Ghana Independence Test (days 1-5)

Ashanti

kingdom in 18th century Ghana. Traded with british, dutch, and danes. Very wealthy due to their slave trade and gold trade

Asantehene

King/Ruler of Ashanti

Golden Stool

Traditional Ashanti throne for the king

Southern Gold Coast

1874 - Southern regions of Ghana become a British colony after British invasion.

Gold Coast (1902)

1902 - Ashanti region becomes an official British colony, and northern regions become apart of the protectorate

Aborigines’ Rights Protection Society

1890s - first sign of nationalism in gold coast. ARPS was formed to protest the secession of unoccupied lands to britain

Jospeh E Casely-Hayford

Gold coast lawyer and nationalist who organized the National Congress of British West Africa

National Congress of British West Africa

formed in 1920, sent delegations to british opposing the lack of an electoral process(government representation) for West African colonies

Pan Africanism

Unification of all africans regardless of the African Diaspora. Supported by Marcus Garvey and W E B Du Bois

Sir Alan Burns

1941 - gold coast governor. created the Alan Burns constitution to quell nationalism in gold coast

Alan Burns Constitution

1946 - allowed for the election of 13 members in a 30 member legislative council. established executive and legislative council, but african participation was limited. paved way for 1951 constitution reforms

1948 Accra Riots

led by the UGCC, there were riots in Ghana’s capital of Accra. led to 29 deaths and 237 injuries. led to Arrest of the big 6 leaders including Kwame Nkrumah

United Gold Coast Convention

1947 - founded by African leaders like Kwame Nkrumah, against British rule

Convention People’s Party

1949 - formed by Kwame Nkrumah after his imprisonment. he split from UGCC for being too moderate.

Coussey Report

1948 - Sir Henley Coussey devised a report after the Accra riots, which gave africans greater representation in government. this was done to quell the uprising, but it didn’t advocate for Ghana’s self rule.

Positive Action Campaign

1950 - Nkrumah led non-violent resistance campaign against britain (inspired by Ghandi)

When did Ghana gain Independence?

March 6th, 1957.

What advantages did Ghana have at independence?

Ghana held large foreign currency reserves as the #1 cocoa producer worldwide. during independence they were able to double cocoa production. They also produced a lot of gold, timber, and bauxite, making Ghana a very rich country.

What was Nkrumah's vision for Africa?

Nkrumah elevated pan-africanism. He wanted all of Africa to be independent of French, British, and Spanish rule. He wanted a borderless and socialist Africa. Nkrumah held the All African People’s Conference to help achieve his vision.

What was Nkrumah’s aim for Ghana?

To industrialize Ghana and make it a socialist state. He wanted Ghana to be an African superpower

What actions did his government take regarding the economy?

They doubled the rate of Cocoa production, and expanded industries like forestry, cattle, and fisheries. They produced the Volta River Dam (Aka Akosombo Dam) to create electricity and irrigation.

How was Nkrumaism explained?

A blend of Marxism and Maoism. It promoted a free and united Africa with modern science and technology.

Why did corruption develop? What examples are there of corruption? What was the result of this corruption?

Corruption developed in Ghana as the state was given executive power and control over the country’s economy.

Industries were directly controlled by one corrupt official. government officials would take bribes from foreign companies to increase prices for infrastructure contracts. Foreign companies were responsible for building new schools, factories, etc, and would embezzle the money from these contracts.

This resulted in an authoritarian society similar to that of British Rule.

Volta River Project

1961-1965. created to provide electricity, but increased Ghana’s debt.

Education act of 1961

established free, universal, and compulsory education. Meant to decolonize africa and created an educated workforce.

Avoidance of Discrimination Act 1957

Nkrumah restricted the creation of political parties based on religious, racial, and ethnic differences. This essentially banned his political opposition

Preventive Detention Act 1958

Gave the executive branch (Nkrumah) power to imprison individuals without trial

1964 President for life

Nkrumah made Ghana a one-party state in 1964 and declared himself “President for Life”. This eventually led to him being overthrown in 1966.