Ashanti, the most powerful state of the…

Ashanti, the most powerful state of the Akan interior during most of the nineteenth century, seeks to expand its rule and to promote and protect its trade.

The first Ashanti invasion of the coastal regions takes place in 1807; the Ashanti move south again in 1811 and in 1814.

These invasions, though not decisive, disrupt  trade in such products as gold, timber, and palm oil, and threaten the security of the European forts.

Local British, Dutch, and Danish authorities are all forced to come to terms with Ashanti, and in 1817 the African Company of Merchants signs a treaty of friendship that recognizes Ashanti claims to sovereignty over large areas of the coast and its peoples.