On 6 march 1957 the former gold coast colony came to the end of its road to independence and celebrated its entry into the family of autonomous nations as the state of ghana. This volume is one in a continuing series of books prepared by the federal. The first section of the book covers the beginnings of precolonial. The standards in the collection are for the primary and middle school levels. It was controlledby sundiata in 1240 ad, and absorbed into the larger mali empire. Land and people modern ghana comprises the former british colony of the gold coast and the former mandated territory of british togoland. This former british colony of 92,000 square miles about 238,000 square kilometers shares boundaries with three frenchspeaking nations. By the midnineteenth century, the british had emerged as the dominant european power, creating the gold coast colony in 1874. They encountered a variety of african kingdoms, some of which controlled substantial deposits of gold in the soil. Ghana succumbed to attacks by its neighbors in the 11th century, but its name and reputation endured. The name ghana, which in the mande language means war chief, was taken from the ancient western sudanese empire called ghana, which rose and fell between ad 500 and ad 1250 in the area. Ghana, again because of its wealth in gold, exchanged gold for slaves, beads, cotton, cloth and palm oil from the benin state in modern nigeria. It was the first subsaharan african nation to gain independence from foreign colonizers.
It was a british colony until march 6, 1957, when it became independent as the state of ghana. The republic of ghana is named after the medieval ghana empire of west africa. Gold coast british colony, history of ghana 19661979. After world war ii an increasingly more effective nationalist movement challenged british rule, and in 1957 ghana became independent. Gold mining has, for a long time, been one of the most important economic activities in ghana. This was a history moment for the people of ghana as well as for. The gold coast crown colony, on the gulf of guinea coast, was established in 1874 in fante and ga lands near the british coastal trading forts. Whether discussing the asante kingdom and the gold coasts importance to european commerce and transatlantic slaving, ghanas brief period under british colonial rule, or the emergence of its modern democracy, the volumes eighty. Ghana, formerly the gold coast, has been associated with gold from time immemorial. In 1957, when the leaders of the former british colony of the gold coast sought an appropriate name for their newly independent statethe first black african nation to gain its independence from colonial rulethey named their new country after ancient ghana. In 1957 the colony gained independence under the name of ghana. But this scheme in itself is insufficient to solve the many and pressing prob lems of the gold coast.
Whether discussing the asante kingdom and the gold coast s importance to european commerce and transatlantic slaving, ghana s brief period under british colonial rule, or the emergence of its modern democracy, the volumes eighty. They built their first castle in 1482 and named the region gold coast for the. A history of the gold coast accessrestricteditem true. Take a close look at the coast of ghana, and you will find myriad ancient castles and forts. Ghana achieved independence within the commonwealth on 6 march 1957. Edusaeyison historical development and legal status of the church the genesis of wesleyan missionary activities in the gold coast, now ghana 1835f, and the arrival and work of the rev. Libraryofcongress cataloginginpublicationdata ghana. The materials in parts i and ii have been predominantly descriptive, placing the gold coast in both historical and modern settings.
Whether discussing the asante kingdom and the gold coasts importance to european commerce and transatlantic slaving, ghanas brief period under british. The history of the methodist church ghana by joseph m. Ghana history background education, coast, schools, and. Two old postcards from sekondi, western region of today ghana. The world, which is showing an everincreasing consciousness of african affairs, has evinced much interest in this new state, the first british colony in tropical africa. The gold coast was a british colony on the gulf of guinea in west africa from 1867 to its independence as the nation of ghana in 1957. The republic of ghana is named after themedieval ghana empire of west africa. Kamsler 111015 collection scope and content note the collection consists of practical manuals given to missionaries as a standard for teaching africans from ghana gold coast. Gocking provides a historical overview of ghana from the emergence of precolonial states through increasing contact with europeans that led to the establishment of formal colonial rule by great britian at the end of the 19th century. Shama on the ghana coast was the entrepot of trade. True, there is a project to dam the volta river and thus to generate electric power and construct an aluminium smelter. Republic of ghana in africa, ghana ranks 24th by size out of 54 countries, 14th by population and th by population density.
Castles such as elmina, cape coast and ussher fort have been turned into museums and offer guided tours. Kente cloth network computer systems, ltd via ghana. Accra, ghana, africa, postcards ca 1908, gold coast w. The history of ghana in a snap the history of ghana goes far back into the th century. Page 2 the same shall exist between the subjects of the kings of ashantee and dwabin, and all nations of africa residing under the protection of the companys forts and settlements on the gold coast, and, it is hereby agreed, that there are no palavers now existing, and that neither party has. It is an historical overview the kind that every library needs as basic, general academic research material. Gold weight in the form ofa portrait mask asante third edition, first printing, 1995. Try searching on jstor for other items related to this book. Their intention to establish schools was expressed in imperial instructions. In fante confederacy in what is now southern ghana. Gold coast and ghana old africa pictures and history. A new name of great resonance in african history is adopted ghana although the ancient kingdom of that name was far to the north, in presentday mali. Covering 500 years of ghanas history, the ghana reader provides a multitude of historical, political, and cultural perspectives on this iconic african nation. The name ghana was derived from the medieval mali empire which was also known as the ghana empire of west africa.
