The Slave Trade and Demographic Devastation When we talk about Africa today—its borders, its languages, its religions, its politics—we are also talking about colonialism. The Africa we know in the twenty-first century did not emerge naturally from the past. It was profoundly shaped by centuries of foreign intrusion, exploitation, and rule. To understand present-day Africa,…
The concept of “chiefs’ consent” occupies a central place in the colonial history of the Gold Coast, present-day Ghana. Throughout the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, colonial authorities frequently claimed that African chiefs willingly agreed to treaties, land concessions, and administrative reforms that facilitated British control. Newspapers—both colonial and African-run—played a decisive role in shaping…
The growth of newspaper readership in the Gold Coast—modern-day Ghana—cannot be understood without examining the critical role played by nineteenth-century mission schools. These educational institutions, established by European Christian missions, were not only centers of religious instruction but also engines of literacy, intellectual transformation, and political awareness. By producing a new class of literate Africans,…
The end of the trans-Atlantic slave trade in the nineteenth century is often presented in historical narratives as a clear moral victory led by European abolitionists. However, in reality, the process was complex, uneven, and frequently misrepresented—particularly in early newspapers and colonial reports. In the region now known as Ghana, selective reporting played a crucial…
The qualification of the Ghana national football team — popularly known as the Black Stars — for the 2006 FIFA World Cup stands as one of the most transformative milestones in Ghana’s sporting and national history. It was not merely a football achievement; it was the culmination of decades of ambition, near misses, institutional reforms,…
The history of slavery and abolition in the area now known as Ghana is deeply intertwined with global economic systems, imperial expansion, African political structures, and the emergence of print journalism as a powerful instrument of public opinion. From the fifteenth century through the nineteenth century, slavery evolved from localized systems of servitude into a…
The Atlantic as Living Arena Along the Atlantic edge of the pre-colonial Gold Coast, long before European forts punctuated the shoreline, the sea was already a theatre of movement, daring, and communal pride. The coastal societies of present-day Ghana—particularly the Fante, Ga, and related Akan maritime communities—did not encounter the ocean as a boundary. They…
Along the wind-carved coastline of southern Ghana, among the Fante, physical games were never idle diversions. They were social rehearsals—training grounds for endurance, hierarchy, and communal rhythm. Two in particular—Atentam and Osibir—stand out in the historical record. Atentam derives from the Fante/Akan root tam, meaning “to push,” “to press,” or “to force against.” The prefix…
Recent reports in the Ghanaian media have once again drawn attention to a disturbing and persistent problem: the murder, attempted murder, and lynching of women accused of practicing witchcraft. These incidents are often shocking in their brutality and tragic in their consequences. They also raise an important question: Are witchcraft accusations a problem confined to…
Africa is still the “dark continent” to many people. In spite of its immense size, large population, vast mineral and agricultural resources, militarily strategic location, and tremendous development potential, Africa is undeniably the most misunderstood continent. Very few non-natives of the continent know much about its geography, its peoples, its culture, or its politics. What…
Violence against persons accused of witchcraft remains a troubling reality in parts of Ghana. Although our nation prides itself on hospitality, communal solidarity, and deep respect for human dignity, allegations of witchcraft too often trigger acts of cruelty that contradict these cherished values. It is time to speak plainly: killing or lynching a person accused…
Long before colonial stadium lights and organised leagues, the sandy shores and village squares of the Gold Coast—today’s Ghana—were vibrant arenas where traditional wrestling was among the most respected cultural practices. From the early 19th century up to the turn of the 20th century, indigenous grappling contests were not mere entertainment; they were deeply embedded…
In Ghana, the overwhelming majority of people accused of witchcraft are women and girls. Nearly all victims killed during witch hunts are female. In the so-called “witch camps” or “outcast homes” in northern Ghana, it is rare to find a man among the residents. The population is almost entirely women—elderly women, widows, divorced women, poor…
In Ghanaian society, names are never random. A name is a story, a memory, a prayer, a verdict on experience, or a declaration of destiny. Ghanaian surnames—particularly Akan surnames—carry deep cultural meanings that often encode family history, spiritual beliefs, social struggles, and moments of triumph. Some names appear straightforward on the surface, yet even these…
The Akan constitute one of the major ethnic groups in Ghana, accounting for approximately 46 percent of the national population. They speak Twi, a language that is understood and spoken by nearly 90 percent of the country’s population. The Akan are made up of several subgroups, including the Asante, Fante, Akuapem (Akwapim), Akyem (Akim), Brong,…
