The Battle for Elmina

The Battle for Elmina (24–29 August 1637)
An Anthropological Reflection on Power, Memory, and Shared History
It has been 388 years since the Dutch defeated the Portuguese in what is remembered as the second battle for Elmina. Over six intense days in August 1637, the Dutch West India Company laid siege to Portuguese-held Elmina, ultimately wresting control of its castle and inaugurating a new era of colonial dominance that would last for 235 years.

The events that unfolded cannot be understood merely as military strategy; they must also be seen within the broader anthropology of power, trade, and cultural encounters that defined Elmina’s place in world history.

Prelude to the Battle

In the 1590s, Dutch trader Barent Eriksz of Medemblik inadvertently opened the path to Elmina. Captured by the Portuguese near São Tomé, Eriksz overheard stories of the immense wealth of the Gold Coast, particularly at Elmina. On his release, he returned to the Netherlands and spread this intelligence, inspiring Dutch merchants to sponsor expeditions. By 1594 he had launched the first sustained Dutch commercial venture on the Gold Coast, returning as many as eleven times.

His accounts ignited Dutch ambitions. Multiple failed assaults followed: 1596 ended in frustration; 1625 in disaster, when the Portuguese and their local allies repelled the Dutch, killing hundreds. These defeats reinforced Elmina’s reputation as both a coveted stronghold and a formidable fortress, defended not only by European garrisons but by local alliances as well.

The 1637 Campaign

Determined to succeed, the Dutch shifted resources from their Brazil campaigns, detaching nine ships under Colonel Hans Coine with 1,300 men. They landed near Cape Coast on July 24, proceeding by canoe down the Sweet River toward Elmina.

The Dutch identified Jago Hill (St. Jago) the high ground overlooking Elmina Castle as the key to victory. Their first assault, met by nearly 1,000 Portuguese-allied local soldiers, failed disastrously. Only on a second attempt did the Dutch manage to dislodge defenders, securing the hill after fierce fighting. Portuguese counterattacks also failed, forcing them back into their redoubt.

With the hill taken, the Dutch subjected Elmina Castle to two days of bombardment. Colonel Coine demanded surrender. The Portuguese governor requested a three-day truce, but with limited provisions Coine refused. Preparing to storm the redoubt with grenadiers, Coine forced the Portuguese into submission before the final assault could begin.

On 29 August 1637, the Portuguese surrendered. The terms allowed the governor, soldiers, and civilians to depart unarmed to São Tomé. The Dutch seized all assets gold, silver, and enslaved persons establishing themselves as the new masters of Elmina.

Local Context and Shared Histories

Crucially, this battle did not occur in isolation. It unfolded during the reign of Nana Ntakudzi I (1605–1660), king of Elmina, under whose authority the town’s inhabitants witnessed the dramatic transfer of power between Europeans. The Dutch forces were not alone; they were accompanied by Fante soldiers, demonstrating how local alliances and rivalries shaped the conflict.

From an anthropological lens, the struggle for Elmina illustrates the entangled realities of “shared history”: Europeans depended on African allies, while Africans navigated complex strategies of accommodation, resistance, and survival. These layered encounters complicate simplistic narratives of conquest, revealing Elmina as a crossroads of shifting sovereignties.

The Legacy of 235 Years

The Dutch victory in 1637 was not merely a military triumph; it marked the beginning of nearly two and a half centuries of Dutch presence on the Gold Coast. The legacies of this period are visible and lived even today:

• Lineages and surnames such as Vanderpuije, De Heer, Bartels, and Van Dyke remain part of family identities.
• Architectural heritage, including Fort Coenraadsburg and Dutch-influenced homes, still defines Elmina.
• Cultural imprints from language to intermarriage and social festivals Edina Bronya embed themselves in the lived experience of Elmina’s people.

This was more than the fall of a fortress. It was the beginning of a long, complex, and painful chapter of shared history one in which local agency, European ambition, and global trade intersected, leaving behind a legacy still evident in Elmina’s memoryscape today.