 Fort Carolusborg | |
| Founded | 1649 (1649) |
|---|---|
| Founder | Louis De Geer |
| Defunct | 1663 (1663) |
| Headquarters | Hamburg,Stade,Gothenburg |
Key people | Laurens De Geer,Hendrik Carloff, |
| Products | tobacco,sugar,gold andAfrican slaves |
TheSwedish Africa Company (Swedish:Svenska Afrikanska Kompaniet) was aSwedish trading company, founded in 1649 on the initiative of theWalloon-Dutch merchantLouis De Geer and his son Laurens, for whom Sweden had become a second home. The primary interest of the company was the trade on theSwedish Gold Coast, notably the trade of human beings to be sold intoslavery in the Americas.[1]
In 1648 De Geer's charter on exporting Swedish copper ended. Along with his son Laurens, and with aroyal charter ofChristina I of Sweden he founded the Swedish Africa Company, but moved its base fromGothenburg toStade. The company was founded afterHendrik Carloff, a former high-ranking administrator of theDutch West India Company, had offered his help, promoting his good relation with a local chief.
Carloff was hired for three years as commander and director at a salary of one hundred guilders and an ounce of gold per month to cover the charges. He was embarking on theElbe and thence sailed to Africa. He arrived at the Gold Coast on 22 April 1650. Carloff signed a contract for the purchase of land with the chief ofEfutu. There was a conflict with theCompany of Merchants Trading to Guinea negotiating with Henniqua, a cousin of King of the Fetu about an English trading post. On 28 May 1650 both Sweden and the English signed a treaty with the chief. The English obtained the right to trade for only half a year.[2]
Carloff occupiedButre in 1650, Annemabo in 1651 and Orsou in 1652. On his return in September 1652 during theFirst Anglo-Dutch War, Carloff and his shipsChristina andNorthcoping, although neutral parties, became entangled in the conflict and were seized and taken toPlymouth.[3] His ships were transporting about twenty bags of gold and over 10,000elephant teeth.[4] The gold rings, necklaces and bracelets were taken to theTower of London. Meanwhile, his men started buildingFort Carolusborg and conqueredTacorary in 1653.[citation needed] In Sweden Carloff was promoted to general and knighted on 3 May 1654 under the name Carloffer. It seems he occupied Jumore (Fort Apollonia) and Cabo in 1655. In 1656Fort Batenstein was recaptured by the Dutch. In 1656 Carloff was accused of private trade.Johann Philipp von Krusenstjerna (1626–1659) took over the post of governor. Annoyed, Carloff left the colony and deserted to Denmark on 27 March 1657.
He then founded theDanish Africa Company and recaptured Carolusburg from the Swedes. Because of theDano-Swedish War he ordered to sell Carolusborg to the Dutch if the garrison entered into trouble.
The establishment of both the Swedish and Danish Africa Company should be seen in the light of the mismanagement of theDutch West India Company. This company went bankrupt in both 1636 and 1647, and was eventually dissolved in 1674.[5] Both the Swedish and the Danish company were founded by Dutchmen who tried to evade the West India Company's monopoly and used the company's mismanagement to make a private profit.
The Swedish Africa Company was formally abolished in 1663, after the West India Company paid compensatorydamages to the Swedes.
Former Swedishpossessions andcolonies | ||
|---|---|---|
| Europe |  | |
| Americas | ||
| Africa | ||
| Chartered companies | ||
