The Formation and Political History of Modern Ghana

Political Map of Ghana. Accessed October 13,
2016. http://www.nationsonline.org/oneworld/
map/ghana_map.htm.

          The borders of the Republic of Ghana are derived from the territory of the British colony of the Gold Coast. These borders have little to do with cultural boundaries. Ghana boasts approximately 100 ethnic and linguistic groups; in fact, “Ethnic rivalries of the precolonial era, variance in the impact of colonialism upon different regions of the country, and the uneven distribution of social and economic amenities in postindependence Ghana have all contributed to present-day ethnic tensions”  (GhanaWeb n.d.). As late as the mid-1990s, ethnic tensions in modern Ghana have resulted in conflict and bloodshed. The largest cultural boundaries which were included in the Gold Coast colony were those of the Ashanti Kingdom; the Ashanti comprised most of the central section of modern Ghana.

Evolution from the Gold Coast colony to the
current size of Ghana. Accessed October 13,
2016. http://exploringafrica.matrix.msu.edu/
module-twenty-four-activity-two/.

            Britain declared the coastal region of the Gold Coast a crown colony in 1874, then turned their attention to acquiring inland territories. Tensions between the British and the Ashanti resulted in conflict that lasted until 1901, when Britain finally defeated the Ashanti the Ashanti Kingdom became part of the Gold Coast colony. The following year, the northern territories of present-day Ghana became British protectorates (An Introduction to the History of Ghana 2016). The final addition to the territory included within the borders of modern-day Ghana was the Volta region, previously known as British Togoland, voted to become part of the Gold Coast (Berry 1995, xxx).

Nkrumah declaring Ghana independent on March 6, 1957 at mid-
night. Accessed October 13, 2016. http://exploringafrica.matrix.
msu.edu/module-twenty-four-activity-two/.

           In 1956, the Gold Coast, renamed the Republic of Ghana, declared independence from Britain (GhanaWeb n.d.). Kwame Nkrumah, a political activist with socialist views, became the Republic of Ghana’s first president (Reader 1999, 646).  Due to economic problems and increasing unrest stemming from government crackdowns on political dissenters, Nkrumah was overthrown by a military coup on February 24, 1966. The Second Republic was formed in 1972, only to fall victim to a military coup three years later in January 1972. 

Ghanian Pres. Jerry J. Rawlings addressing the
United Nations Millennium Summit, Sept. 7,
2000. Tom Mihalek-AFP/Getty Images. Accessed
October 13, 2016.  http://exploringafrica.matrix.
msu.edu/module-twenty-four-activity-two/.

          In May 1979, Flight Lieutenant Jerry John Rawlings led a military uprising against the ruling junta; the coup failed and Rawlings was imprisoned, but was soon freed by military supporters. Rawlings led a second coup on June 4 1979, this time successfully overthrowing the junta. Elections were held soon afterward, and the Third Republic was inaugurated in September 1979. However, becoming disillusioned with the new government, which failed to curtail corruption, Rawlings led a third coup on December 31, 1981. In 1992 a new constitution was adopted, and in November of that year the Fourth Republic was declared; the government organized under the constitution of 1992 and the Fourth Republic continues today (GhanaWeb n.d.).

Bibliography

 An Introduction to the History of Ghana. 2016. http://exploringafrica.matrix.msu.edu/module-

           twenty-four-activity-two/ (accessed October 13, 2016).

Berry, LaVerle Bernadette. "Ghana : A Country Study." Library of Congress. 1995. https://www.loc.gov/item/95018891/ (accessed October 13, 2016).

GhanaWeb. n.d. http://www.ghanaweb.com/GhanaHomePage/country_information/ (accessed August 30, 2016).

Reader, John. Africa: A Biography of the Continent. New York, NY: Vintage Books, 1999.