Historical Event
Ouidah as a major slave trade port
Ouidah, in present-day Benin, was one of West Africa's most active slave trade ports, controlled successively by the Kingdom of Whydah and then the Kingdom of Dahomey. An estimated one million or more enslaved Africans passed through Ouidah's Route des Esclaves to its own 'Door of No Return' memorial on the Atlantic coast.
Why This Matters
Ouidah's scale of trafficking and its Vodun religious traditions directly shaped Haitian Vodou and Brazilian Candomblé, making it a critical departure point for understanding surviving African spiritual practices in the Americas.
Related People
No People Connected
This event has not yet been connected to historical figures.
Related Heritage Sites
Related Lessons
The Code Noir: France's Distinct Legal Approach to Slavery
Unit 2
The Dutch Difference: Curacao's Trade and Suriname's Maroons
Unit 2
Where the Trade Actually Went
Unit 2
The Legacy — Cotton Kingdom & the Missouri Compromise (1815–1820)
Unit 3.5
Fedon's Rebellion: Grenada's Attempt to Become 'Another Haiti'
Unit 4
Related Journeys
No Journeys Connected
This event has not yet been connected to discovery journeys.