Little is known of the small african kingdoms in the region between the tano and volta rivers until the arrival of europeans in the 15th century. Evolution and change in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries by a. 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. A canadian born, british colonial administrator, he served as governor of the gold coast from 1919 1927. Ghanas history the gold coast colonial independence. This welcome capstone to the career of ray kea, now emeritus, reads as an ambitious extension of his prior work on the gold coast of west.
The records start in 1846, but ghana didnt have a trained statistician until 1949. Subsequently, the dutch seized most of these posts, while the rest were taken by the danes and germans. 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. Gocking provides a historical overview of ghana from the emergence of precolonial states. Ghana, formerly the gold coast, has been associated with gold from time immemorial. The gold they found was so fine that it fetched a premium price in europe.
History of ashanti kings and the whole country itself and other writings, by. This was a colony run by people who rarely had the knowledge to run it. The portuguese who came to ghana in the 15th century found so much. History edit edit source in the fifteenth and early sixteenth centuries, the portuguese established posts along the coast of ghana, then called the gold coast, in order to trade for gold, slaves, and raw materials of various sorts.
Many african people looked up to ghana with hope, confidence and pride. Petition of the principal mulatto females of the gold coast. Carl christian reindorf, a history of the gold coast and. Carl christian reindorf s history of the gold coast and asante has a special place in west african historiography. A history of the gold coast and ashanti from the earliest times to the commencement of the twentieth century. Ghana history background education, coast, schools. By the midnineteenth century, the british had emerged as the dominant european power, creating the gold coast colony in 1874. It is a fascinating story, elegantly told by a meticulous historian in a beautifully produced volume. While ghana was under colonial rule, it was known as the gold coast. 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. His contribution to the economic development of ghana is unparalleled in the history of ghana. Originally published in 1969, this book presents a historical geography of ghana from the earliest times onwards.
The name ghana was not proposed by jb danquah kwesi pratt. The grip of imperialism chief among these problems is that imperialism, with. The portuguese soon began to build several forts along what became known as the gold coast, where their gold was shopped to europe. Greenwood publishing group, 2005 history 331 pages. British colony of the gold coast becomes independent ghana on march 6. Gold mining has, for a long time, been one of the most important economic activities in ghana. By the 1920s the gold coast, while continuing to export some gold, was producing more than half of the worlds supply of cocoa.
Ghana, cocoa, colonialism and globalisation scielo sa. Colonial rule transformed what was known as the gold coast economically, socially, and politically, but it contained the seeds of its own demise. Homegoing a brief history of ghana and the gold coast. The ashanti nation was a loose group of fiefdoms, an ethnic subgroup that was formed in 17th century ghana as a trading coalition with the europeans. Protagonists efii and esi, the two halfsisters, come from warring states in 18th century ghana, the ashantis and the fantes.
The first europeans to arrive at the coast were the portuguese, in 1471. Ghanas history part 2 the gold coast 19662000 youtube. Bear friends, the sole object of this publication is, to call the attention of all you my friends and countiymen, to the study and collection of our history, and to create a basis for a future more complete history of the gold coast. With the wealth created by this great increase of trade, it was possible to provide modern transport facilitiesharbours, railways, roadsand. The gold coast corps had been recruited in the early 1830s for the defence of.
The rise of gold coast nationalism, 18501928 hardcover january 1, 1997 print length. Korlebu neuroscience foundation who was sir frederick. The recently implemented curriculum for secondary history in south african schools as set out in the. A survey of the gold coast and british togoland, 19191946. Permission is granted to copy, distribute andor modify this document under the terms of the gnu. Enactments of the ghana legislature are numbered consecutively beginning from act i. Ghana succumbed to attacks by its neighbors in the 11th century, but its name and reputation endured. How adu boahen unlocked ghanas history by cameron duodu. On 2nd april 1825 he made his famous proclamation as found in g. Kwame nkrumah first president of the republic of ghana, kwame nkrumah, 1961, ghana. It describes the people and their social organization, migrations, agriculture, artefacts, manufacturing and history. Ghana gold coast, 18461939 british online archives microform. The impact of their trading, religious and educational activities were so enormous that this chapter has presented a concise report on each participants role.
To the educated coinmiiiiity in the gold coast colony. At the start of the 19th century the asante empire was at its height, easily the most powerful state in west africa, an empire of over three million people in what is now ghana and then referred to as the gold coast. The postal history of gold coast smithsonian libraries. These are some of my favourite book collections on ghana form erly the gold coast a political history of ghana. This volume is one in a continuing series of books prepared by the federal. A history of the gold coast and ashanti 1915 davidson, basil. Elmina castle and its dark history of enslavement, torture.
Homegoing is set against the backdrop of the gold coast slave trade. 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. Today in history the gold coast regiment originated in security units formed in the 1850s in what is now ghana. Ghana gold coast, 18461939 british online archives. 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. The gold coast in the 1950s was a country with the highest level of education in the whole of subsaharan africa. This 500page book is a collection of round postal markings postmarks stamped on envelopes, from the gold coast region of africa modernday ghana. Carl finished work on his notable book, a history of the gold coast and asante in 1889. In early 1935, like most of us aspire, the visionary leader realised that more decisive efforts would be needed if he was ever to get to the united states. Such a work as writinga history of the gold coast would not have been difficult for such of our brethren as the late lamented typographical errors above are due to ocr software and dont occur in the book. Plantations and labor in the southeast gold coast the.