Ghanas history part 2 the gold coast 19662000 youtube. Ghana, formerly known as the gold coast, was the first african country to the south of the sahara to gain political independence from colonial rule in 1957. The republic of ghana was formerly known as the gold coast until midnight march 6th 1957, when it was liberated from the hands of the british. Although relatively small in area and population, ghana is one of the leading countries of africa and is celebrated for its rich history. Most of my favorite books on ghana and west africa were found there, while i lived there. List of books and articles about ghana history online. It starts in the precolonial period, then the incursion by the traders of the west followed by their gradual domination until full blown colonial rule was established. Modernday ghana was formed when the britishadministered part of togoland voted to join the gold coast in an independent state, in a unsupervised plebiscite in may 1956. Ghana, the road to independence, 19191957 uniform title. The beautyful ones are not yet born by ayi kwei armah, ama ata aidoos changes. In 1960 ghana became a republic, with nkrumah as president, and in 1964 a oneparty state, the cpp being. Any of the main book shops, but especially the bookshops in the 3 main universities in accralegon, kumasi, and cape coast are the best places to find books published in ghana and elsewhere on ghana. The earliest history of formal, westernstyle education in ghana is directly associated with the history of european activities on the gold coast. The mighty asante empire to the north was conquered and made read more.
A short history of ghana from earliest times until 1980. In the 15th century, the first europeans arrived in the area that had come to be known as the gold coast, the name the region would keep until it regained independence in 1957. Ethnically, ghana is divided into small groups speaking more than 50 languages and dialects. In 1471, the portuguese invaded this area and became involved. Today 30odd surviving forts, castles and former trading posts can be found along ghanas coast, many bearing witness to the largest forced migration in history and to the atrocities humanity is capable of committing. In 1918, the eastern part of gold coast german togoland became officially a part of the country. The gold coast of africa the gold coast, now known as ghana, is one of many civilizations of africa. By the midnineteenth century, the british had emerged as the dominant european power. Gold coast to ghana in accepting the british governments offer of 1951 to make him leader of a government pledged to an eventual african independence nkrumah told his voters. The history of ghana is in the series greenwood histories of the modern nations. For news about ghana, see accraexpats how to guide page how to keep posted with ghana news official name. Finally there came emancipation and the evolution of modern ghana. Ghana s population is concentrated along the coast and in the principal cities of accra and kumasi.
Ghana history background education, coast, schools. Ghanas history part 2 the gold coast 19662000 the sequel to ghanas history the gold coast colonial independence from britain. The portuguese were the first europeans to arrive at the guinea coast in 1471. The gold they found was so fine that it fetched a premium price in europe. Ghana was the title of the kings who ruled the kingdom.
Marking the beginning of the slaves perilous journey during the era of the slave trade, these fortresses were the last memory slaves had of their homeland before being shipped off across the atlantic, never to return again. In the 11th and 12th centuries, the ghana empire began mining and trading gold, and in the th century the empire was conquered by the kingdom of melle. Colonial rule transformed what was known as the gold coast economically, socially, and politically, but it contained the seeds of its own demise. A political and economic history of ghana, 19572003. In 1471, the portuguese invaded this area and became involved in gold trade, giving the region the name, the gold coast. Ghana, country of western africa, situated on the coast of the gulf of guinea.
Gold coast remained the name of this country until at independence, when the leaders of the independence struggle adopted the name ghana in place of gold coast. A love story, and my first coup detat by john dramani mahama. Most ghanaians descended from migrating tribes that probably came down the volta river valley at the beginning of the th century. History of british gold coast the british colony in west africa, 18211957 the gold coast was a british colony on the gulf of guinea in west africa that became the independent nation of ghana in 1957. Homegoing a brief history of ghana and the gold coast. A brief history of ghana spainexchange country guide. A history of the gold coast accessrestricteditem true addeddate 20190517 12. History of ashanti kings and the whole country itself and other writings, by. Ghana, officially republic of ghana, republic 2015 est. Read more about the shocking history of ghanas slave fortresses and their.
Data on ghana introduction in addition to the data below, the links at the bottom of this page will provide you with more information. Covering 500 years of ghana s history, the ghana reader provides a multitude of historical, political, and cultural perspectives on this iconic african nation. Com, accra, ghana these web pages have not been updated since 1995. A study of the independence movement in ghana sit digital. Page 2 the same shall exist between the subjects of the kings of ashantee and dwabin, and all nations of africa residing under the protection of the companys forts and settlements on the gold coast, and, it is hereby agreed, that there are no palavers now existing, and that neither party has any claim upon the other. Book description events affecting the shape of modern ghana can be dated back to the 14th and 15th centuries, when the guinea coast came into contact with various merchantile companies. Education, history, culture, scholarly associations.
The first section of the book covers the beginnings of precolonial statehood in the area of west africa that would become ghana. It is supposed that the highly prized aggrey beads found in the gold coast. The three colors of the flag red, green, and black and the black star in the middle are all symbolic of the panafricanist movement. All texts of this book are extracted from wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. The gold coast presentday ghana was comprised of the gold coast colony, bordering the gulf of guinea, and two inland territories, ashanti and the northern territories protectorate.
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