History
The Republic of Ghana is a country in Western Africa nestled between Togo to the east and Ivory Coast to the west. With 34 million inhabitants, Ghana is the second most populous west African nation behind Nigeria. The capital and largest city is Accra, followed by Kumasi, Tamale, Sekondi-Takoradi.
The official language is English and there are eight ethnic groups: Akans, Mole-Dagbon, Ewe, Ga-Adangbe, Gurma, Guan, Gurunsi, and Mande. Ghana is a predominantly Christian nation with 71% of the people professing to be followers of Christ. Of this number, 49% are Protestant in denomination. One-fifth of the population is Muslim.
The kingdom of Dagbon is the earliest documented kingdom in the north and the state of Bono dating back to the 11th century. The Ashanti empire and other Akan kingdoms to the south emerged over the course of centuries.
Arrival of the Portuguese
In the 15th century, the Portuguese came to the Gold Coast region and established trading rights with the Akan people. Tantalized by the abundance of gold in the area, they sought exclusive control of the coast. In 1481, King John II of Portugal commissioned Diogo de Azambuja to build Elmina Castle.
By 1598, the Dutch had joined the Portuguese in the gold trade. They established the Dutch Gold Coast and built forts at Komenda and Kormantsi. In 1617, the Dutch captured Elmina Castle from the Portuguese.
The Greed of Europe
The 17th century saw all of Europe vying for a piece of Ghana’s real estate with each nation that managed to gain a foothold establishing their own coast. It amazes me that they created their own “coasts” in a country that was not their own. In the race for a “share of the pie”, the Dutch were followed by the Swedes, Danish and Germans, respectively. The coasts were prime real estate for the slave trade, as we shall see.
The Atlantic Slave Trade
This period also saw the emergence of the trade in men as the Atlantic slave trade launched in the 16th century. Once again, the Portuguese were the first documented colonizers to buy slaves from West African slavers and transport them across the Atlantic. With a near monopoly on the trade in men, they completed the first transatlantic slave voyage to Brazil in 1526. Quite naturally, other European nations soon followed.
The first enslaved Africans sent to the English colonies were classified as indentured servants with legal standing similar to that of contract-based workers coming from Britain and Ireland. However, by the middle of the 17th century, slavery had hardened as a racial caste. African slaves and their future offspring were viewed as and legally deemed the property of their owners.
The Major Players
The major Atlantic slave trading nations, in order of trade volume were Portugal, Britain, Spain, France, the Netherlands, the United States and Denmark. Current estimates are that about 12-12.8 million Africans were shipped across the Atlantic over a span of 400 years.
The number purchased by the traders was considerably higher, as the passage had a high death rate with approximately 1.2–2.4 million dying during the voyage and millions more in “seasoning camps” in the Caribbean after arrival in the New World. Millions of people also died as a result of slave raids, wars, and during transport to the coast for sale to European slave traders.
Why Forts and Castles?
The colonizing slave traders rarely traveled beyond the coast or entered the African interior, due to fear of disease and native resistance. Oddly enough this fear didn’t prevent them from enslaving every African they encountered along the coasts. They typically resided in forts or “castles” on the coasts, where they waited for African traders to provide them with captured slaves from the interior in exchange for goods. This is the reason there are so many forts and castles dotting Ghana’s coastline.
From about the 15th to the 19th century approximately 80 castles & forts were built along the coast of Ghana by various European powers, the primary purpose of which was to protect their trading interests, mainly from each other. Twenty-nine of these structures remain today.
Enter the Brits
From 1580 until 1640, Portugal was united with Spain in the Iberian Union. This agreement, however, was short-lived. By the early 17th century, the English had established a strong foothold in the coastal area as a result of conflicts between the Portuguese and Spanish. By the 1690s, the British had surpassed all other traders and were shipping the most slaves from West Africa.
The Beginning of the End
The campaign to end slavery in Great Britain was the result of several factors: the economic situation, the Enlightenment, slave revolts abroad and the abolition movement at home.
Even though the British were shipping more slaves from West Africa than any other nation, the process had become less cost effective. The triangular trade usually involved two trips for each enterprise – one for slaves and one for cargo and the whole process could sometimes last two years.
The Enlightenment
The Enlightenment was a period of questioning traditional authority and the idea that rational change could improve humanity. These ideals inspired movements to pressure political leaders to end the slave trade as it was criticized as violating basic human rights.
The successful revolts by enslaved people in British territories such as Barbados, Jamaica and Demerara shocked the British government. They knew that if enslaved people were not emancipated, large scale rebellions would continue.
