Stories and facts

It was one of several forts and castles along the Gold Coast that served as major hubs of the transatlantic slave trade.

The fort changed hands between the British, the Dutch, and the Danes over the years. It was initially built by the British in 1673 but was captured by the Dutch in 1679. Later, in 1682, it was recaptured by the British and renamed "James Fort" after King James II. In 1851, the fort was transferred to the Danes before eventually returning to British control in 1868.

Although talks to establish a Dutch fort there started in 1610, they did not succeed until much later. The Dutch West India Company first constructed a basic factory at Fort Crèvecoeur in 1642. In 1649, the building was expanded. It was named after Fort Crèvecoeur in the Dutch Republic's Hertogenbosch, which had been vital during the Siege of Hertogenbosch. Henry Caerlof, a Dutch envoy, cultivated cordial ties with the Dey of Fetu, who granted Caerlof permission to construct Osu Castle for the Swedish Africa Company in 1652.

With a small convoy of transports and commerce ships, Captain Thomas Shirley set off for the Dutch Gold Coast towards the end of 1781 aboard the frigate HMS Leander and the sloop-of-war Alligator. Shirley attempted to attack the Dutch garrison at Elmina on February 17 but was unsuccessful since Britain was at war with the Dutch Republic. The Dutch were able to repel Shirley's attack four days later. The next step was for Leander and Shirley to take control of the small Dutch forts at Mouri (Fort Nassau, 20 guns), Kormantine (Courmantyne or Fort Amsterdam, 32 guns), Apam (Fort Lijdzaamheid or Fort Patience, 22 guns), Senya Beraku (Berricoe, Berku, Fort Barracco or Fort Goede Hoop, 18 guns), and Accra (Fort Crèvecoeur, 32 guns). Shirley had guards from Cape Coast Castle guard such buildings.

On the coast of Ghana, Europeans constructed a total of 27 forts. The Portuguese lost two forts to the Dutch, who constructed nine more themselves. Before 1660, the British constructed ten. Only 11 of these forts remain in decent condition today. UNESCO and the European Commission are funding the restoration of Ussher Fort. It will be transformed into an international documentation centre and museum.

The fort's grounds serve as a virtual host for the Chale Wote Festival. Every year, the Chale Wote Festival unites numerous talented individuals from across the continent and beyond, transforming Accra into a vibrant hub for street art and creativity.