A uniquely detailed account of the dynamics of Afro-European trade in two states on the western Slave Coast over three centuries and the transition from slave trade to legitimate commerce.

Introduction
The regional setting
The Atlantic connection: Little Popo and the rise of Afro-European trade, c.1600 to 1702
The era of the warrior kings, 1702 to 1772
The era of the traders, 1772 to c.1807
Disintegration and reconstitution: political developments, 1820s to 1870s
From slaves to palm oil: Afro-European trade, c.1807 to 1870s
Epilogue: The colonial partition and its consequences, 1870s to c.1900