The Abolitionist Movement
From the 1770s in Britain, a movement developed to bring the slave trade to an end. The abolitionist movement was the work of ordinary citizens, politicians and formerly enslaved people.
Thomas Clarkson and Granville Sharp were two of the leading abolitionists who fought tirelessly to end slavery. In 1787, they established the Society for the Abolition of the Slave Trade, whose purpose was to campaign for the slave trade to be brought to an end.
The Quakers
Nine of the twelve members of the Society for the Abolition of the Slave Trade were Quakers. Formerly known as the Society of Friends, the Quaker Church strongly opposed the slave trade in Britain and America. In 1783, the London Society of Friends sent a petition against the slave trade directly to the British Parliament.
The Slave Trade Act of 1807
William Wilberforce was a member of parliament and key figure in the abolitionist movement. Although his proposals met with fierce resistance, he was not deterred and began introducing anti-slavery motions in Parliament in 1789. Working-class people were instrumental in advancing Wilberforce’s agenda.
Despite benefiting from economic links to the slave trade, many workers in the port cities of Liverpool and Bristol signed petitions that were presented to Parliament. Over 500 petitions, with a combined total of around 390,000 signatures, were submitted in support of Wilberforce’s abolition bill in 1792. Wilberforce continued petitioning Parliament until they finally introduced the Abolition of the Slave Trade Act in 1807.
While the act officially ended the buying and selling of enslaved people within the British Empire, it did not protect those already enslaved. Many slave traders continued to trade illegally and it was another 30 years before slavery was abolished in most British colonies.
The British Gold Coast Colony
With the trade in men officially over, Britain turned its attention to the resources of the region. In 1821, the Brits seized control of the remaining interests of other European countries forming the British Gold Coast colony. The colony consisted of four separate jurisdictions that fell under the administration of the Governor: Gold Coast, Ashanti, the Northern territories and British Togoland. They purchased and incorporated the Danish Gold Coast in 1850 and the Dutch Gold Coast, including Fort Elmina, in 1872. Following more than a century of colonial resistance, Britain steadily expanded its “territory” through the invasion and subjection of local kingdoms, as well. During this period, the British exploited and exported a variety of natural resources such as gold, metal ores, diamonds, ivory, pepper, timber, grain and cocoa.
The Akan resistance
Understanding part of the Brits endgame, the Akan nations resisted the growing encroachment. The Ashanti Kingdom gave the British a serious run for their money, defeating them several times during the 100 year Anglo-Ashanti wars. Unfortunately, the Kingdom was defeated in the war of the Golden Stool in 1900.
The anti-colonialism movement
Post World War II, Britain was weakened and in debt and began to retreat from the empire it had built. A new generation of African nationalists began to mobilize a mass movement against colonialism. They also criticized older African political leaders who sought reform under colonial rule rather than independence.
This discontent led to the creation of the political party United Gold Coast Convention (UGCC) in 1947. The party was led by a coalition of men known as The Big Six. These six men are considered the founding fathers of present-day Ghana: Kwame Nkrumah, Ako Adjei, Edward Akufo-Addo, Joseph Boakye Danquah, Emmanuel Obetsebi-Lampey, and William Ofori Atta.
The march toward independence
Kwame Nkrumah, who returned to the Gold Coast in 1947 after completing his studies in the US and Britain, became General Secretary to the Convention. Two years after the formation of the party, Danquah and Nkrumah disagreed over the direction of the independence movement and decided to part ways. Nkrumah went on to form the Convention People’s Party (CPP) in 1949.
Free at last
On March 6, 1957, Ghana became the first sub-Saharan territory to achieve independence. Kwame Nkrumah went on to become the first prime minister and president of independent Ghana.
Nkrumah led an authoritarian regime in Ghana, as he repressed political opposition and conducted elections that were not exactly free and fair. In 1964, a constitutional amendment made Ghana a one-party state, with Nkrumah as president for life of both the nation and the party.
Nkrumah was the first African head of state to promote the concept of Pan-Africanism, which he had been introduced to during his studies in the United States. Nkrumah was heavily influenced by Marcus Garvey’s “Back to Africa Movement”, as well as the teachings of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and the naturalized Ghanaian scholar W. E. B. Du Bois. It is a consortium of all their philosophies that became the ideology of 1960s Ghana. Unsurprisingly, this nation became instrumental in decolonization efforts across mainland Africa and in the pan-African movement.
