dutch. On that date New Netherland became the Province of New York with Colonel Richard Nicolls appointed as the first English colonial governor ; New Amsterdam was renamed New York. Johannes De Decker sailed on that day from New Amsterdam to Fort Orange to rally
275-572: A local veteran / soldier of the United States Army , killed on the Western Front in northern France , during the First World War (1914/1917-1918), and awarded the congressional Medal of Honor , the current second / replacement span built in 1969. It carries U.S. Route 9 and U.S. Route 20 highways across the upper Hudson River , between Albany on the west to Rensselaer, New York in
330-511: A new fort on top of State Street Hill named Fort Frederick ; it served both to defend the settlement from the Mohawk and other Iroquois to the west and to be on high ground to remind the Dutch inhabitants of English rule. The land around the old fort was sold to the Dutch Reformed Church for use as pastureland, but the fort structure continued to deteriorate. It was indicated on maps during
385-441: A number of Mohawk villages and into Oneida villages, at least 100 miles from the fort. This journey was recorded in van den Bogaert's daily journal which is titled, A Journey into Mohawk and Oneida Country. In the 1640s a French Jesuit priest and missionary, Isaac Jogues , described Fort Orange as "a wretched little fort ... built of stakes, with four or five pieces of cannon of Breteuil". In 1648, dispute arose between agents of
440-508: A number of outbuildings on the site of the old Dutch fort during the 1790s ; the address for the site of the old fort became 549 South Market Street (later Broadway). On his property traces of the old fort could still be seen as late as 1812. He lived at this location while he was the surveyor-general of New York. Following his death, his mansion and outbuildings were adapted for use as the Fort Orange Hotel. It burned down in 1848 but
495-736: A population of 2,060,585 at the 2021 Census. It has a coastline that stretches from South Ghana's border with Ivory Coast to the it's boundary with the Central Region on the east. The largest rivers are the Ankobra River , the Bia River, and the Pra River in the east, with the Tano River partly forming the western national border. The area is known for the UNESCO World Heritage Site,
550-661: A powerful kingdom which was made of chiefdoms along the Atlantic coast from the Pra to the Ankobra rivers. They had already lived in the Bono kingdom so organising themselves into kingdom and chiefdoms were something they did without much difficulties since they were already practicing most of traditions of the Bonos. A kingdom that enjoy prominence, glory, power and supremacy until the Europeans particularly
605-535: A replacement for Fort Nassau , which had been built on nearby Castle Island and served as a trading post until 1617 or 1618, when it was abandoned due to frequent flooding. Both forts were named in honor of the Dutch House of Orange-Nassau . Due to a dispute between the Director-General of New Netherland and the patroonship of Rensselaerswyck regarding jurisdiction over the fort and the surrounding community,
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#1732836939231660-596: A taboo. As such, Ahanta's welcoming the birth of twins was likely to earn her the title, 'land of twins'. However, if we are to situate the land of twins account properly, then it precedes the migration of Ahantas from the Bono kingdom which occurred in 1229. Ahanta is also believed to have come from the Fante word "hata" which matches with "yinda" in Ahanta language which means to dry or warm oneself after being wet or cold but geographically,
715-598: Is located in south Ghana , spreads from the Ivory Coast ( Comoé District ) in the west to the Central region in the east, includes the capital and large twin city of Sekondi-Takoradi on the coast, coastal Axim , and a hilly inland area including Elubo . It includes Ghana's southernmost location, Cape Three Points , where crude oil was discovered in commercial quantities in June 2007. The region covers an area of 13,842 km , and had
770-689: Is located in the region at Tarkwa. The Western region has many post-secondary schools, including teachers' and nursing colleges, and two universities-- University of Mines and Technology (in Tarkwa) and Takoradi Technical University (formerly known as Takoradi Polythecnic. Before the regional demarcation in December 2018 , the region had 23 MMDA's (made up of 1 Metropolitan, 11 Municipal and 11 Ordinary Assemblies). Therefore, as part of this reorganisation, nine MMDA's (those in bold and asterisks below, which were 3 Municipal and 6 Ordinary Assemblies) were removed from
