There is a long tradition of research into the mutual history of Ghana and the Netherlands, especially with respect to the Dutch participation in the Atlantic slave trade. The tradition includes the history of the forts and castles that dot Ghana's coast, and the wider presence of the Dutch in West Africa between the sixteenth and nineteenth century. This annotated guide to the Dutch archives on Ghana and West Africa in the Nationaal Archief offers a comprehensive overview of available sources. Part I describes the archival materials in detail. Part II discusses the history of the Dutch in Ghana and selected themes from Ghanaâs history. A bibliography and a name, geographical, and thematical index conclude the guide.
Michel R. Doortmont, Ph.D. (1994) in History, Erasmus University Rotterdam, is Associate Professor in International Relations and Africa Studies at the University of Groningen. He has published extensively on urban elites in Ghana and Nigeria, and on the history of Ghana and the Dutch.
Jinna Smit, M.A. (1997) in History, University of Amsterdam, is currently working at the University of Amsterdam on the project Charters and Chancery of the Counts of Holland/Hainaut, 1299-1345 .
Recipient of the African Studies Associationâs 2008 Conover-Porter Award
Researchers of Ghanaian and West African history, Dutch colonial history, and the history of the Atlantic slave trade.