My Itinerary
November 18
This trip to Ghana had been a long time coming. I had put it off several times over the past five years, but God’s timing is perfect, as was this trip. I had Uprise Travel handle my itinerary and they did a phenomenal job. The owner, Musah, even came to meet me personally and discuss my itinerary. During the course of our conversation, he rearranged some of the activities to suit my personality and interests. After tweaking my itinerary, he then turned me over to my guide Kwesi, who was outstanding. As a solo female traveler, I felt totally safe and thoroughly enjoyed my trip beginning to end.
First stop was Kwame Nkrumah Mausoleum and Memorial Park. The Mausoleum is the final resting place of Ghana’s first President and Africanist and his wife, Fathia. The mausoleum is crafted from Italian marble with a black star at its apex, representing unity. The shape of the structure is meant to represent an upside down sword, which in the Akan culture symbolizes peace. The park also contains a museum that houses artefacts related to Ghana’s independence and the life of its first President.
November 19
Next stop, the ubiquitous Black Star Gate and Independence Square. After gaining independence from the British, Kwame Nkrumah commissioned the construction of the square to celebrate the nation’s independence. A statue of a soldier facing the Independence Arch symbolizes the Ghanaians who lost their lives fighting for Ghana’s independence.
Approximately an hour’s drive from Accra lies Krobo-Odumase, a town
known for its bead-making tradition. Ghana is known for its recycled glass beads known simply as Krobo beads. I toured a factory where the workers demonstrated the entire process. Since I use these beads quite often when designing pieces for my online store HouseofRenee.Etsy.com, I found this quite interesting.
Transparent and opaque beads are made from colorful recycled glass bottles, which are ground to a fine powder using a steel mortar. The powder is then poured into clay molds and fired in a wood burning clay kiln at 600-800 degrees Celsius until molten.
November 20
Next up, Kwesi and I traveled to Adanwomase, a local Ashanti village that specializes in the intricate art of weaving Kente cloth. While Kente may be worn every day, it is mostly worn during important ceremonies such as weddings, festivals and funerals. As you can see from the photo above, I even got to try my had at weaving.
November 21
Our travels took us northwest to Kumasi, the capital of the Ashanti Kingdom. We visited Manhyia Palace, the residence of the Ashanti chief. Included at the site is a museum where I learned about the rich history and traditions of the Ashanti people and how they traded and fought with Europeans over their gold.
Also, on the site is The 25th World Peace bell. The bell was installed on April 26, 2019 in honor of the late Kofi Annan and in celebration of King Otumfour Osei Tutu II’s 20-year anniversary.
November 22
The day started early as we had a lot of ground to cover. This would begin the emotional part of the journey as we traveled toward Cape Coast.
Cape Coast is the capital of the Central Region in the southern portion of Ghana and is known for its role in the transatlantic slave trade. En route to Cape Coast, we stopped in the town of Assin Manso which lies on the banks of the Pra River. This river is the site where thousands of enslaved Africans were forced to take their last bath before being marched to the castles to await ships bound for the Americas.
After such a somber afternoon, I welcomed some quality beach time at Coconut Grove Beach Resort. I knew tomorrow was going to be an even heavier day.
November 23
First on the agenda was St. George’s Castle in Elmina, the first and oldest European building in Sub-Saharan Africa. Built in 1482, this UNESCO World Heritage Site changed hands on several occasions throughout history. Here, I stood at the “point of no return” , the doorway through which captive Africans exited the continent never to return.
Cape Coast Castle, also a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is a large whitewashed fort overlooking the Gulf of Guinea. Built by the Swedish in the 17th century, this same structure was later used by the British as a holding prison for slaves.
November 24
After a heavy last few days, it was good to reset and bond with nature. We traveled to Kakum National Park, home to seven rope bridges in the forest canopy. Each time I visit a country and there is a canopy bridge, I say to myself “don’t do it, these bridges swing and sway way too much”. Then I find myself holding on for dear life praying my way to the other side. As you can see from the photo below, I survived.
To close out the day, we headed to Global Mamas Cooking Workshop where I was instructed how to make some traditional Ghanaian dishes, such as kontomire, red-red and kelewele.
November 25
This was our designated travel date back to Accra. Time to prepare for my final day in Ghana.
November 26
To close out my time in Accra, we visited The W.E.B. Dubois Memorial Centre for Pan African Culture. The center includes the home where Dr. DuBois spent his last years and the tombs of Dr. DuBois and his wife Shirley Graham DuBois.
And just like that my Ghanaian holiday was over. Until we meet again…
Coming Soon: Amsterdam
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