While the transatlantic slave trade devastated millions, not every African society participated equally. The Kingdom of Appolonia, in present-day southwestern Ghana, stands apart as a remarkable outlier, trading only 352 captives across four centuries of Atlantic slavery—a fraction compared to neighboring port towns that shipped hundreds of thousands. Researchers attribute this to Appolonia’s gold-and-ivory-based economy and a sacred ritual covenant, the amonle, which prohibited the sale of its subjects and refugees. A historian specializing in West African history spent nearly a decade uncovering this story. Appolonia’s unique legacy raises complex and unresolved questions about historical justice and reparations, challenging simplistic perpetrator-versus-victim narratives surrounding one of history’s greatest crimes.
The Conversation