Alkemy, king of Adrat in Guinea, engraving, late 17th century, by Francois Gerard Jollain, in the Musee d'histoire de Nantes, in the Chateau des ducs de Bretagne, in Nantes, Pays de la Loire, France. In 1670 Alkemy sent an ambassador, Mateo Lopes, to France to agree a trade agreement with king Louis XIV. French ships were protected in Adrat (along the current coast of Benin and Togo) and Nantes slave ships profited hugely until 1724, when the kingdom of Adrat became part of Dahomey. The museum opened in 2007 and covers the history of Nantes, focusing on slavery, world wars, industrialisation and the chateau. Picture by Manuel Cohen
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