114:. The Dutch, in contrast simply saw it as a secondary port to support its other operations in the area. In this situation, Cabess moved to Komenda in the 1670s to work with the British attempts to establish trade relationships in the port. The primary African merchant to the British in the port was a trader named Captain Bracon in the 1670s; however, by 1686, Cabess had taken over this position.
131:
negotiating leverage in his relationship with the
British which sometimes resulted in tense relations. In 1687, tensions between Cabess and the Royal African Company representative in the fort, William Cross, resulted in Cross being forcibly removed from the post. Similar situations occurred in 1698 and 1714, both times with the British representative being replaced at the request of Cabess.
189:
Cabess died in June 1722 in
Komenda. The British and Dutch feared a large succession struggle by the many heirs of Cabess. The RAC administrators dispatched an officer to provide gifts to those members most likely to take the place of Cabess. His body was buried at the British fort in Komenda after
176:
Economic importance translated into increasing political importance and Cabess became the virtual leader of
Komenda, which began to be less a subordinate to the city of Eguafo and gradually became an equal. In addition, Cabess begun owning significant land around Komenda that he directly controlled.
172:
The economic position of Cabess brought him into conflict with the
British in the early 1700s with him and the British commander at the fort, Dalby Thomas, becoming quite hostile to one another by 1705. However, although he traded with the Dutch, he remained a significant British ally for the rest of
109:
in the 1660s. The older
Cabessa was most noted in British reports for committing suicide rather than become a captive while the Dutch were attacking Fort Amsterdam. The city of Komenda, part of the Kingdom of Eguafo, had become a major trade port in the later parts of the 17th century. The British
140:
by the Dutch, a practice common in the area where merchants and traders would be captured by other merchant forces and their goods would be taken. The
British merchants secured Cabess' release and according to some accounts this is what precipitated his attack on Dutch miners in 1694 which started
130:
His refusal to trade with the Dutch significantly slowed their ability to build facilities and when the French took an interest in developing a factory at
Komenda they offered Cabess a significant amount of gold to help them in the project (a deal which was never finalized). Cabess had significant
122:
By the 1680s, Cabess had established himself as a key merchant in
Komenda. Henige speculates that Cabess came to Komenda between 1683 and 1685. A British trader emphasized his control over trade and relations in the port by exclaiming that without Cabess in Komenda "nothing will be done." At this
160:
in trade along the coast, Cabess became a crucial middleman in the port city. British traders complained that Cabess would prevent traders from directly entering
Komenda and instead intercept them outside of the city trading for their goods and then charging a higher rate to the British, while
177:
Originally, he controlled a few huts around the
British fort, but by 1714 this included a sizable area. At the time of his death, he largely held sovereign power along the coast and had become the possessor of his own stool (a symbol of leadership among the
152:(1694-1700), Cabess provided crucial assistance to the British position and actively supported their return to Komenda. In 1694 and 1695, Cabess attacked the Dutch fort on multiple occasions and during negotiations with the Dutch commander,
173:
his life and the tension quickly decreased. This economic position also introduce rivalries with other African powers: a series of hostile activities between Twifo and Cabess in 1714 required the adjudication of Ashanti diplomats.
145:. In 1690 during a war between the Dutch and French trading companies, the British factory was burnt down and they left the area. Cabess therefore began supplying goods and manpower to the Dutch.
169:
able to manage contacts with multiple sellers and multiple buyers but keeping them from directly contacting each other and thus centralizing buying and selling within his control.
105:
John Cabess was born sometime in the 1640s or 1650s. It is believed that he was the son of John Cabessa, who had been a prominent African official working for the British at
190:
a public viewing of his body. His son Ahenaqua took over much of the trade and political power of Cabess, without a recorded succession struggle, and until the chiefs at
127:
in Komenda and elsewhere along the coast. Eventually, Cabess became a major slave trader out of the port of Komenda supplying thousands of slaves on a continual basis.
70:
708:
81:. As a trader, he became a strong economic and political force in the coastal region in the early 1700s, playing an active role in the
97:
in the 1700s. He died in 1722, but his heirs continued to exert economic power in the port for the remainder of the 18th century.
