2-949-882 - Heritage Art/Heritage Images

The case of the Royal African Company of England, 1747-04-30. The Royal African Company was a mercantile company established in order to exploit the West African gold fields. It also engaged with the slave trade. Establishments were made with forts and settlements on the West African coast to serve as staging and trading stations. 'Before the Company was established...the Trade to Africa was in the utmost Danger of being quite lost to this Nation, by the Pretentions which the Dutch African Company set up to the sole Trade of that Coast, from Cape Palmas to Cape Lopez, being an Extent of not less that Fifteen Hundred Miles, of the richest and most valuable Part of the said Coast, including the whole of what is call'd the Gold Coast and Whydah. In consequence whereof, They constantly kept Cruisers in those Seas, and took and confiscated all such English Ships as they could meet with within thse Limits'.