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