93:. Because of his combined economic and political power, historian Kwame Daaku named Cabess one of the "merchant princes" of the
698:
660:
550:
156:, the Dutch commander attempted to shoot Cabess but missed. With the end of the wars after 1700 and the rise of the
69:(also written as John Kabes or John Cabes) (c. 1640s – 1722) was a prominent African trader in the port city of
703:
569:
688:
110:
and French wanted to get a foothold in the port in order to break the Dutch monopoly over trade in the
562:
Trade and politics on the Gold Coast, 1600-1720: a study of the African reaction to European trade
592:
Henige, David (1977). "John Kabes of Komenda: An Early African Entrepreneur and State Builder".
106:
124:
78:
693:
207:
90:
8:
111:
94:
89:, the expansion of British involvement in West Africa, and the beginnings of large-scale
639:
212:
123:
point, he provided shells, food, and manpower for fort and factory construction by the
656:
643:
565:
546:
194:
became predominant over Komenda in the mid-1700s, the main official at Komenda, the
631:
601:
217:
157:
86:
605:
682:
153:
149:
142:
82:
635:
178:
579:
Henige, David (1974). "Komenda Fort in 1778: Commentary on a Document".
622:
Law, Robin (2007). "The Komenda Wars, 1694-1700: a Revised Narrative".
191:
136:
198:, governed on what was known as "the stool of the late John Cabess."
162:
166:
161:
keeping some of the best goods for himself. Cabess then became a
77:. He was a major British ally and was a supplier to the British
545:. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania: University of Pennsylvania Press.
265:
74:
543:
Entangled Empires: The Anglo-Iberian Atlantic, 1500-1830
348:
346:
321:
319:
306:
304:
377:
375:
373:
495:
471:
519:
483:
459:
435:
423:
399:
343:
316:
301:
241:
507:
370:
229:
181:), which would later be passed to his descendants.
540:
447:
411:
387:
358:
331:
277:
271:
253:
672:Warfare and Diplomacy in Pre-Colonial West Africa
680:
289:
581:Transactions of the Historical Society of Ghana
117:
73:, part of the Eguafo Kingdom, in modern-day
650:
501:
325:
681:
591:
578:
525:
513:
489:
477:
465:
441:
429:
405:
381:
352:
337:
310:
283:
259:
247:
669:
615:The English in West Africa, 1685-1688
559:
453:
235:
709:18th-century American slave traders
621:
612:
564:. London: Oxford University Press.
417:
393:
364:
295:
13:
541:Canizares-Esguerra, Jorge (2018).
14:
720:
653:The Slave Ship: A Human History
617:. London: The British Academy.
594:The Journal of African History
1:
534:
100:
60:Prominent merchant in Komenda
699:18th-century Ghanaian people
7:
674:. London: James Currey Ltd.
201:
10:
725:
118:Merchant Prince at Komenda
670:Smith, Robert S. (1976).
606:10.1017/s0021853700015206
56:
48:
36:
28:
21:
651:Rediker, Marcus (2007).
223:
184:
52:John Kabes or John Cabes
272:Canizares-Esguerra 2018
704:African slave traders
636:10.1353/hia.2007.0010
560:Daaku, Kwame (1970).
125:Royal African Company
79:Royal African Company
655:. New York: Viking.
208:Atlantic slave trade
134:In 1688, Cabess was
91:Atlantic slave trade
689:17th-century births
613:Law, Robin (2001).
213:Anglo-Ashanti wars
85:, the rise of the
624:History in Africa
64:
63:
716:
675:
666:
647:
618:
609:
588:
575:
556:
529:
523:
517:
511:
505:
499:
493:
487:
481:
475:
469:
463:
457:
451:
445:
439:
433:
427:
421:
415:
409:
403:
397:
391:
385:
379:
368:
362:
356:
350:
341:
335:
329:
323:
314:
308:
299:
293:
287:
281:
275:
269:
263:
257:
251:
245:
239:
233:
218:History of Ghana
49:Other names
19:
18:
16:African merchant
724:
723:
719:
718:
717:
715:
714:
713:
679:
678:
663:
572:
553:
537:
532:
524:
520:
512:
508:
500:
496:
488:
484:
476:
472:
464:
460:
452:
448:
440:
436:
428:
424:
416:
412:
404:
400:
392:
388:
380:
371:
363:
359:
351:
344:
336:
332:
324:
317:
309:
302:
294:
290:
282:
278:
270:
266:
258:
254:
246:
242:
234:
230:
226:
204:
187:
120:
103:
44:
41:
24:
17:
12:
11:
5:
722:
712:
711:
706:
701:
696:
691:
677:
676:
667:
662:978-0143114253
661:
648:
619:
610:
589:
576:
570:
557:
551:
536:
533:
531:
530:
518:
506:
494:
482:
480:, p. 241.
