Remembering the Martyrs of Ghana’s Independence | The Rise and Fall of Kwame Nkrumah

This episode in the series talks through the remarkable life of Kwame Nkrumah, the first prime minister of Ghana and one of the most important voices in the fight against colonialism in Africa. The video describes his early life and education in the U.S., then his rise as a revolutionary leader in the Ghanaian independence movement, challenges in governance, and lasting contributions to Pan-Africanism. Learn about crucial events that helped shape Ghana's path towards sovereignty: the role of cocoa farmers and ex-servicemen, plus the iconic speech that heralded modern Ghana.

The effects of the British colonial rule had over time influenced the formation of the United Gold Coast Convention, (U.G.C.C), in 1947 the first of its kind political party working towards self-government by constitutional means. It adopted the slogan "Self-Government in the shortest possible time".

Composed of the local elite and intellectuals, this party advocated self-government and, in the end, full independence from British rule. JB. Dankwah, Convention's president, invited Nkrumah to become its secretary in 1947. Nkrumah arrived in December 1947 and hit the ground running. His protests and riots for independence made him a target for the British colonial government. He was briefly arrested in February 1948 together with other leaders of the U.G.C.C which resulted in riots and nationwide protests. Moreover, internal divisions within the U.G.C.C, particularly between the traditionalists and radical nationalists dissipated progress toward the farfetched vision of the U.G.C.C.

By 1949, Kwame Nkrumah had disengaged from the U.G.C.C to form the Convention People's Party (C.P.P), adopting more radical and militant tactics in pursuit of independence. Nkrumah along with several others formed the Convention People's Party. The party was headed by Nkrumah with Kojo Botsio as its secretary and K. A. Gbedemah as its vice-chairman. It adopted "Self-Government Now" as its slogan, in contrast to the U.G.C.C slogan.
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