25 - How Kwadwo Regained His Freedom and Put the Slave-Traders in Big Trouble

Summary

This chapter describes a story about Kwadwo who was a trader from Wassa. Kwadwo was no ordinary peasant. He was a retainer of a prominent titleholder who employed him as a messenger. Kwadwo's story is crowded with the names of Europeans important in the history of the Gold Coast and West Africa. Kwadwo's case provides a rich set of materials to explore a range of issues: the circumstances faced by local government officials in their efforts to suppress the slave trade; the extent to which relations between different Europeans powers influenced their relations with one another in Africa; and the different ways Africans and African institutions interacted with Europeans and European institutions. Especially interesting is the way the language recorded in these materials illuminates notions about hierarchy and dependence. Kwadwo used his overall knowledge of European policies and practices to regain his freedom.