825-551: Is one of the sub units of several kwa languages across the forest belt of Sub-Sahara Africa. Ahanta is very old, and the language faces possible extinction in the next 10 or 20 years as recently showed in a research conducted by the University of Cape Coast. The Ahanta people scarcely speak or teach the language. For instance in Sekondi -Takoradi the Ahanta culture has slowly died. As mentioned earlier, in 1229, Ahantas and Fantes moved from
880-504: The 1880s , other than simply placing the bronze historical marker. The tablet was moved again in 1971 after the 1970-71 archeologist historical excavations discovered remnants of the Dutch fort which were prompted during the construction project for nearby larger / modern Interstate 787 and the highway interchange with the South Mall Expressway . The marker was returned to the actual verified site of historic Fort Orange, but not to
935-593: The Dutch West India Company and agents of the patroon over control of Fort Orange and the surrounding settlement. The Director-General of New Netherland , representing the West India Company, was Pieter Stuyvesant , who saw the patroon's position, power, and land as a direct threat to the West India Company's ability to profit from the beaver pelt trade in Fort Orange. Several confrontations arose over
990-437: The majolica variety and not delftware . Porcelain was rare, found only as a few shards. The remains of many clay pipes were found, often with the "EB" maker's mark of Eduard Bird (c. 1610–65) of Amsterdam . The site was in continual use and artifacts recovered include 1830s creamware or pearlware and 1860s copper bottom coffee pot remnants. The artifacts from the excavation are housed and occasionally exhibited at
1045-520: The 18th century, labeled as "ruins of an Old Fort." Richard Smith, a traveler, observed by 1769 that there was "nothing to be seen of Fort Orange... but the Ditch which surrounded it". After the American Revolutionary War , the deteriorated site of the old fort was memorialized as a historic site and was the site of many historical observances. Simeon De Witt built a large house or mansion and
1100-647: The 25th, Captain John Manning was given control of the fort, which was renamed Fort Albany; Beverwyck was named Albany. In 1673 the Dutch retook New York City, which they named New Orange, on July 29, then retook Albany on August 3. In September, Albany was renamed Willemstadt and Fort Albany became Fort Nassau. The Treaty of Westminster , signed on February 19, 1674, renamed New Orange and Willemstadt back to their English names; Fort Nassau became Fort Albany and Willemstadt became Albany. In 1666, Jeremias van Rensselaer , then-patroon of Rensselaerswyck, had petitioned
1155-442: The Bono kingdom and other vassal states which later migrated into the Ahanta kingdom. It was the conquering exploits from the Pra river to the sea at Busua that rather earned the warlord of Ahanta Otumfour Badu Bonso contrary to the account that he came from the mouth of a Whale but whatever that it was, all the accounts surrounding the migration story of the Ahanta people make our history and culture rich. The royal title for Ahantahene
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#17328369392311210-606: The Bono kingdom in the present day Takyiman after the death of Odapagyan who was then the leader of the Fantes to further south of the Sahara. On reaching the Pra river, the Ahantas crossed further southward to their present area of settlements. It is actually the crossing of the Pra River that gave birth to "hata" which means to dry or warm oneself in the sun. The oral account says that after crossing
1265-517: The British took over. It was the longest pact between a European nation and an African state. This pact became the basis for the annihilation and desolation of Ahanta as expedient forces marshalled by the Dutch marched on Ahanta on 30 June 1838 led by Major-General Jan Verveer from the Royal Netherlands Army . Major Ahanta towns like Takoradi and Busua were massacred and a large military presence
1320-534: The Dutch arrived in Gold Coast. The Ahanta kingdom then started to receive stiff opposition and interferences from foreign invasions particularly from the Dutch and started to lose its thresholds. The Portuguese were the first Europeans to arrive in Gold Coast in 1471 and built their permanent trading post at Elmina in 1482. In 1515, they built Fort St. Anthony at Axim and in 1626, they built Fort Sebastian at Shama. The Portuguese have quickly expanded their trading activities across Ahanta from Shama to Axim covering almost
