Heritage Site- Fort George Flashcards
Explain the construction of Fort George
In 1804, Sir Thomas Hislop, Governor of Trinidad, commissioned the construction of Fort George or La Vigie in St James to defend the city of POS
This fort was constructed by the
“colonial/King’s negroes” who were essentially enslaved men owned by the colonial government and who were used for public works
Who was instrumental in the building of the fort
One of the most prominent Muslim African, Jonas Bath
Originally enslaves, Jonas had bought his freedom by
1805
In 1805 he was given
commission, not only to construct the fort but also to build the access road to it
What did Jonas do
He toiled tirelessly amongst his people, the Mandingo, ensuring that they worked together to buy the freedom of all Mandingos
Jonas was also instrumental in
sending several petitions signed by himself and other Mandingos to the Secretary of State for the Colonies, demanding repatriation
July 1881
In July 1881, Asante Prince Kofi Nti of the Asante Kingdom in West Africa arrived in Trinidad having become a ward of the British government after a war against the Asante in 1872
more about the prince
In 1883, he designed and built the Signal Station at the fort
How old is the signal station by the Asante people now
140 years
Prince 2023
In 2023, His Majesty Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, the current Asantehene of the Asante Kingdom, was invited to TT by the Prime Minister the Honourable Keith Rowley
Why was Otumfuo invited
to participate in the annual Pan African Festival TT Commemorating Emancipation
While in Trinidad, His Majesty
visited the fort in recognition of the Asante Prince Kofi Nti who was a son of the Ashanti Kingdom
What was done in 1965
Major restoration of the Fort, which provides imposing views of the capital city, POS, was done in 1965
