BEFORE YOU WATCH: Resisting Colonialism - Through a Ghanaian Lens

Use the “Three Close Reads” approach as you watch the video below.

Before you watch

Before you watch the video, it’s a good idea to open and skim the video transcript. And always read the questions below so you know what to look and listen for as you watch.

While you watch

What did Ghanaian historian A. Adu Boahen mean when he said, “Independence was not given on a silver platter but won by blood”?
Who was Yaa Asantewaa, and what did she do that made her famous?
What was the Golden Stool of Asante? Why did the British want it? Did they get it in the end?
Why, according to Tony Yeboah, was a lot of anti-colonial resistance actually aimed at chiefs and kings?
What kind of resistance did the UGCC (United Gold Coast Convention) organize after the Second World War?
Why did Ghanaian veterans, who had fought for Britain during the war, march in 1947, and what happened to them?
What was Kwame Nkrumah’s strategy of positive action? Why was he such an effective leader, according to Tony Yeboah?

After you watch

Using evidence from this article, compare the processes by which various peoples pursued independence after 1900.
This video focuses on some big acts of resistance. Do you think these acts represent most common forms of resistance? If not, what is missing? If so, what evidence supports your argument?

Now that you know what to look for, it’s time to watch. Remember to return to these questions once you’ve finished watching.

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