1375-521: The Hudson River and 24 miles (39 km) inland on each side of the fort. This land patent was interpreted by van Rensselaer as including Fort Orange and the settlement that had begun outside its walls. He began purchasing and acquiring title to the lands from the Mahican. In 1630, Gillis Hoosett purchased in van Rensselaer's name the lands to the south and north of the fort from the natives. Later in 1630
1430-592: The New York State Historic Trust with the cooperation of the New York State Department of Transportation from October 20, 1970, until March 1971. The first test hole was made in what had been the cellar of the De Witt house, which had obliterated all remnants of the old fort. Digging at a site under Broadway in front of the house turned up many pieces from the Dutch colonial past. Among those were
1485-401: The Pra river, Ahanta forefathers decided to warm themselves in the sun and also to dry their clothes so they became known as "Ahatafo" meaning people who warm or dry themselves in the sun. It thus became our ethnic or tribal name. This account is more precise, accurate convincing, consistent and backed by facts than the age old myth that Nana Badu Bonso and his descendants came from the mouth of
1540-480: The Western Region and formed into a new Western North Region with its new capital at Wiawso . The political administration of the region is through the local government system. Under this administration system, the region is divided into 14 MMDA's (made up of 1 Metropolitan, 8 Municipal and 5 Ordinary Assemblies). Each District, Municipal or Metropolitan Assembly, is administered by a Chief Executive, representing
1595-460: The central government but deriving authority from an Assembly headed by a presiding member elected from among the members themselves. The current list is as follows: Fort Orange Fort Orange ( Dutch : Fort Oranje ) was the first permanent Dutch settlement in New Netherland ; the present-day city and state capital Albany , New York developed near this site. It was built in 1624 as
1650-574: The commander of Fort Orange and a company of men set out from the fort to assist the Mohican people in their war against the Mohawk , the powerful Iroquois tribe based in the Mohawk Valley to the west of the fort. The Dutch party was ambushed and three men were killed approximately a mile from the fort, roughly where Lincoln Park and Delaware Avenue are sited today. Whereas later settlement would be through
1705-441: The east. For almost 100 years, the original installation site of the plaque did not mark the true accurate site of the colonial era Dutch military post of Fort Orange. The Albany Institute of History and Art has a cannonball labeled as "Dug up at Fort Orange site July 22nd 1886", the date / year that the bicentennial marker was placed. No known accurate historical research or archeological excavations digging were done back then in
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1760-464: The establishment of Rensselaerswyck. In 1651, Stuyvesant declared the jurisdiction of the fort to extend 600 paces around the fort, thereby severing it from Rensselaerswyck; he appointed Johannes Dyckman as commissary of Fort Orange. In 1652, Stuyvesant, to settle this dispute once and for all, set up a "Court of Justice for the Village of Beverwyck and its dependencies", the first municipal government for
1815-477: The first permanent Dutch settlers and farmers came to Fort Orange and settled on the outskirts of the fort; their village was first called the Fuyck and later Beverwyck . In 1634 the commander of Fort Orange ordered Harmen Meyndertsz van den Bogaert west into the Mohawk Valley and Indian country, for the purpose of understanding why the fur trade had declined. The trip lasted six weeks and took Bogaert and his men through
1870-852: The former location of the northeastern bastion. As the Fort Orange Archeological Site, the area of the fort was declared a National Historic Landmark (and added to the lists of the National Register of Historic Places ) on November 4, 1993, (maintained by the National Park Service of the United States Department of the Interior ). Prior to the 1970 excavations, no 17th century Dutch colonial era artifacts had been discovered in Albany. The excavations were undertaken by
1925-464: The fort and community became an independent municipality, paving the way for the future city of Albany. After the English reconquered the region they soon abandoned Fort Orange (renamed Fort Albany) in favor of a new fort: Fort Frederick , constructed in 1676. In 1624, a ship with 30 Protestant Walloons (people from what is today southern Belgium ) landed in New Netherland ; 18 of the men were sent to
