Middlemen and Intermediaries: The Role of Coastal Elites
Coastal groups like the Fante became intermediaries between European traders and interior Asante merchants. These middlemen profited from both ends, extracting tolls and commissions. However, Asante merchants increasingly bypassed middlemen, trading directly with Europeans at Elmina, threatening coastal group prosperity.
Tension and Conflict
The rise of direct Asante-European trade threatened coastal mercantile interests. Coastal groups sometimes allied with European traders against Asante interests, eventually creating conflicts that drew European powers into West African politics militarily.
