The following are some general dates for the history of Allada, ending with its conquest by Dahomey in the 1720s. The dates are all drawn from Robin Law's The Kingdom of Allada and The Slave Coast of West Africa, 1550-1750: The Impact of the Atlantic Slave Trade on an African Society. Researching the history of Allada is quite difficult, although we have scarcely scratched the surface. Jacques Lombard and Robin Law are good to start with, but from consulting their sources and references to oral traditions, much of Allada's early history is difficult to reconstruct.
c. 1485: map of Pedro Reinel shows Allada
1540/1 (or 1551/52): Allada ambassador to Portugal, Dom Adȃo. Allada king interested in trade and Christianity
1539: Portuguese report on Benin mentions kingdom of Allada's ambassadors mistreated by the oba
1553: Portuguese attempt to trade at Popo
mid-1560s: appearance of "Arara" captives among African slaves in Peru
1570: Allada marked on Portuguese maps
1591: James Welsh destroyed a Portuguese ship anchored at Allada
1602: Account of Pieter de Marees published
1607: Portuguese source estimated value of trade at Allada as 800,000 reis
c.1610: Kokpon king of Allada (Lombard's reckoning)
1620: Report mentions Allada, as well as Benin, Ijebu, and Calabar as "friends" of Portugal. One or two ships were sent annually from Sao Tome to trade at Allada for slaves, yams, palm oil, ivory and cotton cloth.
1622: Dutch ship came to Allada, but didn't stay to trade.
1627: Alonso de Sandoval's work mentioning Allada traditions published
1639: Dutch West India Company establish a factory in Allada
1646/47: Dutch bring an Allada native to the Gold Coast to train as an interpreter. The man dies.
1647: Dutch WIC in negotiations with Allada king over his debts to the company
1653/54: English ship purchased 170 slaves at Allada
1657: Bans, or Vans, arrived in Cartagena as ambassador of the king of Allada,
1658: Publication in Madrid of a catechism in the language of Allada
1659: One source claims Allada was subject to or a vassal of Benin
1659/60: WIC establish a lodge in Allada once again
1660/61: Capuchin mission to Allada
1663: English company, Company of the Royal Adventurers of England Trading into Africa, established a factory in Allada
1664: An English letter addressed to the king of Allada, but never arrives
1668: Publication of Dapper's account
1670: Allada sends Mateo Lopes to France as its ambassador
1671: French factory transferred from Offra to Whydah; Allada and Benin reportedly at war
1672: Publication of Joseph de Naxara work alluding to Allada
1679: Trade in Allada disrupted by war (possibly Offra rebellion)
1680: Contact between Allada and Gold Coast disrupted by "Lampi Black" bandits, led by Aban
1682: Report mentions imports of cloth in Ape from Benin (or Lagos area)
1688: One account claims Allada's rule extended further west, once encompassing Great and Little Popo and Whydah
1690s: Dutch account on Benin kingdom refers to use of Allada women to brew maize beer there
1692: Destruction of Offrah by Allada (through the use of foreign mercenaries)
1694: "King Tom" of Allada was exiled and living in Whydah, banished for alleged crimes
1698: Oyo war with Allada after subjects of the latter appealed to Oyo (due to misgovernment by viceroys of Allada)
1703: Dutch WIC moved factory to Whydah
1704: Publication of Bosman's work
1705: Allada trade embargo on Whydah
1709: Allada blocked trade to Whydah
1714: Allada king tried to redirect slave trade through Jakin instead of Whydah
1715: Apa's ruler said to be too far to be compelled to obey Allada
1716: Report suggests Dahomey was former vassal of Allada
1717: Death of Allada king reported
1718: King of Allada forced an English captain to buy 20 slaves of his
1722: Hussar in alliance with Agaja of Dahomey; king of Allada, claiming the English were indebted to him, made Bulfinch Lambe a prisoner
1724: Dahomey's conquest of Allada; King Sozo said to have raised 50,000 troops to face Dahomey
1726: Hussah of Allada said in one source to have solicited the Oyo invasion of Dahomey in his bid to regain Allada
1730: Agaja of Dahomey settled in Allada, but at new site near Togudo
1743: Tegbesu moved Dahomey capital back to Abomey from Allada
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