1980-511: The fort using stone. In response, van Schlechtenhorst declared it illegal for anyone to quarry stone within Rensselaerswyck for the fort or for anyone to sell the material to the fort's commander, Carl van Brugge. All material for the fort had to be shipped in from outside the colony. Van Schlechtenhorst claimed that Fort Orange had been illegally built on the patroon's lands, while Stuyvesant noted that Fort Orange had been built 15 years prior to
2035-477: The future city of Albany. At the time when Beverwyck consisted of roughly 100 structures huddled next to the fort, Stuyvesant set up Beverwyck at a safer distance from the cannons of the fort and laid out future Albany's oldest streets- State Street and Broadway . By the end of the 1650s, the fort was in disrepair again, and both Fort Orange and Beverwyck were enclosed by a wooden stockade in 1660. In 1663, smallpox raged in Fort Orange, killing one person
2090-634: The location near present-day Albany. Under direction of the Dutch, they built Fort Orange roughly 2 miles (3.2 km) north of Fort Nassau , which was prone to flooding, and about five miles south of the confluence of the Mohawk River and the North River . The Walloons were later recalled south to settle New Amsterdam . A 1628 publication on the population of New Netherland stated that "there are no families at Fort Orange ... they keep five or six and twenty (25 or 26) persons, traders, there". In 1626,
2145-614: The majority of the meat eaten by the settlers and soldiers of the fort, followed by pork . The greatest number of fish bones and scales were found in a pit 20 feet (6.1 m) south of the pebbled entrance path dating from before 1648. Sturgeon were found infrequently in later 17th-century deposits. Eating and drinking utensils consisted of lead-glazed red-bodied and white/buff bodied earthenware, tin earthenware, Rhenish German stoneware , Chinese Empire porcelain , glass roemers, Spechter glasses, and façon de Venise glassware. The tin-glazed earthenware , at least prior to 1650, were of
2200-497: The new government of Governor Nicholls to recognize Fort Albany (Fort Orange) as part of Rensselaerswyck. Governor Nicholls informed him that he would be wise to drop the matter until he heard from the Duke of York . In 1678, Governor Andros issued to the patroon's heirs a grant reaffirming the patroon's rights over Rensselaerswyck, but leaving out Fort Albany and the immediate area around the fort. The English abandoned Fort Orange and built
2255-645: The purchase of land from the Native Americans , the Dutch built Fort Orange without any consent. They continued to hold it only through the goodwill of the Mahican, and the occasional presents that they gave to the local Mahicans. When the Dutch established the Charter of Privileges and Exemptions in 1629 setting up the patroon system, Kiliaen van Rensselaer established his patroonship of Rensselaerswyck , surrounding Fort Orange on 24 miles (39 km) of shoreline along
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2310-495: The purpose of trade. The name "Ahanta" derives from nta , Akan for "the twins". Ahanta means the land of twins. How Ahanta became known as the land of twins is not certainly known, since there are other meanings or accounts which seem more accurate and convincing. One theory is that it could be linked to the fertility of Ahanta women and multiple births which was very predominant then on Ahanta lands then. Some indigenous cultural practices around that time also saw births of twins as
2365-444: The status of the fort and the rights of settlers around it. Stuyvesant at first ordered all buildings within cannon shot of the fort to be destroyed, then lowered that circumference to that of musket shot. In response, the patroon's agent, Commander van Schlechtenhorst, decided to expand settlement to "within pistol shot of Fort Orange". After the yearly freshets had damaged much of the fort, the West India Company decided to reconstruct
2420-576: The total land area of the Ahanta kingdom. The Dutch led by Barent Eriksz arrived in 1591 and by 1598, other Dutch traders had also arrived in Gold Coast and started to pose stiff opposition to the Portuguese. Through the efforts of General Jacob Clantius, the Dutch secured a permission to build Fort Nassau near Moree through the Asebu treaty. In the preceding years, the Dutch constantly battled the Portuguese to drive them out of Gold Coast in order to gain control over
