The British Kronkolonie gold coast ("gold Coast Colony ") in west Africa existed from 1878 to 1958 and was part British west Africa. 1958 attained it together with the British protectorate British Togo country (formerly part of Togo country) as Republic of Ghana independence.

The colony covered the southern regions today's Ghana. In the broader sense the term gold coast than political designation was applied on the entire British controlled area today's Ghana, thus starting from 1900 also to Ashantigebiet in central Ghana and the northern areas of the today's Ghanaian republic standing under British rule.

Some sources indicate the year 1821 as a year of the foundation. In this year the British Forts at the gold coast was subordinated to the British office for colonial, which delivered the administration however soon to an advice of the settlers and dealers in this Forts.

History of the emergence of the colony

The Europeans settled already early at the gold coast, which admits 1470 by the Portuguese de the Europeans had been made. Diego d'Asambuja landed 1481 with 700 men with Elmina and built away Jorge there Mina. The dutchmen set themselves in for Mori (Ghana) (east of Cape Coast Castle) and at other places and drove out 1637 the Portuguese. English adventurers settled likewise, but their Forts with exception of Cape Coast Castle 1667 by the dutchmen were taken. Subsequently, 1672 educated themselves the royal African company of England of buyers. The company built or strengthened Dixcove, Sekondi, Anomabo, Winneba (Simpah), Akkra and Cape Coast Castle, near the Dutch and the before established Danish continuations from 1683 to 1720 gave here Brandenburg a short colonial Intermezzo with the possession largely for Friedrichsburg. 1752 formed a new African company of buyers. Meanwhile the Fanti took the country of the ruler of Efutu and became allied the British. The dutchmen on the other hand allied themselves with the Aschanti. The British and dutchman, also the Danes, paid a ground rent to the chieftains.

The Aschanti subjected and required the country of the Fanti to 1807 now of the Englishmen a ground rent. In September 1817 one could finally agree. Whereupon 1821 the African company was waived and the gold coast a dependency of Sierra Leone. The Englishmen supported the Fanti and struck 1826 the Aschanti army completely. But only 1831 a contract were locked, after which all were placed south of the upper Pra of countries lain under British protection, likewise thank Irish Republican Army.

The demand for establishment of a colony gold coast was then raised strengthened for the 1840er years from British settlers and dealers locally. The costs of a durable control of the area seemed to the office for colonial in "the motherland "in the comparison to the possible profit however too highly and the unjustified demand by the responsible authorities were several times rejected. Until 1850 then the English government with exception of some Dutch addresses had become gradually lady of the whole gold coast.

Several reasons led 1874 nevertheless to the establishment of the colony:

• Into the late 1860er years came it into Great Britain to a new per-colonial and per-imperialistic tendency before the background of the search for new sales markets and raw material supplier for the domestic industry. Besides the weapon-technology superiority of the Europeans had achieved, symbolized a new quality in the revolutionary invention of the Maximgewehrs.

• 1872 had given the dutchmen up as last European power beside the Britisher their fastened bases at the gold coast against grant of trade privileges. Crucially to it the successful military resistance of the against the assumption individual British Forts (e.g. in Dixcove) had contributed by the dutchmen. Released from Dutch competition the British could count on increased profits in the trade and implement effectively customs returns.

• 1874 had had to accept the Ashantireich the crucial defeat against the British. With it the British in a the position were to implement in the area today's Ghana their interests against everyone. There was no more native power, which could oppose them some more.

Internal conditions in the gold coast: Kronkolonie, protectorate and territory

In July 1874 it came therefore to the establishment "of the gold Coast Colony ", which covered the entire territory today's south Ghana. This heart of the colony was inhabited predominantly by the Fanti. 1896 occupied the British as high point of a series of military conflicts Kumasi, the capital of the Ashantireiches, capture the Asantehene, the ruler of the Ashanti, and explained the Ashantigebiet as the protectorate. Later those were added this very day "Northern Territories of "areas mentioned of the Mamprussi, Dagomba and other peoples of north Ghana.

The form of the colonial exercise of power within these three areas was very different. In "the Kronkolonie "a political manipulation was possible for the located ones in masses in the modern sense of word: Political combinations could form without permission by the British and it gave large Pressefreiheit. English right was valid and attorneys was able to fight excrescences of colonial rule. In "the protectorate "against it the practice of their occupation was forbidden to attorneys and political combinations had as cultural or social combinations to camouflage itself. In the Kronkolonie was there besides already due to the longer British influence a large amount of African educated west, who cooperated with the colonial administration and controlled this also in beginnings. In "the protectorate "against it the British into the 1920erJahre strove inside around the destruction of the Ashantiimperialismus and its remaining traditions. "The Northern Territories "again was not at all merged into the later political reform attempts within the gold coast, had e.g. no voice in the legislative advice of the so-called Burnsverfassung of the 40's

British exercise of power in the colony gold coast: "rule indirect "for the 20's

Of 1919 - 1929 were Gordon Guggisberg governor of the colony and strove since its assumption of office around a change of the existing colonial policy in the gold coast. Its model were thereby the theories to indirect rule of the governor at that time of British Nigeria, Luggard.

This theory saw abridged as comprehensive a delegation of functions of the administration as possible to the native elite and traditional heads of the colonies pre however only on the lower management levels. Actually influential posts remained also rule "according to the theory "indirect for the Britisher to reserve. This administrative form nevertheless surely promoted the emergence of an elite formed west and a civil company straight in the south of the country.

The way to the independence of the gold coast

The British at the gold coast were confronted the entire time of their rule with different forms of the resistance. From the resistance against the introduction of a Kopfsteuer to the 1860er years or the armed rebellion of the Ashanti around 1900 over the youth movement of the 30's up to economic boycott movements in the 40's Jahren.1947 Coast Convention party a party with the United gold, which had the independence of the country as program, was based. In prominent place thereby the later founder president and national hero of Ghana stood, Kwame Nkrumah. The party took an enormous upswing by the so-called Accra Riots. These "Accra unrests" had broken off 1948 after the death of two demonstrators by British police bullets in Accra, soon into different regions had spread and 29 dead ones had demanded. As a result of these unrests some leaders of the party were arrested, among them Kwame Nkrumah.1949 created the country-wide already tremendously popular Nkrumah a new party, the Convention Peopel `s party, which represented the demand after independence clearly more radically. With elections 1950 Nkrumahs CPP won decisively and almost landesweit.1951 had the colonial administration in the meantime the again arrested Nkrumah from the prison to dismiss and it with the office one "leader of the "to entrust. While the reign of its party from 1951 to 1954 it came still under British rule to extraordinary progress in the infrastructure of the gold coast in the ranges traffic and education, so that the CPP won again clearly with the next elections despite in the meantime adults of regional, political competition in the Ashantigebiet. To 5. March 1957 ended the history of the British colony gold coast with the establishment of the independent Republic of Ghana.

Literature

• J.B. Webster, A.A. Boahen: The Revolutionary Years. West Africa since 1800. Longman 1984

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