Willem Bosman (born 1672, died 1703 or 1704) was a Dutch merchant, writer, and company official best known for his influential book, Nauwkeurige Beschrijving van de Guinese Goud-, Tand- en Slavekust ("A Precise Description of the Coast of Guinea"), published in 1704. This work, later translated into English as A New and Accurate Description of the Coast of Guinea, remains one of the most detailed European accounts of West African coastal societies and the Atlantic slave trade during the early 18th century.

Bosman's writing provides a rare and extensive insight into the Gold Coast (modern-day Ghana) during the height of European trade and colonial activity, though it also reflects the biases and brutalities of his time, especially regarding the transatlantic slave trade.

Early Life and Career

Willem Bosman was born in 1672 in the Dutch Republic (modern Netherlands). Little is known about his family background, but like many young men from trading nations, he joined a powerful European chartered company at an early age.

At just 16 years old, in 1688, Bosman began his career with the Dutch West India Company (WIC)—a key player in European commerce, particularly in Africa, the Americas, and the Caribbean. He was stationed along the Gold Coast, a major hub of Dutch trade, and worked his way up through the ranks.

By the time he was in his late twenties, Bosman had become the head merchant (opperkoopman) at Elmina Castle, the Dutch administrative center on the West African coast. This role gave him firsthand experience of local politics, trade relations, European rivalries, and the operation of the slave trade.

The Gold Coast and Dutch Trade

During Bosman's tenure, the Gold Coast was a complex and competitive zone of interaction between European powers (Dutch, British, Danes, Portuguese) and powerful African states and traders. The region was known for its rich resources—gold, ivory, pepper, and increasingly, enslaved Africans, who were forcibly shipped across the Atlantic.

Bosman witnessed and participated in:

• The day-to-day operations of Elmina Castle, which functioned as both a trading post and a military fort.

• Interactions and treaties with African rulers, particularly the Fante and Akan peoples.

• The slave trade, including the procurement, inspection, and shipment of enslaved Africans to the Americas—a trade he wrote about in disturbing detail.

Though he viewed African societies through a Eurocentric and commercial lens, his observations included descriptions of languages, customs, religious practices, local markets, and even legal systems, making his writings an important—if problematic—source for historians.

Description of the Coast of Guinea (1704)

After returning to Europe around 1702 or 1703, Bosman compiled his observations and experiences into a comprehensive book, first published in Dutch in 1704. The English translation, released shortly thereafter, was titled:

A New and Accurate Description of the Coast of Guinea, Divided into the Gold, the Slave, and the Ivory Coasts.

The book was a combination of geography, ethnography, and commercial reporting. It covered:

• European forts and rivalries on the coast.

• Trade commodities and local economic systems.

• Detailed (and sometimes sensationalized) descriptions of African customs, governance, religion, and rituals.

• Firsthand accounts of the slave trade, which he described with chilling detachment.

Bosman's writing was widely read and remained the standard European reference on West Africa for decades, influencing perceptions of Africa among European scholars, traders, and colonial administrators.

Death and Historical Impact

Willem Bosman likely died around 1703 or early 1704, shortly after his return to the Netherlands and before the publication of his book. He would have been about 31 or 32 years old at the time of his death. Despite his relatively short life, the influence of his work has endured.

Historians today recognize Description of the Coast of Guinea as:

• A valuable primary source for understanding early 18th-century life on the Gold Coast.

• A document of colonial mentality, illustrating the attitudes and ideologies that underpinned European imperialism and slavery.

• An account containing rare observations on precolonial African societies—though filtered through colonial and racial biases.

His book is now studied critically, not only for its historical detail but also as part of the European intellectual and commercial legacy in Africa—a legacy that includes violence, exploitation, and cultural misunderstanding.

In Summary:

• Who: Willem Bosman (1672–c.1703/1704), Dutch trader and author.

• Known For: Writing Description of the Coast of Guinea (1704), a major early European account of the Gold Coast and slave trade.

• Career: Worked for the Dutch West India Company; rose to become head merchant at Elmina Castle on the Gold Coast.

• Legacy: His book became a standard reference on West Africa for Europeans; today, it is used as both a historical document and a lens into the colonial mindset of the early 18th century.