2475-462: The trade particularly in Ahanta areas. Ahanta became the main trading grounds for the Dutch in Gold Coast. On 27 August 1656, the Butre treaty was signed between the Ahanta chiefs and the Dutch which made Ahanta a protectorate of the Dutch from the attacks of other European nations who had interest in the ongoing slave trade. A pact which lasted for 213 years until 1871 when the Dutch left the Gold Coast and
2530-454: The trade which eventually turned out to be a slave trade. In 1637, the Dutch captured Elmina Castle, Fort Sebastian at Shama in 1640 and in 1642, they had captured Fort Antonio in Axim. Aside ceasing Forts and Castles of the Portuguese, the Dutch built Fort Orange in Sekondi in 1642 and Fort Batenstein in Butre in 1656. By 1717 they have succeeded in driving the Portuguese away and gained control over
2585-478: The troops and settlers to resist English rule. On September 10, Governor Nicholls sent troops to demand the peaceful surrender of the "Fort Aurania", aurania being the Latin name for "orange" that the English used when referring to Fort Orange. It was not until September 24, 1664, that vice-director of New Netherland Johannes de Montagne surrendered the fort to the English, and Colonel George Cartwright took command. On
2640-653: The true definition of Ahanta is the land between Pra and Ankobra Rivers . The stretch of land between these two rivers is how far and wide the once prosperous and flourished kingdom of the Ahantas covered. Ahanta belongs to several Congo-Niger languages such as Igbo in Nigeria, Edo in Benin and all the Akan languages stretching across the South of the Sahara Desert from Togo to Cote D'Voire. It
2695-556: The village of Nzulezo built entirely on stilts and platforms over water and the Ankasa Protected Area . There is a series of imposing Portuguese, Dutch, British, and Brandenburgian forts along the coast, built from 1512 on. The region is an Akan region comprised Wassa, Ahanta, and Nzema. Wassa is the largest tribe in the region. However, the popular language spoken in the region is Fanti. Western region boast of many beaches and mining companies. The popular Ghana Gold fields mine
2750-465: Was later rediscovered at Leiden University Medical Centre by one Arthur Japin who was conducting research and had earlier on read about this great Ahanta king who stood against foreign invasion and interferences. The head had been stored in a jar of formaldehyde for about 170 years. In 2009, after a brief ceremony was conducted in Hague, the head was returned to Ghana, previously known as the Gold Coast, where it
2805-450: Was maintained in Ahanta. Asantehene alone offered 30,000 troops though the Dutch turned down his offer and believed it to be a ploy for the Ashantis to gain direct trading access with the Europeans at the coast. In the course of war, Badu Bonso II was captured. On 27 July 1838, he was hanged, after which his head was removed and sent to Netherlands where it got lost for more than a century. It
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#17328369392312860-421: Was originally a religious festival that was used to expel evil spirits from the town. Today, Kundum is celebrated as a way to preserve the culture of the Ahanta people and neighboring Nzema . The festival formally was a month long, however has been reduced to eight days. Ahantas practise traditional African religion, Christianity, and Islam to a lesser extent. Western Region, Ghana The Western Region
2915-643: Was originally taken away by the Dutch. In 1871, the Dutch government sold all their colonial possessions in West Africa to the British Empire as per the terms of the Anglo-Dutch Treaties of 1870–1871 . The British took over from the Dutch until 1957 when Gold Coast became independent. The Ahanta people celebrate the Kundum festival . Kundum is a harvest festival consisting of dancing, drumming, and feasting. It
2970-463: Was rebuilt in a second structure under the same name. In 1886, as part of the bicentennial of Albany's incorporating document, the Dongan Charter , the city erected a bronze metal engraved tablet at the site of the northeastern bastion of Fort Orange . In the 1930s the tablet was moved during construction of the first of two Dunn Memorial Bridges (named for Private Parker F. Dunn (1890-1918,
3025-484: Was suspected to be "beduru bonso" which literally means to have reached the Whales and later corrupted to be Badu Bonso as years go by. He is believed to have possessed some whimsical powers that made him to conquer enemies with ease and thus the title Otumfour which means the powerful one. Between 1300 and 1400 after arrival of Ahantas to their present location particularly the Bono group, they quickly organised themselves into
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