Company of Adventurers Trading to Africa (Cromwell the Great)

The Company of Adventurers Trading to Africa (CATA) is a chartered mercantile company set up by London merchants to trade along the west coast of Africa. It was established in 1665, merged with the Gambia Merchants' Company in the new CATA in 1672 with a new a second charter that ended its monopoly.

Its original purpose was to exploit the gold fields up the Gambia River, which were identified by Prince Rupert during the British Civil War. However, it was soon engaged in the slave trade as well as with other commodities.

The first Charter of the company granted it a monopoly over Commonwealth trade with West Africa. With the help of the Army and Navy, it established forts on the West African coast that served as staging and trading stations and was responsible for seizing any Commonwealth ships that attempted to operate in violation of the company's monopoly.

The company continued operations for the next years, with backers including the Society for Promoting and Improving Knowledge, with operations including engaging in the West African slave trade until it folded in the 1670s. The company's operations merged in 1672 with those of the Gambia Merchants' Company into the new company of the CATA, with a new and broader commonwealth charter that allowed it set up forts, factories, troops and to exercise martial law in West Africa, in pursuit of trade in gold, silver and slaves; Prince Rupert was the third named member of the company's executive committee.