470:
458:
446:
434:
422:
420:, p. 150.
410:
398:
396:, p. 145.
386:
369:
367:, p. 148.
357:
342:
330:
315:
313:, p. 242.
300:
288:
276:
264:
252:
250:, p. 5-6.
240:
238:, p. 115.
227:
225:
222:
221:
220:
215:
210:
203:
200:
186:
183:
158:Ashanti Empire
119:
116:
107:Fort Amsterdam
102:
99:
87:Ashanti Empire
62:
61:
58:
54:
53:
50:
46:
45:
42:
38:
34:
33:
32:1640s or 1650s
30:
26:
25:
22:
15:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
721:
710:
707:
705:
702:
700:
697:
695:
692:
690:
687:
686:
684:
673:
668:
664:
658:
654:
649:
645:
641:
637:
633:
629:
625:
620:
616:
611:
607:
603:
599:
595:
590:
587:(2): 241–245.
586:
582:
577:
573:
567:
563:
558:
554:
552:9780812249835
548:
544:
539:
538:
528:, p. 14.
527:
522:
515:
510:
504:, p. 85.
503:
498:
492:, p. 12.
491:
486:
479:
474:
468:, p. 13.
467:
462:
455:
450:
444:, p. 16.
443:
438:
432:, p. 10.
431:
426:
419:
414:
408:, p. 11.
407:
402:
395:
390:
383:
378:
376:
374:
366:
361:
355:, p. 15.
354:
349:
347:
339:
334:
328:, p. 84.
327:
322:
320:
312:
307:
305:
298:, p. 75.
297:
292:
285:
280:
274:, p. 50.
273:
268:
261:
256:
249:
244:
237:
232:
228:
219:
216:
214:
211:
209:
206:
205:
199:
197:
193:
182:
180:
174:
170:
168:
164:
159:
155:
154:Willem Bosman
151:
146:
144:
139:
138:
132:
128:
126:
115:
113:
108:
98:
96:
92:
88:
84:
80:
76:
72:
68:
59:
55:
51:
47:
39:
35:
31:
27:
20:
671:
652:
627:
623:
614:
597:
593:
584:
580:
561:
542:
521:
516:, p. 5.
509:
502:Rediker 2007
497:
485:
473:
461:
456:, p. 8.
449:
437:
425:
413:
401:
389:
384:, p. 9.
360:
340:, p. 8.
333:
326:Rediker 2007
291:
286:, p. 7.
279:
267:
262:, p. 4.
255:
243:
231:
195:
188:
175:
171:
150:Komenda Wars
147:
143:Komenda Wars
135:
133:
129:
121:
104:
83:Komenda Wars
66:
65:
694:1722 deaths
630:: 133–168.
600:(1): 1–19.
526:Henige 1977
514:Henige 1977
490:Henige 1977
478:Henige 1974
466:Henige 1977
442:Henige 1977
430:Henige 1977
406:Henige 1977
382:Henige 1977
353:Henige 1977
338:Henige 1977
311:Henige 1974
284:Henige 1977
260:Henige 1977
248:Henige 1977
179:Akan people
163:monopsonist
148:During the
67:John Cabess
23:John Cabess
683:Categories
571:019821653X
535:References
454:Smith 1976
236:Daaku 1970
192:Cape Coast
167:monopolist
112:Gold Coast
101:Background
95:Gold Coast
57:Occupation
644:165858500
137:panyarred
418:Law 2007
394:Law 2007
365:Law 2007
296:Law 2001
202:See also
196:Caboceer
71:Komenda
43:Komenda
659:
642:
568:
549:
640:S2CID
224:Notes
185:Death
75:Ghana
657:ISBN
566:ISBN
547:ISBN
165:and
141:the
40:1722
37:Died
29:Born
632:doi
602:doi
685::
638:.
628:34
626:.
598:18
596:.
585:15
583:.
372:^
345:^
318:^
303:^
665:.
646:.
634::
608:.
604::
574:.
555:.
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.