What is William Winniett?
{{no sources|date=February 2025}} Sir William Robert Wolseley Winniet was a British [[Governor]] who was born in [[Nova Scotia]] and died in [[Ghana]]. Winniet was known for his efforts to end the [[slave trade]] in [[West Africa]]. ==Early Life== Winniett was born in [[Nova Scotia]] in 1793. When he was 14 years old he joined the [[Royal Navy]]. When he was 16 years old, he started to [[fight]] for the [[British Empire]] against the forces of [[Napoleon]] in the [[Caribbean]]. When Winniett was 21 he started to fight for the [[British Empire]] against the [[United States]] in the [[War of 1812]] under the [[command]] of Sir [[Alexander Cochrane]] who offered to grant [[freedom]] to any [[slave]]s who were willing to fight for the [[British Empire]] against the [[United States]] in the [[War of 1812]]. Winniett finished fighting under Cochrane’s command when he was 22. When Winniett was 25 years old, he was sent to [[Africa]] to try to end the [[slave trade]]. ==African Naval Career== Winniett was a [[commander]] in the British [[Royal Navy]] trying to [[end]] the [[slave trade]] in [[Africa]]. And he continued this until 1842. ==Governorship== In 1845, Winniett was appointed [[Governor]] of the Gold Coast which is now [[Ghana]]. In 1847, Winniett went to what is now [[Benin]] to try to convince the people there to end the [[slave trade]]. In 1848, Winniett used the [[West]] [[India]] [[Regiment]] to overthrow a [[king]] named Kwaku Akka. Winniett then tried to convince [[King]] [[Ghezo]] of the [[Dahomey]] to stop the Dahomey [[slave trade]] and [[ban]] [[human sacrifice]]. Winniett also bought the [[The Netherlands|Dutch]] [[fortress]]es on the [[West Africa]]n [[coast]] so that he could end the [[The Netherlands|Dutch]] [[slave trade]]. ==Knighthood== In 1849, Winniett was [[knight]]ed by [[Queen Victoria]]. ==Death== Winniett died in [[Ghana]] in 1850. {{bio-stub}} [[Category:Governors]]