Gold coast british colony, history of ghana 19661979, elmina castle, ghana empire, ashanti empire, angloashanti wars, john kufuor, osei kofi tutu i, kofi abrefa busia, ignatius kutu acheampong alphascript publishing. This book is an instructive historical record of the first republic of ghana and the triumphs and tribulations of successive governments since 1950. In the transatlantic slave trade era, europeans identified the region as the gold coast because of the large supplies of and market for gold. Sir gordon guggisberg invested his life fully to lay a solid foundation upon which ghana has been built. This book is fascinating for its very readable study of the asante formerly ashanti tribe of modern day ghana, which actually had a standing army armed with muskets and organized along neoeuropean tactics, who dominated their tribal neighbors and gave the british army and its african conscripts a real run for their money over an approximate 100 year period. Feb 04, 2016 covering 500 years of ghana s history, the ghana reader provides a multitude of historical, political, and cultural perspectives on this iconic african nation. Covering 500 years of ghana s history, the ghana reader provides a multitude of historical, political, and cultural perspectives on this iconic african nation. As found in kwame arhin, gold mining and trading among the ashanti in ghana, journal des africanites 48. The history of ghana in a snap the history of ghana goes far back into the th century. Carl christian reindorf s history of the gold coast. Gold coast is a former british colony in west africa known today as the republic of ghana.
Whether discussing the asante kingdom and the gold coasts importance to european commerce and transatlantic slaving, ghanas brief period under british. Read download history of ghana pdf pdf book library. The cacao tree and its seedscocoa beanswere introduced in the 1870s. These statistics tell the history of ghana through its population data, accounts, and lists of the colonys officers. The history of the gold coast and asante wikipedia. Ghana contact with europe and its effects britannica. Numerous illustrative figures, appendices and a detailed bibliography are. Portuguese navigators, working their way down the west african coast, reach this area in 1471 and build a fortress at elmina in 1482. He completed his work in 1889 and published in 1895 in basel. History of the gold coast and asante, based on traditions. True, there is a project to dam the volta river and thus to generate electric power and construct an aluminium smelter. Thus claridges book, a history of the gold coast and ashanti, will be dealt with here with no. Ward, wrote in his 1948 book, history of the gold coast that the main ethnic groups of the gold coast among them the akan, the akwamu, the ga, and the ewe were relative newcomers to the country, and that there is no nation now dwelling in the gold coast which has been in the country longer than the european. Overall this is a fascinating book detailing the history of gold coasters ghanaians and european missionaries collaborating on the translation of the scriptures in ghana and togo beginning in the 15th century through the 20th century, with a glimpse into the 21st century as well.
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. Studies, african diaspora history, the history of ghana and the gold coast, the history of islam in africa, and asante history. Selected digitized books, available online, government. A history of the gold coast and ashanti from the earliest. The gold coast supplied many of the civil servants working in nigeria. The first europeans to arrive at the coast were the portuguese in 1471. Books on ghana, catalogue 104 michael gravesjohnston. 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. Jan 02, 2006 in later ghana history portuguese came in search of gold, which they found in abundance. The portuguese also gained great profit in the slave trade.
The english translation of the book was published in basel in 1895. This literary piece was originally written in the ga language. Aug 26, 20 the aggrey students society, formed in april, 1928, in america and the gold coast, and the aggrey house, achimota ghana, together with millions of africans and europeans who admire his noble achievements will always make aggrey immortal, and inspire those of later generations to further greatness. The work has been used as an authority in the law courts of ghana, where customs and their usages are relevant to interpretation of the law. 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. 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. The asante world 1st edition edmund abaka kwame osei. Pdf historical overview of traditional and modern gold. Armah, born in the gold coast now ghana, lives as something of a recluse in dakar, senegal. Gold coast was a british colony on the gulf of guinea in west mrica that became the independent nation of ghana in 1957. The rise of gold coast nationalism 18501928 by david kimble.
When in march, 1957, ghana became the first african country in colonial africa to achieve independence, the event was enthusiastically welcomed by millions of africans and liberal nonafricans. History of the gold coast and asante african books collective. The author places these items of philatelic history in the context of the overall history of the region, from the first visit by portuguese explorers in 1471, through the republic of ghana s. Kwame nkrumah, born september 1909, nkroful, gold coast now ghana died april 27, 1972, bucharest, romania, ghanaian nationalist leader who led the gold coast s drive for independence from britain and presided over its emergence as the new nation of ghana.
The gold coast republic of ghana s history 19451966 under the first prime minister and then president osagyefo dr. History of the gold coast and asante classic reprint. Atlantic dimensions of gold coast ghana history in the nineteenth century, ghana studies journal 21 2018, 4162. A man called thomas birch freeman, who came into gold coast in 1838 is said to have expanded christianity in ghana. Born on 21 september 1909, at nkroful, a village near axim in the western region of then gold coast, the born francis nwiakofi ngonloma was later educated at achimota school. Based on records, he took methodism from the coastal areas to kumasi in the asante hinterland of the gold coast between 1838 and 1857 and also founded methodist societies in nigeria with the help of william degraft. The history of gold coast and asante is a preserved work of oral tradition by carl christian reindorf and considered a pioneering work and a historical classic and entirely written in english and ga language. Colonial africa in official statistics, 18211953 volumes ghana gold coast, 18461939. 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 selections emphasize ghana s enormous symbolic and pragmatic value to global relations. There is some evidence that the gold coast was visited by french navigators towards the end of the fourteenth century. Reflections on the historiography of nineteenthcentury fanteland, history in africa.
This former british colony of 92,000 square miles about 238,000 square kilometers shares boundaries with three frenchspeaking nations. History of the gold coast and asante, based on traditions and. A concise history from precolonial times to the 20th cent. Ghana, the road to independence, 19191957 uniform title.
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